. The royal navy : a history from the earliest times to the present. pated. De Euijter, in his dispatch, distinctly says that Des Ardenswas with the Eed squadron under Prince Eupert, and that DeGrancey was with the Blue squadron under Spragge; and, althoughcertain French historians indignantly deny that any such arrange-ment was adopted, there seems to l)e no doul)t that, with a view 312 MAJOR OPERATIONS, 16G0-1714. [1673. to prevent the French from holding aloof, as at Solebay, theirships were formally mixed up with those of the English, and that,just as there were French vessels in the squad
. The royal navy : a history from the earliest times to the present. pated. De Euijter, in his dispatch, distinctly says that Des Ardenswas with the Eed squadron under Prince Eupert, and that DeGrancey was with the Blue squadron under Spragge; and, althoughcertain French historians indignantly deny that any such arrange-ment was adopted, there seems to l)e no doul)t that, with a view 312 MAJOR OPERATIONS, 16G0-1714. [1673. to prevent the French from holding aloof, as at Solebay, theirships were formally mixed up with those of the English, and that,just as there were French vessels in the squadrons of Prince Eupertand of Spragge, so were there English vessels in the AVhite squadronunder DEstrees. This distribution was perhaps judicious so longas every captain realised and clearly admitted his subordinationto the flag under which he was temporarily acting; but the lackof proper organisation in the advanced division, and its hastyretirement before the out-coming Dutch, had the effect of addingto each squadron at the last moment a number of ships which did. |^y«,A /:„, /. TJIK SOLTJIEKN NETilEKLANDS. not properly belong to it, and which, it may be, did not recognisetheir adventitious relation to it. Every craft, as she feh back,took refuge with that squadron which happened to be the easiestfor her to reach; and so the confusion of the advanced divisioncommunicated itself to some extent to the main fleet. This wasof no small advantage to the Dutch, who derived further benefitfrom the fact that, since the advanced division as it withdrew wasbetween them and the Allies, the latter dared not for some timefire, for fear lest they should injure their friends. Owing to these and other causes, the allied line was not fairlyformed when, at about noon, the Dutch began the action. It is 1»)7;5.] THE FIRST BATTLE OF SCIIOONEVELD. 3K; impossible to follow in detail the manoeuvres of the two impulsive valour got him into difficulties; and, as usual,he managed to
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade189, booksubjectgreatbritainroyalnavy
