French ships carried soldiers with their own commanding officers, while political authorities also judged whether naval officers followed Napoleon's instructions. Villeneuve therefore did not exercise the simplified authority that a British admiral held within his fleet. Dumanoir's later conduct at Trafalgar and Cape Ortegal illustrates the alliance's uneven command quality. Equal hull counts did not create equal fighting organizations.
Chapter · 39:48-41:36
Allied command friction and naval experience
French military and political supervision aboard ship limited an admiral's freedom of action and added friction to an already difficult coalition command.