England expects every Man to do his duty. Lord Nelson explaining to the officers the Plan of Attack previous to the Battle of Trafalgar, by William Marshall Craig, James Godby and Edward Orme. Published 9 January 1806. Repro ID: PU4050 ©National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, LondonAs Napoleon's troops were already marching towards Austria, an invasion of Britain no longer seemed imminent.

But the combined French and Spanish fleet still posed a considerable threat to British interests. Nelson arrived off Cadiz on 28 September. He decided that the Combined Fleet had to be destroyed.

Over the next two evenings, Nelson shared his plans with the admirals and captains under his command. His tactics were not particularly innovative. What was new was his care in ensuring that each officer knew the plan – through a personal briefing, followed by written instructions. Rather than relying on signals from Nelson during the heat of battle, each commander was expected to use his own initiative in engaging the enemy.

The Combined Fleet >>