Henry Digby brought the 64-gun HMS Africa into action after only about three months in which to drill the rebuilt ship and her crew. He had not attended Nelson's council of war or heard the famous instruction that a captain who placed his ship alongside the enemy could do no wrong. Even so, Africa sailed independently along the Franco-Spanish line and delivered broadsides without waiting to form into one of the British columns. HMS Malta's aggressive performance at Cape Finisterre provides a similar example. Digby's conduct illustrates a service culture in which captains were expected to close with the enemy when the situation allowed.
Chapter · 27:16-31:09
HMS Africa and independent combat initiative
HMS Africa's lone arrival at Trafalgar is used to explain how drilled crews and confident captains could act without waiting for detailed orders.