During the Battle of Copenhagen in 1801, a British naval fleet under the leadership of Horatio Nelson defeated Danish-Norwegian naval forces defending the city. Nelson famously disobeyed the order from Admiral Sir Hyde Parker to withdraw earlier in the battle. How did he do this?
Answer: Nelson, being blind in one eye, held the telescope up to this eye to ‘look’ at the retreat signal coming from Parker’s vessel. As a result, he could claim that he did not see the signaled order to retreat.
Source: Horatio Nelson: Leadership – Strategy – Conflict by Angus Konstam
