How would Nelson react if the British ships at Trafalgar were replaced by the most recent Royal Navy vessels to bear their names?
Short answerHe would inherit overwhelming modern firepower, including nuclear submarines, but face the impossible problem of understanding and commanding it.
NotesNames such as Neptune, Africa, Leviathan, Britannia, Agamemnon, Ajax, Orion, Minotaur, Royal Sovereign, Swiftsure, and Prince of Wales summon later Royal Navy ships ranging from pre-dreadnoughts and cruisers to modern frigates, an aircraft carrier, and nuclear submarines. The Franco-Spanish fleet would be destroyed quickly because modern sensors, guns, torpedoes, and propulsion erase every meaningful tactical comparison. Nelson's immediate challenge would be understanding and controlling the replacement force.