Nelson sent "England expects that every man will do his duty" at 11:45 as the British columns approached the allied fleet. One explanation for the timing is the need to sustain morale while individual British ships risked being attacked by two or three opponents. Pasco suggested "expects" because it appeared in the signal vocabulary, while "confides" would have to be spelt out. Nelson accepted the quicker wording. The message required twelve successive hoists on the mizzen mast, with each group raised and lowered in turn.
Notable Point · 3:03:53-3:05:46
The signal before the two-column attack
See why Nelson sent the famous signal while the British columns still faced the danger of being doubled or trebled on.