In a calm and usually dark night, the ships at anchor, either in one
line or parallel lines, or promiscuously. The Torpedo boats to be formed
into divisions, each division to consist of fifty boats, and to attack
one ship. Suppose the ships first attacked to be those nearest the land;
in a calm they could not get under way, nor could they change their
positions; a ship, by having a spring on her cable, might possibly bring
her broadside to bear on the boats; but as the fire of the broadside
could do little injury until the boats were within four hundred and
thirty-eight yards, or three minutes, of her bow, and, as three minutes
after coming within the line of fire is to decide the contest, I conceive
that her broadside could not protect her; if the boats, at six hundred
yards distance, run for her bow, it would be impossible for her to change
her position so quick by a spring on her cable, as the boats could change
their direction to keep under her bow. If the ships were in one line, and
the headmost first attacked, she could receive no assistance from the
vessel astern, for she would lie between the stern ship and the boats,
and receive the fire which might be directed for them. If the ships lay
in several parallel lines, or promiscuously, and the next line were on
her larboard, the larboard ship would be distant at least one hundred
fathoms, and while the boats were bearing down, might fire broadsides on
them when they were at the distance of two hundred yards; but the moment
they closed in with the ship she must cease her fire, otherwise she would
do more injury to the ship than to the boats; the larboard ship would,
therefore, only have an opportunity to fire two minutes at the boats, in
which time, she might possibly discharge two broadsides; but as the boats
could keep in a line with the bow of the vessel attacked, and there is
more danger from the larboard or starboard ship than the one attacked,
a better mode would be to attack the headmost ship of each line at the
same time; in such case, each ship would be necessitated to reserve her
whole fire for her own defence; she could not assist the next ship, and
thus each vessel would be as much exposed and left to her own resources,
as though there were not another ship within three leagues of her.
The succeeding ships of the line, or lines, could be attacked in like
manner: hence, this mode of attacking any number of vessels with an equal
number of divisions of boats, amounts to nothing more than a repetition
of an attack with fifty boats on one ship, and it does not appear to
me possible, that her fire could repel fifty boats, or prevent them
lodging ten, fifteen, or twenty harpoons, if necessary, in her larboard
and starboard bow. I leave to nautical men and experienced commanders,
to shew to the public how a ship or ships of war, anchored in a calm as
before stated, could resist such an attack, and their total destruction
in a few hours.
But commanders, seeing the danger of being becalmed while at anchor, may
keep the fleet under way.