s, issued by Admiral
Gambier from the Prince of Wales in Yarmouth Roads, on July 23, 1807,
when he was about to sail to seize the Danish fleet.[2] His force
consisted of thirty of the line, and its organisation and stations of
flag officers were as follows:

VAN SQUADRON

Division 1. Commodore Hood (No. 1 in line).
Division 2. Vice-Admiral Stanhope (No. 6).

CENTRE DIVISION

Division 1.} Admiral Gambier (No. 15).
Division 2.}

REAR SQUADRON

Division 1. Rear-Admiral Essington (No. 25).
Division 2. Commodore Keats (No. 30).

Gambier's fleet was thus organised in three equal squadrons (the
centre one called 'the centre division') and six equal subdivisions.
The commander-in-chief was in the centre and had no other flag in his
division, Similarly each junior flag officer was in the centre of his
squadron and led his subdivision, but he had a commodore to lead his
other subdivision. These two commodores also led the fleet on either
tack. So far all is plain, but when we endeavour to understand by the
appended instruction what battle formation Gambier intended by his
elaborate organisation it is very baffling. Possibly we have not got
the instruction exactly as Gambier wrote it; but as it stands it is
confused past all understanding, and no conceivable battle formation
can be constructed from it. All we can say for certain is that he
evidently believed he was adopting the principles of Trafalgar, and
perhaps going beyond them. The sailing order is to be also the battle
order, but whether in two columns or three is not clear. Independent
control of divisions and squadrons is also there, and even the
commodores are to control their own subdivisions 'subject to the
general direction' of their squadronal commanders, but whether the
formation was intended to follow that of Nelson the instruction
entirely fails to disclose.

The next is a tactical memorandum or general order, issued by Lord
Collingwood for the Mediterranean fleet in 1808, printed in
Mr. Newnham Collingwood's _Correspondence of Lord Collingwood_.
No order of battle is given; but two years later, in issuing an
additional instruction, he refers to his general order as still in
force. In this case we have the battle order, and it consists of
twenty of the line in two equal columns, with the commander-in-chief
and his second in command, second in their respective divisions. There
were no other flag officers in the fleet.[3] The memorandum which