Accordingly, both he and all his fellows fix their minds on acting with zeal and judgment upon the spur of the moment, and with the certainty that they will not be deserted.  Experience shows, on the contrary, that a Frenchman or a Spaniard, working under a system which leans to formality and strict order being maintained in battle, has no feeling for mutual support, and goes into action with hesitation, preoccupied with the anxiety of seeing or hearing the commander-in-chief’s signals for such and such manoeuvres....  Thus they can never make up their minds to seize any favourable opportunity that may present itself.  They are fettered by the strict rule to keep station, which is enforced upon them in both navies, and the usual result is that in one place ten of their ships may be firing on four, while in another four of their comrades may be receiving the fire of ten of the enemy.  Worst, of all, they are denied the confidence inspired by mutual support, which is as surely maintained by the English as it is neglected by us, who will not learn from them.’[12]

This was probably the broad truth of the matter; it is summed up in the golden signal which was the panacea of British admirals when in doubt:  ’Ships to take station for mutual support and engage as they come up;’ and it fully explains why, with all the scientific appreciation of tactics that existed in the leading admirals of this time, their battles were usually so confused and haphazard.  The truth is that in the British service formal tactics had come to be regarded as a means of getting at your enemy, and not as a substitute for initiative in fighting him.

FOOTNOTES: 

[1] Dictionary of National Biography, sub voce ‘Howe,’ p. 97.

[2] A copy of this is in the Admiralty Library issued to ’Thomas Lenox Frederick esq., Rear-Admiral of the Blue,’ and attested by the autographs of Vice-Admiral James Gambier, Vice-Admiral James Young, and another lord of the admiralty, and countersigned by William Marsden, the famous numismatist and Oriental scholar, who was ‘second secretary’ from 1795 to 1804.  Another copy, also in the Admiralty Library, is attested by Gambier, Sir John Colpoys and Admiral Philip Patton, and countersigned by the new second secretary, John Barrow, all of whom came to the admiralty under Lord Melville on Pitt’s return to office in 1804.  Two other copies are in the United Service Institution.

[3] Sir Home Popham’s code had been in use for many years for ‘telegraphing.’  It was by this code Nelson’s famous signal was made at Trafalgar.

[4] In one of the United Service Institution copies the signal has been added in MS. and the note is on a slip pasted in.  In the other both signal and note are printed with blanks in which the distinguishing pennants have been written in.

[5] Nelson to Howe, January 8, 1799. Nicolas, iii. 230.