The battle of Trafalgar began at dawn with clear skies and a light wind. Forming two squadrons, according to a British eyewitness, the British ships to the west were “swelling”, suggesting that the wind might die at any time. Therefore, an immediate attack was necessary to ensure the best possible odds. An attack could only be initiated by sailing ships when they had the ‘weather gauge’, a term used for a fleet upwind of its opponent. The advantage of having the ‘weather gauge’ comes with the security of being able to decline any upwind attack as square-rigged ships cannot face more than seventy degrees into the wind. Nelson held the ‘weather gauge’ and was therefore able to advance downwind forcing the combined fleet to meet his attack. Regardless of the tactic chosen, little or no wind spells death for an attacking fleet; maneuvering capability would be reduced, no forward propulsion, disorderly formations. Unfortunately, as the battle commenced, the wind died down to a point where Nelson’s flag ship HMS Victory closed slowly with the allied fleet, under continuous fire and unable to return fire herself. Collingwood’s ship HMS Royal Sovereign led the second column and caught a stronger wind to the south, propelling him forward faster than the rest of the fleet. Collinwood broke through the allied line first and was immediately engaged by four allied ships. In the course of the battle, Collingwood engaged a total of eight allied ships. An effective and organized opposing fleet would have completely ripped apart a fleet attacking in such light wind conditions and positions. The wind helped the allied fleet at the beginning of the battle, since they were able to deliver multiple broadsides into an enemy unable to respond. The tables turned when Britain broke through the allied line. British ships were now capable of delivering broadsides from both sides of the ship into their neighbors whilst the allies were occupied with maneuvering and repositioning in light wind conditions. Mathew Beard stresses that due to a “breakdown in communication and a lack of wind, many the (allied) ships were out of range for most of the battle”. The wind prevented the vanguard and rear of the allied line from relocating to support the portions of their line that had been cut by the English. Nelson himself warned his captains in his memorandum to “be ready to receive their Twenty Sail of the Line” if the allied ships were to relocate and support their c>