At Cartagena, Spanish officers refused Villeneuve's request to join him because they lacked orders from Madrid and did not accept that he outranked them. His approach at Cadiz also caused friction with Gravina. In this account, Gravina was sent after him partly to manage his dealings with Spanish colonial officials. Gathering a combined fleet therefore required cooperation across separate national command systems as well as bringing the ships together.
Notable Point · 1:57:07-1:58:14
Why Spanish squadrons did not simply obey Villeneuve
Orders from Madrid and disputes over authority complicated Villeneuve's attempts to gather Spanish ships.