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§ 41 his plan of attack that his own force would consist of forty sail of the line, against forty-six of the combined (French and Spanish) fleet. These numbers are considerably greater, as things turned out, than those ultimately engaged; but we are here dealing with the memorandum, and not with the actual battle. The British Fleet was to form in two main columns, comprising sixteen sail of the line each, and a smaller column

Fig. 10.

of eight ships only. The plan of attack prescribed in the event of the enemy being found in line ahead was briefly as follows:—One of the main columns was to cut the enemy's line about the centre, the other to break through about twelve ships from the rear, the smaller column being ordered to engage the rear of the enemy's van three or four ships ahead of the centre, and to frustrate, as far as possible, every effort the van might make to come to the succour of the threatened centre or rear. Its object, in short, was to prevent the van of the combined fleet from taking part in the main action. The plan is shown diagrammatically in Fig. 10.