Battle of Trafalgar
The Battle of Trafalgar (21 October 1805) was a naval engagement fought by the British Royal Navy against the combined fleets of the French and Spanish Navies, during the War of the Third Coalition (August–December 1805) of the Napoleonic Wars (1796–1815).
Henry William Bayntun
At the Battle of Trafalgar on 21 October, Bayntun in "Leviathan" was fifth in Nelson's weather column, after , , and HMS "Conqueror". "Leviathan" raked the French flagship before engaging the massive . Seeing the distant approach of Rear-Admiral Dumanoir's squadron from the north, Captain Thomas Hardy ordered "Leviathan" and other ships to close with the enemy. "Leviathan" engaged the Spanish ship , which was supported by "Intrepide". "Conqueror" then joined the fight and Bayntun was able to lay his ship alongside the badly damaged "San Augustin" whilst continuing to fire into "Intrepide". As the 74-gun HMS "Orion" passed, Bayntun shouted at her captain, Edward Codrington, ""I hope you will make a better fist of it!"" Some time later, with 160 of his crew dead or wounded, Commodore Don Fellipe of the "San Augustin" surrendered his sword to Bayntun. Of "Leviathan's" crew, four had been killed and just over 20 wounded during the battle.