TACTICS, NAVAL. 



TACTICS, NAVAL. 



may constitute At or nine parallel linn, the number of ships being 

 equal in all. The ships in thu order we supposed to be close-hauled, 

 and the keel of eecfa thip coincide* with the direction of the line t.> 

 I.K I, it belong*, or the chips of each line nil in each other'* wake ; 

 while the corresponding ships in the different diruioiu may be either 

 abreast of each other or in bow-and-quarter pontoon. A line drawn 

 through the mainmasts of the corresponding ships in the different 

 division* may be supposed to coincide with the direction of the wind. 

 Thi order of (ailing w that which was oonaidered the mort advantageous 

 oa account of the facility which it afforded for forming the line of 

 battle. Generally, the fleet consisting of three division*, the vanguard 

 of the line constitute* the weather division, and U commanded by the 

 vice-admiral ; the centre division is commanded by the admiral him- 

 self ; and the leeward or rear-division, by the rear-admiral. If the 

 fleet consists of more than three divisions, those which are not com- 

 manded by the admiral* are under the direction of commodores, or 

 senior-captains, and each commander is in the centre of his own line ; 

 frigates, store-chips, Ac. are kept to windward of the line of battle- 



'.. : -. 



The first and second orders of sailing are easily formed, however 

 irregular may be the previous dispositions of the ships ; for the ship 

 which is appointed to lead in the formation may get to leeward of the 

 whole fleet, and then hauling her wind (disposing her sails so that she 

 may move in a line making the given inclination to the direction of 

 the wind), she may sail in the proposed direction : the other ships 

 then, according to their positions, follow successively in her wake, aud 

 when all are proceeding in one line, each veers [VEERING] or bears 

 away, steering in the prescribed course, and still preserving the general 

 line. The third order of sailing is formed after all the ships have got 

 into one line, steering in each other's wake as above mentioned, and 

 the line making an angle of about 10 poinlt, 112 Sff, with the direc- 

 tion of the wind (reckoning from the latter direction towards the 

 bows of the ship). The van ships, -which are those to leeward of the 

 admiral, who is supposed to be in the centre, successively haul their 

 wind and steer in the proposed direction ; and when the admiral's 

 ship has hauled her wind, the stornmost or windward ships do the 

 same, and each proceeds in a direction parallel to that of the other 

 ships. The fourth and fifth orders of sailing are formed by the leading 

 ships of the different divisions getting abreast of each other, or in 

 bow-and-quarter position, at the prescribed distances; and then the 

 ship of the respective squadrons taking their places in each other's 



In the orders of sailing, the distance of one ship from another, in 

 Hue, should be such that any danger of running foul of each other 

 may be avoided : in general, that distance may be considered as equal 

 to two or three cables' length (each = 120 fathoms). And, with respect 

 to the distances between the several lines in the fifth order of sailing, 

 it has been determined, the ships being close-hauled, by supposing that 

 a line joining the headmost ship of one of the leeward divisions, and 

 the stemmoet ship of the next division to windward, should be at right 

 angle* to the direction of the wind ; or that the angle which such line 

 makes with each division should be equal to 2 points, or 22" 30'. In 

 general, this interval may be considered as equal to six or nine cables' 

 length ; and it is of importance that the distances prescribed by the 

 admiral of the fleet should be strictly preserved. 



In order that the commander of any one ship may readily ascertain 

 and preserve his relative position in u fleet when in order of sailing, the 

 ingenious device called the naral Ujitare, which was invented by Pore 

 1'Hosto, may be employed. It consists in tracing upon the quarter- 

 deck a great square A B c D (diagrams Nos. 2 and 3), having two sides, 

 A D and B c, parallel to the ship's length ; the diagonals, A c and B D, 

 intersecting each other in E, and the line H K s being drawn vertically 

 over the ship's keel ; also the point u being towards the head of the 

 ship. Now, if a ship were sailing in the direction a H, close-hauled on 

 the starboard tack, as in the cut No. 2, so that B D coincides with the 

 plane of the sail, and w K (bisecting the angle u E c) with the direction 

 in which the wind is blowing; then, after naving tacked and become 

 close-hauled upon the port tack, since the directions of the vertical 

 plane* pawing through the keel and sail make angles with the direction 

 of the wind equal to those which they made before tacking, the line 

 mi, that is, the line on which the ship will be sailing, will coincide 

 with, or be parallel to, the position of E c in the diagram. In like 

 manner, if a ship be sailing in the direction 8 u, close-hauled on the 

 l.rt tack, so that AC coincides with the plane uf the Kail, ai 

 with the direction in which the wind is blowing ; then, after having 

 tacked and become close-hauled on the starboard tack, the line s n, on 

 which the- ship will be sailing, will coincide with, or be parallel to, the 

 position of E i) in the diagram. 



Hence, if a fleet beta three parallel divisions, the ship* sailing 

 abreast of each other, those in each line will be in the direction s H, 

 and the corresponding ship* in the different divisions will be in the 

 directions A or D c. If the fleet sails close-hauled, and, for exnmi.lt> 

 on a ..larboard tack as in No. 2, the ships in each line will U> in u 

 direction coincident with or parallel to s u, and the corresponding ships 

 in tlj.- neveral lines wifl be in a direction coincident with, or parallel to, 

 w K, which in that of the wind. Again, if the fleet is in three divisions, 

 and the ships arc sailing in parallel directions not ,-.,ih( idini; wii ! 

 of the divisions ; if, for example, the ships should be Hailing on the 



port line of bearing while close-hauled on the starboard tack, as in 

 the subjoined diagram, the ships in each line will be in the direction of 



no*. 



one of the diagonals of the square ; and the corresponding ships in the 

 different divisions will be in that of the other. 



The order of battle consists in the ships being drawn up in each 

 other's wake, or in one right line with which the directions of all their 

 keels coincide : they are usually about SO fathoms from one another, 

 and are nearly close-hauled. The frigates, store-ships, Ac., are in lines 

 parallel to that of the Hne-of-battle ships, and on the side opposite the 

 enemy. A line of ships close-hauled is particularly advantageous u an 

 order of battle both for a fleet to windward, and also for that which is 

 to leeward of its opponent. If a windward fleet were in any other 

 state, the enemy might, by manoeuvring, gain the weather-gage, or he 

 might, by being able to approach as near as he pleased, compel the 

 windward fleet to come to an action. By the " weather-gage " is 

 meant the getting between, or the power of getting between, the 

 enemy's fleet and the part of the horizon whence the wind blows. 

 Rodney in 1782, and Nelson at Trafalgar, and other admirals have 

 formed their plans of attack on this ground, because a fleet to leeward 

 has difficulty with a fleet lying to windward, in forcing her to an 

 engagement; while, on the other hand, a leeward fleet, of int'.n.u 

 force, has a retreat more open to it. To a fleet being to leeward of an 

 enemy, the only hope of bringing the latter to action is in being able to 

 mi.- 'il it, and tack across an enemy's bows; thus getting what is 

 called the weather-gage. In a close-hauled line, also, the sails are 

 disposed so that the ships remain nearly stationary during the action ; 

 on which account the line is steadily preserved, and any (-hi-, on 

 becoming disabled can be easily replaced by one of those which are in 

 the reserve line. 



When the ships of a fleet are in the first or second order of sailing, 

 and it is intended to form the line of battle, it is evident that by 

 simply hauling the wind, or by tacking [TACKINO] or veering [ '. 

 ING], as the cose may require, the ships may get into each other's wake 

 in any proposed direction of the line. If it be intended to form the 

 line of battle from the third order, the ships in that wing whi< li is 

 already in a line, in the direction of their keels, must simply haul their 

 wind and get into each other's wake in the proposed direction of t.!m 

 lino ; each ship in the other wing is then brought into a position m -M ly 

 at right angles to the direction of the wind, and, as those of the first 

 wing advance, these fall successively into their wake. 



\Vlu-n the line of battle is to be formed from the fourth or lifth 

 order, all the ships being supposed to be close-haul<->l. tin- i',.i 

 may take place upon any one of the divisions ; the ships of this divixion 



Fig. 4. 



are then brought la (their motion stopped by bracing some sails 

 so as to be taken aback by tin- wind whilr othn> arc ki-pt full), 

 and the other ships are made to take up their proper positions in the 



