There remains, of course, the question of the best formation for the squadron to adopt. Upon this point there are more opinions than one, and a conversation may be reported in which the merits of line abreast and line ahead were set against one another by two naval officers, and both put out of court by a third. The first two were captains commanding ships in two different squadrons. They argued the question between them with great seriousness; but in so cool and abstract a manner, that the spectator might be pardoned for suspecting--rightly or wrongly--that they were supporting doctrines which were not personal to themselves but derived from higher authority--perhaps from their respective admirals, both men of great ability and experience. It was noticeable, too, that the admiral at whose table the disputants were sitting, and who himself commanded yet another squadron, maintained an attitude of neutrality; though it is certain that he and his own officers, several of whom were present, had often discussed the problem, and were probably agreed upon the answer to it. ‘Speed,’ said Captain A, ‘seems to be the key to the solution. It is only in line ahead that speed helps you--in fact gives you something like practical safety. If a torpedo, fired at a column in line ahead, misses the ship it is aimed at, it is very unlikely to be so wide a shot as to hit either the next ahead or next astern--it is a miss directly it crosses the line.’ Captain B remained perfectly grave, but he looked very well content with this argument. ‘Yes,’ he said, ‘theoretically; but, in fact, the contrary has happened. In a column of eight ships, in line ahead, the _London_ and the _Formidable_ were the last two. You remember that the torpedo which sank the _Formidable_ was believed to have been meant for the _London_. And anyhow, speed and stormy weather failed to save the rear ship.’ ‘The speed was insufficient,’ replied Captain A, ‘not worth calling speed. When your fleet is in line abreast, columns disposed astern, the theoretical chances of hitting are much greater. Speed is no advantage in such a formation--in fact it may be a positive disadvantage. It may actually increase the virtual target. A shot which misses the near ship of a line abreast may still hit one of the others.’ ‘Laurence,’ said Captain B, ‘when he fired at the _Moltke_, considered her, as wing ship of the squadron, to be his only chance.’ ‘There was no second line disposed astern,’ replied Captain A; ‘but even so, if his torpedo had just missed, ahead of the _Moltke_, the next or next but one in the line might have come forward just in time to receive the shot.’