Want To Win A Naval Battle? Eat More Suet.

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Thirty three vessels, the pride of the combined Spanish and French fleets surged through the waters off Cape Trafalgar that October morning in 1805. Capable and deadly warships, including one outfitted with 136 guns were at the time the best ships-of-the-line of the First French Empire and Bourbon Spain.

At 11 a.m. on October 21, the armada led by French admiral Pierre de Villeneuve caught sight of their opponent on the horizon.

Facing the Franco-Spanish fleet that day, 27 ships of the Royal Navy under the command of Vice Admiral Horatio Nelson.

Outgunned and outnumbered, Nelson’s fleet would break the back of Napoleon’s naval might.

Nelson would go on to lead the most famous and decisive naval engagements in history- taking 22 French and Spanish vessels and not loosing a single British ship in the melee.

Wonder what the battle plan was to ensure such a rout? Well, besides departing from the standard orthodoxy for naval battles (where Nelson split his forces into two columns and attacked the roughly single file enemy fleet,) Nelson’s victory may have something to do with the grub in the bellies of the British sailors that day.

Nope, I am not kidding.

According to a note soon to be displayed at the Norfolk Nelson Museum, Nelson one week before Trafalgar ordered provisions of ’suet and fruit’ be laid aboard one of the vessels of his fleet.

Considering the average sailor’s diet consisted of lots of beer, butter and biscuits, the jolt from ‘fruit’ which apparently were raisins and suet would have been like marathon runner’s carbo-loading. Full bellies and clear heads.

In case you need a refresher to what ’suet’ is- hard fat of the kidneys and loins of cows or sheep. Yup, a big ole fist sized chunk of fat. Pretty much the same things your mom hangs from her bird feeder.

Mmm, mmm good. Now it was most likely mixed with some other type of food, but that is a serious dose of grub when going to battle. I mean, think about, last time you had a really good steak, the fat is what makes it so damn tasty!

All the good eating however would not save Nelson that day.

The Vice Admiral himself would be killed in the battle. Not by a roaring cannonball or splintering explosion on the HMS Victory’s decks. No, Nelson would be cut down by a sniper high in the rigging of the .