Nelson and Collingwood turn friendship into command method

Nelson formally confirmed Collingwood as second-in-command and gave him HMS Royal Sovereign, whose fresh copper made her one of the fleet's fastest capital ships. When the attack memorandum arrived, Collingwood recognized it as the plan the two friends had already been developing together. His reaction to the later signal that England expected every man to do his duty was that the fleet already understood its task, though he still relayed the message. Years of shared service had given the two officers a familiarity that reputation alone could not supply. Nelson could issue broad intent because Collingwood knew how to turn it into action for the lee column and communicate it to officers who did not share their long partnership.