Chapter 772: Ranger Tactics
The British merchant ship never expected to be attacked by a French frigate, especially while being escorted by a Royal Navy cruiser.
Onboard, chaos erupted.
The second officer ordered the sailors to throw the cargo overboard in an attempt to lighten the ship and increase its speed to escape.
The gunnery master, whip in hand, drove the gunners hiding in the hold out onto the deck, ordering them to return fire.
In this pirate-infested era, merchant ships carried cannons. However, in terms of firepower, number of guns, and defensive capability, they were far inferior to specialized warships.
Still, the merchant ship's gunners were lucky—their first shot landed a solid hit on the side of the Lointain, an 18-pound cannonball striking its hull.
But the merchant ship's short-barreled cannon only left a dent on the Lointain's hull… and provoked an even fiercer counterattack.
After more than ten volleys, the French frigate had riddled the merchant ship with holes. However, by then, a British oar-and-sail ship had caught up from behind.
In the age of sailing warships, sinking a vessel with solid cannonballs was difficult. It often required dozens of volleys or, if luck was on their side, a direct hit below the waterline.
As the Lointain was adjusting its angle to continue the battle, in the final volley, it unexpectedly destroyed the merchant ship's rudder.
The captain immediately changed tactics, deciding to abandon the now-immobilized target and instead pursue another merchant ship that had just disappeared over the horizon.
One nautical mile away, the British merchant ship Box Jellyfish was engulfed in flames under the brutal bombardment of the French frigate Grand Tide. The sailors, with fire licking at their backs, screamed in agony as they jumped into the sea. The cries were so loud that Mardeno, aboard the Lointain, could hear them clearly.
Half an hour later
The Lointain had circled the waters in search of the British merchant ship that had fled southeast, but to no avail. Clearly, that ship's captain was highly experienced in naval escapes.
Mardeno sighed in disappointment at the order to abandon the chase, but he quickly consoled himself:
—For that ship to flee so fast, they must have dumped all their cargo into the sea. That alone is enough to make the British feel the sting of loss.
He then glanced back at the persistent British oar-and-sail ship that continued to chase them. Mardeno smirked with disdain.
—In less than an hour, their rowers will be exhausted, and they'll be left behind.
Soon after, the Lointain turned southwest to rendezvous with the other two French frigates at the designated coordinates.
2:00 p.m.
The three French warships regrouped and exchanged flag signals to report their battle results.
Both the Wing of the Seagull and the Grand Tide had successfully sunk their targets. In contrast, the Lointain, greedy for a "double kill," had failed to sink either of its prey.
Shortly after, the flagship Wing of the Seagull signaled an order: return and finish off the immobilized merchant ship.
However, before they could sail more than seven or eight nautical miles north, the alarm bell rang once again.
Mardeno looked up at the lookout. The sailor pointed toward the horizon and shouted loudly:
—"A British cruiser, 1.5 nautical miles ahead!"
What the French didn't know was that British commander Hicks was livid. Under his watch, three merchant ships had been destroyed. Enraged, he had ordered his fleet to patrol the area, hunting for French frigates to sink at least one or two to regain some dignity.
At that moment, the British cruiser spotted the French warships and charged toward them aggressively.
Upon confirming that no other British ships were nearby, the Wing of the Seagull decisively issued the order to attack.
Mardeno's heart tensed.
Bullying merchant ships was easy, but facing a 44-gun cruiser with mere frigates? That was like sending three hunting dogs to battle a grizzly bear.
However, he quickly remembered the recently trained Ranger Tactics and felt slightly relieved. He turned to his crew and shouted:
—"What are you waiting for? Get back to your stations!"
The British cruiser pressed forward fearlessly. If it got within range, its firepower could severely cripple a frigate within minutes.
However, the Wing of the Seagull nimbly turned, aiming its three 32-pounder stern cannons at the enemy.
Meanwhile, the Lointain and Grand Tide maneuvered in arcs, heading toward the British warship's rear.
Ten minutes later, the Wing of the Seagull's stern cannons fired first.
This was when the French's favored long guns finally demonstrated their theoretical range advantage.
The British cruiser, relying on its thick hull, stubbornly continued its pursuit. However, its bow armament was weak—naval tactics of the time prioritized broadside cannon battles, leaving the bow and stern with little offensive power. As a result, the cruiser could only take hits without effectively retaliating.
After four miles of pursuit, the British warship finally realized the French frigates were toying with it. Though the Wing of the Seagull's three 32-pounder stern cannons had only landed two hits, they had still left two conspicuous holes in its bow.
At that moment, the other two French frigates attacked from the flanks.
Hicks hurriedly ordered a turn to bring his broadside to bear against the French, but the Wing of the Seagull quickly maneuvered behind him again.
The three French frigates danced around the British cruiser like agile birds, striking whenever an opportunity arose and disengaging whenever the enemy approached too closely.
This was the Ranger Tactics, a strategy developed by the French Naval General Staff specifically for steam-powered warships. It emphasized avoiding direct confrontations and instead exploiting speed and maneuverability to gradually wear down powerful but cumbersome enemy ships.
Twenty minutes later, Hicks's flagship was in tatters. A 24-pound cannonball had struck just above the waterline on the right side. The breach wasn't massive, but any sharp maneuver would cause seawater to rush in.
A surge of fear rose in Hicks's chest.
At this rate, he would eventually be sunk.
He regretted splitting up his fleet to hunt down the French warships. If the Dream of the Stars were nearby, they could cover each other and wouldn't be in such a desperate position.
What he didn't know was that the French navy had only recently begun employing Ranger Tactics. If their captains and crews were more proficient, his ship would have been sent to the ocean's depths ten minutes ago.
But the French frigates had plenty of time… they could take their time playing with him.
Eleven Nautical Miles off the Coast of Marseille
The British Mediterranean Fleet's flagship, Victory, loomed over the sea like a towering mountain.
At over 70 meters in length, with a displacement of more than 3,000 tons and armed with 108 cannons, this first-rate ship of the line was the pride of the Royal Navy, ranking among the top three most powerful warships of the era.
Inside its spacious officer's meeting room, Lord Hood, Commander-in-Chief of the Mediterranean Fleet, sat with a dark expression as he read a message freshly received from the British Admiralty.
—"Your Excellency has failed to fulfill your duties, allowing merchant ships to be repeatedly attacked in the Mediterranean waters..."
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