The defects of the lee-line, on the contrary, are, that it cannot decide the time and distance of the battle, which may commence before it is sufficiently formed; and it will perhaps be attacked by an enemy, who bears away upon it in regular order. The fire and smoke of the weather-line are a great inconvenience to it; and it cannot easily break the enemy’s line with its fire-ships, which are very slowly and with great difficulty conveyed to windward.
It must be remarked, that the admiral’s ship attentively preserves her station in the centre of the line; for if the commander in chief should give way to the caprice or inattention of any of those under his direction, it would introduce an endless disorder into the squadron.
To illustrate this article, and enable the reader to form a clearer idea of the line, we have, in plate [V]. represented several distinct views, according to the different situations which it occasionally assumes.
Fig. 7. exhibits a perspective view of the line of battle on the starboard-tack, A B being the plan thereof.
Fig. 8. a, represents the profile of the same line on the starboard-tack, as brought to action by the opposite line b. The plan of these squadrons, A B, appears immediately below.
It is necessary to remark here, that a fleet frequently retains the order of the same tack, occasionally, when the whole fleet goes about at once, as expressed by a, fig. 9. of which A is the plan. Or it goes about gradually, the headmost ship having tacked first, and the next tacked as soon as she arrived in her wake; the rest following the same example. See c, fig. 7. and C in the plan of the same figure.
It also frequently preserves the order of the line close-hauled, although steering with a large wind, either in pursuit of a flying enemy, or proceeding in a particular course. Thus the fleet b, fig. 10. although ranged so as to be in a line upon the larboard-tack, if close to the wind, is chacing the fleet a to leeward, which is either parallel to the former and preserving the same order, or sails on a line abreast, as expressed by the plan C. See also the article Abreast.
Fig. 11 exhibits a fleet formed into a line, on the starboard-tack, bearing away upon the continuation of the same line astern. Thus supposing them to be formed on the starboard-tack, and sailing due north, in a line ahead; it is evident that if every ship, at one and the same time, bears away and steers south, the whole fleet will again be upon a line ahead, with the wind upon the larboard-quarter, as expressed in this figure, and in the plan under it.
Fig. 12 represents a fleet bearing away, and having half of its ships ranged on the starboard-tack, and the other half on the larboard-tack, so as to form the two sides of the angle b c a, of which the commander in chief a makes the central point. This disposition is sometimes used to force through a passage which is guarded by an enemy. See also the plan thereof, A B C below, where it is evident that the admiral is the foremost ship, whilst bearing away, although she would be the last in both lines, if they were close-hauled.
Fig. 13 expresses the order of retreat, which is frequently practised by the French, and is directly the reverse of this; because the angular point is farthest to leeward in the former, whereas it is to windward of both lines in the latter; being also the headmost of both, when close-hauled, although the sternmost ship while they are bearing away.