THE FIRST SHOTS

Date: 20th October 1805........................................................Location: The Bay Of Cadiz

On the 20th October the first shots of the Trafalgar Campaign to be fired in anger, were from the French ship Heros and they were aimed at the British frigate Sirius.

The previous day the first ships of the combined Spanish and French fleet hoisted their sails and began to work their way out of Cadiz Harbour. By midday nine ships of Admiral Magon’s squadron had made their way out into the bay when the wind failed.

At about 7.30 a.m. the following morning, with the weather closing in, a strange ship was seen approaching from the northwest and the frigate Sirius sailed to intercept it. This brought her within range of the leading ship of Admiral Magon’s line, the 74 gun Heros, which hove to and opened fire. Sirius disdainfully ignored the fire of the Heros, put a shot across the stranger’s bows and lowered her boat to inspect its papers. The ship turned out to be an American merchantman and having ascertained this Sirius, still under fire, hoisted her boat back on board and sailed back to join her squadron.

In this painting Sirius is waiting for her boat to return whilst the Heros continues to fire on her. The American ship is gathering speed as the wind refills her sails.