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06-04-2019, 10:53 PM | #1 | |||
The future is unwritten
Join Date: Oct 2002
Posts: 71,105
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June 5th, 2019: Nile Clumps
In celebration of my 2nd wife’s birthday here’s a story of great defeat.
In 1798 Napoleon Bonaparte had been tearing up Europe and the high seas. He loaded 35,000 of his troops on the French fleet for the trip across the Mediterranean to North Africa with plans to beat up the Brits then take a shot at India. The Brits caught wind of it and Sent Horatio Nelson with the British fleet to stop them. After a couple months of cat and mouse Nelson caught up, but the French had already offloaded the army at Abourkir Bay in Egypt. Nelson won the naval battle. SHIPS: Nelson: 13 Ships of Line(74 gun), 1 Forth Rate(50 gun), 1 Sloop of War(16 gun) French: 13 Ships of Line(9-74 gun, 3-84 gun, 1-120 gun) 4 Frigates(36, 40, 44, 48 gun) LOSES: Nelson: 218 dead, 677 wounded French: 2000-5000 dead, 3000-3900 captured, 2 ships of line + 2 frigates sunk, 9 ships of line captured. French Commander Vice-Admiral François-Paul Brueys d'Aigalliers’ 120 gun flagship, L'Orient, exploded. Big bada boom! Like I said, Nelson won. This was a big deal, after losing the United States Britain got a big boost, they now ruled the seas, Napoleon was trapped in Africa and his dominance in Europe busted as countries he captured or allied with reshuffled. Consequently Nelson became a hero, rewarded with a Baron title which he felt was insufficient reward. At the time the people would have probably backed him if he asked for the Queen’s virtue. Quote:
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Plus Wiki and lots of other references
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The descent of man ~ Nixon, Friedman, Reagan, Trump. |
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06-05-2019, 12:09 PM | #2 |
Junior Master Dwellar
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: Northern California
Posts: 2,122
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"In celebration of my 2nd wife’s birthday here’s a story of great defeat."
Hmm, does she know about this? If so, Happy Birthday to her. You obviously spent a lot of time studying this epic of war and remembrance and I am going to read it few times before further comment. Except thinking about Davison's meeting Nelson in Quebec in 1782. What a lot of time and work must have gone into THAT. |
06-06-2019, 03:17 PM | #3 |
Junior Master Dwellar
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: Northern California
Posts: 2,122
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I found an account that said it was about a three month journey from London to Quebec in the 1780's.
Just the voyage to the seas off Egypt must have been a tough one. I think that victory meant very little to either the victorious dead men of the Battle of the Nile and those of D Day. |
06-06-2019, 10:59 PM | #4 |
The future is unwritten
Join Date: Oct 2002
Posts: 71,105
|
My mistake, should have been 2nd ex-wife, and she knows nothing... never did.
Yes, 3 months hopping around the Mediterranean to get to Egypt. It matters not what it meant to the dead men, it only matters what it means to the Empire, and King/Queen, and merchants, and traders, and Banks. Soldiers and Sailors are an easily conscripted resource to be spent as deemed profitable. A tradition that continues to this day. No matter how many flags you wrap around it, the truth is it's business, big business.
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The descent of man ~ Nixon, Friedman, Reagan, Trump. |
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