Additional Instruction.[2]

When the signal No. 43 or 44[3] is made to form the order, the fleet is to form in one line, the rear shortening sail to allow the van to take their station ahead.  If such signal should not be made the captains are referred to the general order of 23 March, 1808.

COLLINGWOOD. 
Ville de Paris, 4th January, 1810.

FOOTNOTES: 

[1] The remaining clauses of the memorandum do not relate to tactics.

[2] From the original in the possession of Commander Hope, R.N.  It is attached to an order of battle in two columns.  See supra, p. 323.

[3] Sig. 43:  ‘Form line of battle in open order.’  Sig. 44:  ’Form line of battle in close order at about a cable and a half distant’; with a white pennant, ‘form on weather column’; with a blue pennant, ’form on lee column.’

SIR ALEXANDER COCHRANE, 1805-1814.

[+Printed in Skin’s Naval Battles, pp. 394 seq. (First edit.)+]

Modes of Attack from the Windward, &c.

When an attack is intended to be made upon the enemy’s rear, so as to endeavour to cut off a certain number of ships from that part of their fleet, the same will be made known by signal No. 27, and the numeral signal which accompanies it will point out the headmost of the enemy’s ships that is to be attacked, counting always from the van, as stated in page 160, Article 31 (Instructions).[1] The signal will afterwards be made for the division intended to make the attack, or the same will be signified by the ship’s pennants, and the pennants of the ship in that division which is to begin the attack, with the number of the ship to be first attacked in the enemy’s line.  Should it be intended that the leading ship in the division is to attack the rear ship of the enemy, she must bear up, so as to get upon the weather quarter of that ship; the ships following her in the line will pass in succession on her weather quarter, giving their fire to the ship she is engaged with; and so on in succession until they have closed with the headmost ship intended to be attacked.

The ships in reserve, who have no opponents, will break through the enemy’s line ahead of this ship, so as to cut off the ships engaged from the rest of the enemy’s fleet.

When it is intended that the rear ship of the division shall attack the rear ship of the enemy’s line, that ship’s pennants will be shown; the rest of the ships in the division will invert their order, shortening sail until they can in succession follow the rear ship, giving their fire to the enemy’s ships in like manner as above stated; and the reserve ships will cut through the enemy’s line as already mentioned.

When this mode of attack is intended to be put in force, the other divisions of the fleet, whether in order of sailing or battle, will keep to windward just out of gun-shot, so as to be ready to support the rear, and prevent the van and centre of the enemy from doubling upon them.  This manoeuvre, if properly executed, may force the enemy to abandon the ships on his rear, or submit to be brought to action on equal terms, which is difficult to be obtained when the attack is made from to-windward.