Captain Horatio Hornblower

Hornblower's calmness under pressure feels so authentic, but I wonder what inspired Forester to portray him this way. Was it based on real naval officers or purely fictional?

The way the ships and sailing scenes are described really brought the story to life. I'm curious if Forester did extensive research or if it grew from his imagination.

The sequence of adventures helped build Hornblower's character, but I wonder if the author considered other structures or if this was always the plan.