battle battle naval engagement blockade brest french revolutionary wars french royal_navy ships line april british blockade fleet admiral lord sailed april morning april crossing passage sails spotted east ships detached pursuit led gun ship line captain british ships approached quarry sail sighted southeast close coastline moving north brest ship gun captain newly commissioned sailing brest join main french fleet british squadron immediately changed direction intercept new target facing overwhelming odds attempted escape narrow passage found tide anchored mouth passage await british attack mars reached coming heavy fire hood position bringing ship crashing alongside french vessel hour ships fired directly close guns run fired inside ships damage casualties severe sides including hood mortally wounded height engagement ultimately forced surrender attempts board mars failed ships battered burnt french suffering casualties british conveyed britain aftermath later repaired served royal_navy deceased hood highly praised conduct battle noted rare example period action ships approximately equal strength external influence background french revolutionary wars royal_navy exerted dominance sea continental rivals immediately french_navy principal fleet based brest coast contain fleet british practiced close blockade strategy maintaining fleet brest weather conditions permitted prevent french fleet breaking atlantic_ocean blockade force limited french trade maritime communications attacking merchant ships individual warships seeking resupply reinforce main french fleet french maritime journeys extremely hazardous waters june main french fleet suffered defeat hands blockade force battle approaches port january independently sailing gun ship line driven ashore destroyed approaches brest frigates blockade squadron april british blockade fleet command admiral lord sailed winter anchorage coast mustered ships line maintain watch brest detachments fleet cruising region january notice ships line french fleet suffered series setbacks early years war addition losses seven ships lost glorious june wrecked failed operation losses french_navy building new ships major fleet bases april ship commissioned gun ship tons launched july commanded experienced captain veteran glorious june crew short complement pursuit april ordered maiden voyage short journey northwest coast join main fleet vice admiral brest crew augmented reach complement board surplus naval supplies including set rigging ship line destroyed ship caught fire earlier month crew inexperienced captain intend seek action remaining close coastline day journey ship crossed bay point sails sighted northwest sails belonged ships fleet april british fleet cruising passage sails sighted approximately nautical miles east ordered easterly ships investigate sails gun ships line captain hms captain gun frigate captain strong winds favoured large ships line pursued strange sails identified french pulling abreast sail sighted nautical miles southeast sailing close shore new sail larger sighted earlier day detached squadron abandoned pursuit turned new arrival flight british force rest fleet far west jason lead mars shortly lost fore dropped hood experienced officer nephew veteran admiral lord hood pressed ship forwards gradually gained jason knew open water caught overwhelmed sought instead escape narrow dangerous channel rocky passage french ship line wrecked lives approached channel hood mars starboard overtaking jason bearing french ship recognised current strong successfully navigate instead anchored mouth channel spring cable system bow anchor increased stability allowed swing broadside face enemy stationary roughly nautical miles southwest nautical miles destination brest battle jason far darkness mars hauled hood attempted manoeuvre effective position attack waiting current passage prevented hood handling ship effectively instead resolved bringing mars directly alongside fighting broadside broadside mars range opened fire hood immediately minutes masts rigging mars came fire damage foremast hood continued attempt hold firing position current pulling slightly ahead dropping anchor port bow anchor starboard anchor british ship swung violently french ship force collision mars locked captains ordered ships pour fire closely aligned cannon ships run instead fired inside ships heat sustained bombardment intense wood began burn heavy smashed holes sides ship combat ragged holes torn extensive torn away leaving wide ship sides casualties heavy sides minutes action began musket ball struck hood thigh fatally wounded bleeding hood carried command passed lieutenant french casualties significantly higher british result higher rate fire achieved hood trained crew aware ship suffering worst casualties ordered men attempt board british ship line attempt driven heavy casualties lighting gone beginning engagement leaving crew confused result men answered ordered boarding injured twice head sabre thigh pike leading assault hour continual bombardment surrendered hull torn open guns damaged crew killed wounded jason approaching fast rest fleet close muzzle flashes battle aftermath submitted sword surrender presented dying hood accepted jason arrived took charge removing prisoners began long process battered ships line dangerous channel losses french ship accurately recorded aftermath action accounts suggested high realistic estimate casualties surviving french officers british losses amounted officers men killed men missing believed drowned falling overboard resisting boarding attempts wounded weather fortunately calm mars condition survive storm great care brought plymouth april repairs begun intention restoring ship active service condition cost repairs totaled equivalent ultimately commissioned royal_navy served noted classic fight unusual fought single ships line equal force size external influence wrote meeting ships line rare occurrence decision favour brilliant naval history identify incidents british naval history examination relative size strength combatants shows matched respective broadside weights mars hercules tons measured tons mars crew board mars british crew active mutiny hood temporarily deposed captain relatively new ships hours sea mars mars class built start french revolutionary wars summary historian indicates greater experience hood crew nearby presence british ships gave mars slight advantage action mars conduct reflected equal share credit parties british histories reported died wounds aftermath action case return france following exchange faced court martial loss ship acquitted received letter praising resistance minister admiral britain promoted commander hood posthumously commended writing official dispatch praise add ray distinguished captain body returned england buried near home monument provided family
Battle of the Raz de Sein