Fighting Instructions, 1530-1816 | Page 3

AND THE DUKE OF YORK 110 The Duke of York, 1665 122 His Additional Instructions, 1665 126 His Supplementary Order 128 Prince Rupert, 1666 129

PART VI.--THE THIRD DUTCH WAR TO THE REVOLUTION
1. INTRODUCTORY. PROGRESS OF TACTICS DURING THE WAR 133 The Duke of York, 1672 146 His Supplementary Orders, 1672 148 The Duke of York, 1672-3 149 Final form of the Duke of York's Orders, 1673, with additions and observations subsequently made 152
2. INTRODUCTORY. MEDITERRANEAN ORDERS, 1678 164 Sir John Narbrough, 1678 165
3. INTRODUCTORY. THE LAST STUART ORDERS 168 Lord Dartmouth, 1688 170

PART VII.--WILLIAM III. AND ANNE
1. INTRODUCTORY. LORD TORRINGTON, TOURVILLE, AND HOSTE 175 Admiral Edward Russell, 1691 188
2. INTRODUCTORY. THE PERMANENT INSTRUCTIONS, 1703-1783 195 Sir George Rooke, 1703 197

PART VIII.--ADDITIONAL FIGHTING INSTRUCTIONS OF THE EIGHTEENTH CENTURY
INTRODUCTORY, ORIGIN AND GROWTH OF THE ADDITIONAL INSTRUCTIONS 203 Admiral Vernon, circa 1740 214 Lord Anson, circa 1747 216 Sir Edward Hawke, 1756 317 Admiral Boscawen, 1759 219 Sir George Rodney, 1782 225 Lord Hood's Additions, 1783 228

PART IX.--THE LAST PHASE
1. INTRODUCTORY. THE NEW SIGNAL BOOK INSTRUCTIONS 233 Lord Howe, 1782 239
2. INTRODUCTORY. THE SIGNAL BOOKS OF THE GREAT WAR 252 Lord Howe's Explanatory Instructions, 1799 268
3. INTRODUCTORY. NELSON'S TACTICAL MEMORANDA 280 The Toulon Memorandum, 1803 313 The Trafalgar Memorandum, 1805 316
4. INTRODUCTORY. INSTRUCTIONS AFTER TRAFALGAR 321 Admiral Gambier, 1807 327 Lord Collingwood, 1808-1810 328 Sir Alexander Cochrane, 1805-14 330
5. INTRODUCTORY, THE SIGNAL BOOK OF 1816 335 The Instructions of 1816 342
APPENDIX. 'FURTHER PARTICULARS OF THE TRAFALGAR FIGHT' 351
INDEX 359

PART 1
EARLY TUDOR PERIOD
I. ALONSO DE CHAVES, circa 1530
II. SIR THOMAS AUDLEY, 1530
III. LORD LISLE, 1545

ALONSO DE CHAVES ON SAILING TACTICS
INTRODUCTORY
The following extract from the Espejo de Navegantes, or _Seamen's Glass_, of Alonso de Chaves serves to show the development which naval tactics had reached at the dawn of the sailing epoch. The treatise was apparently never published. It was discovered by Captain Fernandez Duro, the well-known historian of the Spanish navy, amongst the manuscripts in the library of the Academy of History at Madrid. The exact date of its production is not known; but Alonso de Chaves was one of a group of naval writers and experts who flourished at the court of the Emperor Charles V in the first half of the sixteenth century.[1] He was known to Hakluyt, who mentions him in connection with his own cherished idea of getting a lectureship in navigation established in London. 'And that it may appear,' he writes in dedicating the second edition of his Voyages to the lord admiral, 'that this is no vain fancy nor device of mine it may please your lordship to understand that the late Emperor Charles the Fifth ... established not only a Pilot-Major for the examination of such as sought to take charge of ships in that voyage' (_i.e._ to the Indies), 'but also founded a notable lecture of the Art of Navigation which is read to this day in the Contractation House at Seville. The Readers of the Lecture have not only carefully taught and instructed the Spanish mariners by word of mouth, but also have published sundry exact and worthy treatises concerning marine causes for the direction and encouragement of posterity. The learned works of three of which Readers, namely of Alonso de Chaves, of Hieronymus de Chaves, and of Roderigo Zamorano, came long ago very happily to my hands, together with the straight and severe examining of all such Masters as desire to take charge for the West Indies.' Since therefore De Chaves was an official lecturer to the Contractation House, the Admiralty of the Indies, we may take it that he speaks with full authority of the current naval thought of the time. That he represented a somewhat advanced school seems clear from the pains he takes in his treatise to defend his opinions against the old idea which still prevailed, that only galleys and oared craft could be marshalled in regular order. 'Some may say,' he writes, 'that at sea it is not possible to order ships and tactics in this way, nor to arrange beforehand so nicely for coming to the attack or bringing succour just when wanted, and that therefore there is no need to labour an order of battle since order cannot be kept. To such I answer that the same objection binds the enemy, and that with equal arms he who has taken up the best formation and order will be victor, because it is not possible so to break up an order with wind and sea as that he who is more without order shall not be worse broken up and the sooner defeated. For ships at sea are as war-horses on land, since admitting they are not very nimble at turning at any pace, nevertheless a regular formation increases their power. Moreover, at sea, so long as there