In the cradles of surface warfare, junior officers learn about the actions and genius of Vice Admiral Lord Horatio Nelson. During the October 1805 Battle of Trafalgar, Nelson faced a superior combined force of French and Spanish warships. Outnumbered 33 ships to 27, he pulled off a stunning victory—sending one enemy ship to the bottom and capturing 21 without a single British ship lost. The outcome, however, is less important than how Nelson was able to achieve his final victory. The real genius was that Nelson was able to set the conditions for his victory during training: by prioritizing decentralized command and control; increasing firing rates; and challenging tactical orthodoxies. Nelson dismissed standard formations. He drove his formations under full sail at right angles directly into the enemy’s broadside. Where traditional tactics required a surgeon’s scalpel, Nelson brawled with the precision of a club. He knew conventional tactics were not adequately matched to his contemporary problem, and he evolved to the threat.
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