Naval battles of the world : $b Great and decisive contests on the sea ... with an account of the Japan-China war and the recent battle of the Yalu; the growth, power, and management of our new Navy.Shippen, Edward
History
Naval battles of the world : $b Great and decisive contests on the sea ... with an account of the Japan-China war and the recent battle of the Yalu; the growth, power, and management of our new Navy.
Shippen, Edward
Naval battles; Sino-Japanese War, 1894-1895; United States. Navy
It would be tedious to follow the action of the particular ships up to
this period of the battle. Suffice it to say that the fire was most
concentrated and deadly on both sides. Some of the French ships fought
most desperately. Among others, the Vengeur lost her masts, and lay
rolling her lower deck ports in the water, many of which had been torn
off or shot away by the English ship Brunswick. The Vengeur soon filled
with water, and although fast sinking, her colors were kept flying. By
great exertions of some of the English vessels, some 400 of her crew
were rescued, but many sank with the ship. Among the survivors were the
brave French Captain, Renaudin, and his son, only twelve years old.
Being taken off to different ships, each believed the other to have
perished. To their great joy, they met again in Portsmouth.
Many of the French ships which struck were enabled to make off
during the succeeding night, as the English had not been able to
take possession of them. But they secured the 80-gun ships, Sans
Pareil and Juste, and 74-gun ships, América, Impetueux, Achille, and
Northumberland, and the Vengeur, 74, was sunk.
The British loss in the battle was 1140, in killed and wounded. The
French loss is not exactly known, but was much greater.
The damage to the masts and rigging of the British ships generally was
so considerable that the 2d and 3d of the month were passed in securing
the injured masts, fixing jury-masts when required, and removing the
prisoners, and taking the six prizes in tow.
Fine weather prevailed, and light westerly breezes, and the fleet
arrived in the Channel on the 11th; part of it, under Rear-Admiral
Graves, going to Plymouth, and the rest, led by the Queen Charlotte,
anchoring at Spithead on the 13th of June.
It had been many a year since Portsmouth had seen the arrival of a
victorious fleet, with six of the enemy’s line-of-battle ships in tow.
Crowds flocked to witness it, from all parts of England; and to see the
landing of the 2300 prisoners.
Rear-Admirals Paisley and Bowyer each lost a leg, and Admiral Graves
was very badly wounded in the arm, while three English captains were
killed. There was no doubt about the behavior of these officers, but
the report of Lord Howe omitted the mention of many captains, most of
whom thought themselves aggrieved, and made a great commotion. The fact
appears to be that more were delinquent in the previous operations than
on the day of the great battle; and this, in many cases, was no doubt
due to want of seamanship and experience.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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