Champions of the fleet : $b Captains and men-of-war and days that helped to make the empireFraser, Edward
History
Champions of the fleet : $b Captains and men-of-war and days that helped to make the empire
Fraser, Edward
Great Britain -- History, Naval; Naval battles -- Great Britain
“August 19th: 4 a.m.—Saw 4 sail of the enemy about 4 or 5 leagues from
us, running inshore. The other two having altered their course in the
night were out of sight. Continued chase and before 8 a.m. the French
admiral ran ashore 6 leagues E. of St. Vincent. All his masts went by the
board. Soon after saw another ashore, 4 miles W. of the French admiral,
and his masts too went by the board. The other two anchored close inshore.
“9 a.m.—Little wind and fair weather. Admiral anchored 3 leagues from
shore and signalled for all captains. At the same time signalled to the
_Conqueror_ and _Jersey_ to chase N.W. _Warspite_ brought-to.
“Captain Bently returned from the Admiral and stood inshore for the
easternmost of the enemy’s ships at anchor. The _America_ stood for the
French admiral. Little wind, hazy. Great swell from S.E. 1 p.m. _America_
anchored to eastward of the Ocean.
“We continued standing for the other French ships at anchor 2 m. to W. of
the _Ocean_. Soon after a fort fired several shot at the _Warspite_, but
hoisted no colours. Several of the shots struck the ship and did us some
damage.
“We continued standing in near the French ship and fired a few shot at
her, imagining she would immediately strike her colours; but finding she
did not, stood on and tacked and came close under her stern, and ¼ before
3 we began to engage her: ¼ before 4 she struck.
“At that time the Vice-Admiral with the _Jersey_, _Guernsey_, and _St.
Albans_ stood in to westward of us after another ship on shore and fired
some guns, when she struck; after which they set her on fire and stood
in towards the Cape where another French ship was at anchor which they
brought off. On our beginning to fire, the _America_ fired some guns on
the _Ocean_: she instantly hauled down her colours.
“We sent a boat on board and took possession of our prize, which proved
to be the _Téméraire_, 74 guns, 716 men. At ¼ to 5 we cut her cables and
carried her down to the Admiral.
“In the evening the _Intrepid_ and _America_ set fire to the _Ocean_.”
Boscawen, with his work accomplished and the Toulon fleet accounted for,
sailed away for England, carrying the _Téméraire_ and the _Modeste_ with
him under British colours, to add both ships, in their original French
names, to the British Navy. His battle in Lagos Bay under the shadow of
the cliffs of Cape St. Vincent, if perhaps few people nowadays remember
it, perhaps have ever heard of it, yet, in the words of Captain Mahan,
“saved England from invasion,” and the _Téméraire’s_ name should always
stand for us as a memento of that fact.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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