On This Day, 8 March 1808

[Coog]

On this day, 8 March 1808, the French frigate Piémontaise 40 was captured by HMS St Fiorenzo 38. The two ships battled for three days until Piémontaise, out of ammunition and having suffered heavy casualties, had to strike her colours. The evening before she struck, Lieutenant de vaisseau Charles Moreau, who had been severely wounded, threw himself into the sea. Captain Hardinge, of St Fiorenzo, was killed in the fighting on the last day. In all, the British suffered 13 dead and 25 wounded. The French suffered some 48 dead and 112 wounded.

[Berthier]

Yet another example of the frightful losses the French always seemed to suffer in battles with the RN. Four times the K&W!

[csadn]

Yet another example of the frightful losses the French always seemed to suffer in battles with the RN. Four times the K&W!

The British tended to aim for the hull; the French tended to aim for the rigging.

[Berthier]

yes I know Chris but you would think they would have realised after so many beatings that perhaps there system just wasn't the optimum battle tactic...they seemd to have a blindspot of doing the same old thing repeatedly only to get the same old result but never questioning why!

[Coog]

...they seemd to have a blindspot of doing the same old thing repeatedly only to get the same old result but never questioning why!

But isn't always that way in war?

[Blackrose]

yes I know Chris but you would think they would have realized after so many beatings that perhaps there system just wasn't the optimum battle tactic...they seemd to have a blindspot of doing the same old thing repeatedly only to get the same old result but never questioning why!

But isn't always that way in war?

Possibly, the French never got enough AARs from (now) non-discredited commanders to realize the flaws in their gunnery doctrine.
They certainly suffered from sitting in port too much after Trafalger.
Karl

[csadn]

yes I know Chris but you would think they would have realised after so many beatings that perhaps there system just wasn't the optimum battle tactic...they seemd to have a blindspot of doing the same old thing repeatedly only to get the same old result but never questioning why!

Actually, shooting up the rigging could work, under the right circumstances -- if one's strategy is to remain maneuverable while eliminating his; and if the weather is such that losing sails and masts means one can then decide where one wishes to place one's self (IIRC, _Macedonian_ surrendered when Decatur put _United States_ someplace the British couldn't bring guns to bear; which is part of why it didn't share the fate of _Guerierre_ or _Java_).

However, as has been pointed out: Hidebound Traditionalism is a hell-mark [ :) ] of militaries; convincing them to change is bloody-near impossible.