File:The influence of sea power upon history, 1660-1783 (1890) (14803568933).jpg

Identifier: seanpowerinf00maha (find matches)
Title: The influence of sea power upon history, 1660-1783
Year: 1890 (1890s)
Authors: Mahan, A. T. (Alfred Thayer), 1840-1914
Subjects: Naval history Sea-power
Publisher: Boston : Little, Brown and Company
Contributing Library: University of California Libraries
Digitizing Sponsor: Internet Archive

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e public indignation at its lack ofresult, and from the storm of naval and political controversywhich followed. The admiral and the ofiicer third in commandbelonged to different political parties ; they made charges,one against the other, and in the following courts-martialall England divided, chiefly on party lines. Public and navalsentiment generally favored the commander-in-chief, Keppel. Tactically, the battle presents some interesting features, andinvolves one issue which is still living to-day. Keppel wasto leeward and wished to force an action ; in order to do thishe signalled a general chase to windward, so that his fastestships might overtake the slower ones of the enemy. Grantingequal original fleet-speed, this was quite correct. DOrvilliers,to windward, had no intention of fighting except on his ownterms. As will generally be the case, the fleet acting on theoffensive obtained its wish. At daybreak of the 27th bothfleets were on the port tack, heading west-northwest, with a
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BATTLE OF USIIANT. 35I steady breeze at soutlnvest (Plate IX., A, A, A).1 The Eiio--ish rear (R) had fallen to leeward,^ and Kcppcl consequentlymade signal to six of its ships to chase to windward, so as toplace them in a better position to support the main body ifit could get into action. DOrvilliers observed this movement,and construed it to show au intention to attack his rear witha superior force. The two fleets being then from six to eightmiles apart, he wore his fleet in succession (French A to B),by which he lost ground to leeward, but approached the enemy,and was able to see them better (Positions B, B, B). Atthe completion of this e solution the wind hauled to the south-ward, favoring the English; so Keppel, instead of goingabout, stood on for half an hour more (English B to C), andthen tacked together in wake of the French. This con-firmed DOrvilliers suspicions, and as the wind, which cer-tainly favored, the English that morning, now hauled backagain to the westward, permit

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