. The royal navy : a history from the earliest times to the present. AV., therewere considerable spaces not only between the three divisions of theallied centre, but also between the centre and the van, and betweenthe centre and the rear. Delavall, w4th the allied rear, meanwhile engaged the Frenchrear very closely, in spite of its largely superior force, and backed 1690.] THE BATTLE OF BE ACHY HEAD. 339 and filled to keep abreast of it in the most deliberate and pertinaciousmanner. By accident or design, the centre of the long French line, whichseems to have been very correctly formed and pre
. The royal navy : a history from the earliest times to the present. AV., therewere considerable spaces not only between the three divisions of theallied centre, but also between the centre and the van, and betweenthe centre and the rear. Delavall, w4th the allied rear, meanwhile engaged the Frenchrear very closely, in spite of its largely superior force, and backed 1690.] THE BATTLE OF BE ACHY HEAD. 339 and filled to keep abreast of it in the most deliberate and pertinaciousmanner. By accident or design, the centre of the long French line, whichseems to have been very correctly formed and preserved, so far asthe distances between the ships were concerned, was bowed orsagged to leeward. That fact may have suggested to Torringtonthe design, which he must be supposed to have abandoned soon afterit was conceived, of concentrating upon, and cutting off, the enemysrear. The plan of action which apparently he next adopted, andwhich he pursued throughout the early part of the engagement, wasto keep the allied centre, or at least the centre and rear of his own. THE BATTLE OFF BEACHY HEAD. June 30th, ]690. squadron, at long gunshot to windward, with a view to preventingTourville from tacking and doubling upon Delavalls squadron. Butthis plan was a faulty one. It did not prevent the head of theFrench Blue squadron, when the Dutch had been for some timeengaged, from going about and so placing the Dutch between twofires; nor did it prevent the head of the French White squadron,when it had severely mauled Ashby, from pushing forward tocompHcate the perplexities of the gallant but unfortunate Dutch might have held, and, indeed, did for some time hold,their own against the three divisions of Ch^teaurenault; but whenthese three divisions were reinforced by the divisions of De Nesmondand of Tourville himself, the Dutch, overpowered and engaged on z 2 840 MAJOR OPERATIONS, 1660-1714. [1C90. both sides simultaneously, were exceedingly hard pressed. But fora calm which opp
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