The French Navy of 1805

Sailors of the combined fleet had misgivings about the coming battle, but this outlook was not shared by common sailors. The French Navy had scraped the bottom of the recruiting barrel long ago and siphoned off conscripts bound for the army. On several Spanish ships, most of the sailors had never even left port. Given where they started, these men had made incredible strides in the months since war began,. But they were completely outclassed by their rivals in the Royal Navy.