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How was Horatio Nelson mortally wounded during the Battle of Trafalgar?
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Horatio Nelson
Lord Nelson, detail of an oil painting by J.F. Rigaud; in the National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, Eng.
During the Battle of Trafalgar on October 21, 1805, Horatio Nelson was mortally wounded while aboard his flagship, the HMS Victory.123
As the Victory engaged enemy vessels, a French sniper positioned in the mast of the Redoutable fired a shot that struck Nelson, passing through his shoulder and chest. He was immediately carried below to the ship's cockpit, where he eventually succumbed to his injuries at 4:30 pm. Before he died, he was informed of the British victory and expressed his satisfaction, stating, "Thank God, I have done my duty".234