ived the same total amount of injury, but that with the
English it fell on two ships, so that they could not be ready for
action for a month or more, while with the French the damage was
divided among the twelve, allowing them to be ready again in a few
days, the victory tactically and strategically would rest with the
latter.[180]

As regards Suffren's purpose, there is nothing to indicate that he
meant to make such an attack as Hughes describes. Having twelve ships
to the English eleven, his intention seems to have been to pursue the
usual English practice,--form line parallel to the enemy, bear down
together, and engage ship to ship. To this he added one simple
combination; the twelfth French ship, being unprovided with an
opponent, was to engage the rear English ship on her lee side, placing
her thus between two fires. In truth, a concentration upon the van and
centre, such as Hughes describes, is tactically inferior to a like
effort upon the centre and rear of a column. This is true of steamers
even, which, though less liable to loss of motive power, must still
turn round to get from van to rear, losing many valuable seconds; but
it is specially true of sailing vessels, and above all in the light,
baffling airs which are apt to mark the change of monsoon at the
season when this fight was fought. Nelson emphasized his contempt of
the Russians of his day by saying he would not hesitate to attack
their van, counting upon throwing the whole line in confusion from
their want of seamanship; but though entertaining a not much better
opinion of the Spaniards, he threw the weight of attack on the rear of
the allied fleets at Trafalgar. In dealing with such seamen as the
captains of Hughes's fleet, it would have been an error to assail the
van instead of the rear. Only a dead calm could have kept the latter
out of action.

Suffren's attack is thus described by Captain Chevalier. After
mentioning Hughes's forming line on the starboard tack, he says:--

"This manoeuvre was imitated by the French, and the two
squadrons ran on parallel lines, heading about west-northwest
(A, A). At eleven, our line being well formed, Suffren made
signal to keep away to west-southwest, by a movement all
together. Our ships did not keep their bearing upon the
prescribed line, and the van, composed of the best sailers, came
first within range of the enemy.[181] At one, the leading ships
of the English fleet opene