on Naval Tactics. 171 



Thus we perceive by his plates, and learn from his texty that all the attacking, 

 and, as they ought to be, well battered ships, fetch unhurt through one and 

 the same interval, to the weather beam of this easily defeated enemy ! Mr 

 Clerk's notion is this; that whatever part of a windward fleet standing 

 athwart, the ships of a lee line may have it in their power to fetch, — whether 

 the rear, or the centre, or the van, they, by keeping their wind, will either 

 force their way through one and the same interval, or otherwise, by getting 

 foul, not only stop the course of all the enemy's ships, but likewise throw all 

 those astern into complete confusion ; and in whichever case this may hap. 

 pen, that the enemy's sternmost ships must be intercepted and captured. 

 This theory, as a practical maxim for future guidance, is deduced from the 

 observations given by Mr Clerk on Admiral Byng's engagement in 1756, in 

 the following words : — While matters were going on after this manner in the 

 van, the Intrepid, one of the van ships, having lost her fore-top mast, was so 

 taken aback, that her course was stopped. This, of consequence, produced a 

 disorder and stoppage in the ship's next astern, some designing to go to lee- 

 ward, and others endeavouring to go to windward, of the distressed ship." 



From this *•' observation" we are referred to article 19, p. 32, 

 Clerk''s book, where we find this piece of mismanagement — 



gross mismanagement — drawn into a " Demonstration''' for the 



guidance of the British Navy, in these words : 



" It is evident, that should any ship be crippled, her way must of conse- 

 quence be stopped, and occasion confusion amongst the ships astern, some 

 moving to leeward, others endeavouring to get to windward, and those ahead 

 (never looking behind them) running away from the rear. It is in vain that 

 it had been laid down as an instruction, ' the stoppage of one ship need not 

 necessarily produce a stoppage in every ship astern.' Mr Clerk illustrates his 

 theory by the errors of the Intrepid ! The misconduct, not only in the hand- 

 ling of that ship, but in the management of her followers, who did not imme- 

 diately pass her, and close up their intervals, should be condemned in the se- 

 verest terms, and the heaviest censure pronounced upon such errors by every 

 person engaged in tactical investigation. This theory is not only tactically 

 erroneous, in the very first principles of the science, but it is highly danger- 

 ous to the country, that a book containing such doctrine should be so much 

 cried up and advocated as this has been, without pointing out its great and 

 manifold errors. This is proved by an investigation of Paul Hoste, Art. III. 

 of his Tactique Navale.** Sir H. Douglas remarks, that " he (Mr Clerk) causes 

 the enemy to remain apparently at rest ; makes no allowance for relative 

 movement and position ; greatly accelerates his own speed ; extends prodigi- 

 ously the enemy's line ; contracts his own, and assumes, that the contact of 

 any two ships getting foul of each other will be partial to him, as all the other 

 circumstances are assumed to be. Mr Clerk has here, therefore, not only 

 committed a capital error in tactical principle, but supposes one of a still great- 

 er degree on the part of his adversary." 



Again, page 62, — 



" Mr Clerk's doctrine of cutting the line from the leeward, therefore, pro- 

 ceeds upon the assumption of the grossest misconduct on the part of his ene- 



