Original battle plan drawn up by Admiral Horatio Nelson which led his fleet to victory at Trafalgar is tipped to sell for more than £250,000

• Original battle plans written by Admiral Horatio Nelson are going up for auction
• The plans detail Horatio’s victory at Trafalgar in the early 1800s
• The six-page document signed by the naval hero 
• It will be sold on December 13 at Bonhams, New York

Original battle plans drawn by Admiral Horatio Nelson could start a bidding war worth £250,000 in New York. 

The plans detail Horatio’s fleet to victory at Trafalgar in the early 1800s. 

The six-page document was signed by the naval hero on the eve of the historic battle. It contains detailed instructions for his captains and hand-drawn illustrations of his tactics. 

His revolutionary approach, called the ‘Nelson touch’, allowed his outnumbered fleet to defeat the French and destruct Napoleon’s plans to invade Britain on October, 21, 1805.

Original Trafalgar battle plans drawn by Admiral Horatio Nelson could start a bidding war worth £250,000 in New York

It was penned by Nelson on board his ship, the HMS Victory, at Cadiz, southern Spain, a little over a week before the engagement.

The ‘historically important’ document has stunned specialists at Bonhams in New York where it is expected to spark an international bidding war. 

Nelson outlined his strategy of splitting his fleet into three lines.

He wrote: ‘Something must be left to chance; nothing is sure in a Sea Fight beyond all others (…) no Captain can do very wrong if he places his Ship alongside that of an Enemy.’

The legendary admiral did not live to celebrate his success. He was shot by a sniper onboard the Victory as the battle neared its end.

The six-page document was signed by the naval hero on the eve of the historic battle

His revolutionary approach, called the ‘Nelson touch’, allowed his outnumbered fleet to defeat the French

-40 years ago the document was sold to an American collector

Nelson addressed it to Vice Admiral Robert Calder, due to return to England to be court-marshalled for pulling ships out of an earlier engagement.

He attempted to convince Calder to stay for the battle to prove himself to his critics – but he returned to England.

Valuer at Bonhams, Ian Ehling, said: ‘This is one of the most important documents in Naval history, and the purest expression of the ‘Nelson Touch’.

‘It shows Nelson’s brilliance and, in particular, his notion of spontaneity in battle.

‘He is giving his captains the freedom to act freely and decisively in response to the changing circumstances of the battle.

‘That was an outstanding tactic, never seen before, which has been used ever since.

‘He is recognising that some things must be left to chance – that is especially poignant when you consider that he would be shot and killed in the battle.

Nelson outlined his strategy of splitting his fleet into three lines and instructed his commanders to act decisively in the ‘sea fight beyond all others

His plan to split the enemy fleet in three sunk 22 ships. The British lost none

‘It is partly a reflection on his own mortality and vulnerability.

‘This was Napoleon’s attempt to take over England and it was halted completely.

‘Nelson and the British Navy’s victory solidified Britain’s dominance of the seas throughout the 19th century.

‘I’ve never known a signed copy come for auction – the fact it was addressed to Vice Admiral Calder makes it especially unique.

‘I expect it to attract collectors from all over the world’.

Admiral Nelson’s only defeat during the Napoleonic Wars was a failed attack on Boulonge in August, 1801.

He attempted to destroy a fleet of French vessels and despite launching fire bombs,  the British sustained more casualties and retreated.

A bidding war is expected to start which could bank the seller £250,000

The auction will take place at Bonhams, New York on December, 13

Four years later, the French and Spanish fleets combined to take control of the English Channel as part of Napoleon’s plans to invade England.

The enemy fleet sailed from the port of Cadiz and encountered Nelson’s fleet, assembled to meet the threat, in the Atlantic Ocean off Cape Trafalgar.

Nelson was outnumbered with just 27 ships to the enemy’s 33. He broke their flank by leading his fleet directly at it.

His plan to split the enemy fleet in three sunk 22 ships. The British lost none.

Nelson’s own HMS Victory led the front column but he was shot by a French musketeer and died shortly before the battle ended.

It is said that on his death bed Nelson murmured: ‘thank God I have done my duty’, before uttering his last words: ‘God and my country’.

The rare plans were sold to an American collector 40 years ago. They will be sold on December, 13, at Bonhams, New York.

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