Trafalgar is commonly remembered through HMS Victory and the senior flagships, but 49 of its 60 ships of the line were third rates. Those 49 ships exceeded all 31 ships of the line at Camperdown and all 32 ships fighting at the Nile. Trafalgar became a massive battle because so many third rates were concentrated there. First and second rates carried famous names and senior admirals, but they did not supply most of the hulls in combat. The numerous third rates created the battle's scale and sustained its fighting power.
Chapter · 39:47-42:25
Third rates made Trafalgar a massive battle
Forty-nine of Trafalgar's sixty ships of the line were third rates, making ordinary battlefleet mass rather than a few famous flagships the source of the battle's exceptional scale.