A distant-station flagship was expected to command a squadron and meet emergencies far from Britain. Telegraph cables offered speed but not the clarity or bandwidth needed to direct a complicated situation through long exchanges. Cable interruptions and misunderstandings could also delay or distort instructions. Nelson therefore carried local decision-making capacity: the ship, admiral, staff, and squadron had to manage events before detailed guidance or reinforcements could arrive.
Chapter · 16:51-19:07
A distant-station flagship had to solve crises before London could
Limited telegraph communication made Nelson a contingency vessel whose admiral and squadron needed the capacity to handle complex overseas problems locally.