HMS Pickle, a Bermuda sloop, carried news of Trafalgar to Britain. Her arrival became the basis of Pickle Night, the celebration associated with the Royal Navy's non-commissioned personnel, while officers celebrated Trafalgar Night. Much of her ordinary service was as a tender or dispatch vessel, carrying urgent messages between distant commands. Reconnaissance and dispatch work brought her to Nelson's fleet, where frigates were in short supply. Blockade watching, convoy escort, commerce interdiction, and fleet reconnaissance competed for the same vessels, alongside communications and other cruising duties. Even a navy with hundreds of frigates struggled to provide enough for all these tasks.
Notable Point · 32:07-38:26
HMS Pickle reveals the fleet's reconnaissance burden
Pickle's famous post-battle dash grew from the ordinary dispatch and reconnaissance work that fleets constantly needed.