Royal Sovereign leads Collingwood's Trafalgar column

Collingwood led the lee column directly toward the Franco-Spanish line in HMS Royal Sovereign. Her fresh coppered hull helped her reach the enemy first, giving Nelson the aggressive example he needed the rest of the fleet to follow. Royal Sovereign passed astern of the Spanish flagship Santa Ana and raked her at close range. Collingwood had used his short time aboard to sharpen the crew's gunnery, and the ship delivered almost three aimed broadsides in five minutes. The attack shows how hull condition, training, and confidence in a subordinate combined to turn Nelson's line-breaking plan into action.