Fighting Instructions, 1530-1816

Fighting Instructions, 1530-1816

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Title: Fighting Instructions, 1530-1816 Publications Of The Navy
Records Society Vol. XXIX.
Author: Julian S. Corbett
Release Date: September 15, 2005 [EBook #16695]
Language: English
Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1
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INSTRUCTIONS, 1530-1816 ***

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PUBLICATIONS OF THE NAVY RECORDS SOCIETY VOL.
XXIX.
FIGHTING INSTRUCTIONS 1530-1816

EDITED WITH ELUCIDATIONS FROM CONTEMPORARY
AUTHORITIES BY JULIAN S. CORBETT, LL.M.
PRINTED FOR THE NAVY RECORDS SOCIETY MDCCCCV
THE COUNCIL OF THE NAVY RECORDS SOCIETY 1904-1905
* * * * *
PATRON H.R.H. THE PRINCE OF WALES, K.G., K.T., K.P.
PRESIDENT EARL SPENCER, K.G.
VICE-PRESIDENTS BRIDGE, ADMIRAL SIR CYPRIAN |
PROTHERO, G.W., A.G., G.C.B. | LL.D. HAWKESBURY, LORD. |
YORKE, SIR HENRY, K.C.B.
COUNCILLORS
ATKINSON, C.T. | KIPLING, RUDYARD. BATTENBURG,
PRINCE LOUIS OF, | LORAINE, REAR-ADMIRAL SIR G.C.B. |
LAMBTON, BART. BEAUMONT, VICE-ADMIRAL SIR | LYALL,
SIR ALFRED C., G.C.I.E. LEWIS, K.C.B., K.C.M.G. | MARKHAM,
SIR CLEMENTS R., CLARKE, COL. SIR GEORGE S., | K.C.B.,
F.R.S. K.C.M.G. | MARSDEN, R.G. CORBETT, JULIAN S. |
NEWBOLT, HENRY. DESART, THE EARL OF, K.C.B. | PARR,
REAR-ADMIRAL A.C. DRURY, VICE-ADMIRAL SIR | SLADE,
CAPTAIN EDMOND J.W., CHARLES, K.C.S.I. | R.N. FIRTH,
PROFESSOR G.H., LL.D. | TANNER, J.R. GINSBURG, B.W., LL.D.
| THURSFIELD, J.R. GODLEY, SIR ARTHUR, K.C.B. | TRACEY,
ADMIRAL SIR RICHARD, HAMILTON, ADMIRAL SIR R. | K.C.B.
VESEY, G.C.B. | WATTS, PHILIP, D.SC., F.R.S.
SECRETARY PROFESSOR J.K. LAUGHTON, D.Litt., King's
College, London, W.C.
TREASURER W. GRAHAM GREENE, C.B., Admiralty, S.W.
The COUNCIL of the NAVY RECORDS SOCIETY wish it to be

distinctly understood that they are not answerable for any opinions or
observations that may appear in the Society's publications; For these
the responsibility rests entirely with the Editors of the several works.

PREFACE
The inaccessibility of the official Fighting Instructions from time to
time issued to the fleet has long been a recognised stumbling-block to
students of naval history. Only a few copies of them were generally
known to exist; fewer still could readily be consulted by the public, and
of these the best known had been wrongly dated. The discovery
therefore of a number of seventeenth century Instructions amongst the
Earl of Dartmouth's papers, which he had generously placed at the
disposal of the Society, seemed to encourage an attempt to make
something like a complete collection. The result, such as it is, is now
offered to the Society. It is by no means exhaustive. Some sets of
Instructions seem to be lost beyond recall; but, on the other hand, a
good deal of hitherto barren ground has been filled, and it is hoped that
the collection may be of some assistance for a fresh study of the
principles which underlie the development of naval tactics.
It is of course as documents in the history of tactics that the Fighting
Instructions have the greatest practical value, and with this aspect of
them in view I have done my best to illustrate their genesis, intention,
and significance by extracts from contemporary authorities. Without
such illustration the Instructions would be but barren food, neither
nutritive nor easily digested. The embodiment of this illustrative matter
has to some extent involved a departure from the ordinary form of the
Society's publications. Instead of a general introduction, a series of
introductory notes to each group of Instructions has been adopted,
which it is feared will appear to bear an excessive proportion to the
Instructions themselves. There seemed, however, no other means of
dealing with the illustrative matter in a consecutive way. The extracts
from admirals' despatches and contemporary treatises, and the remarks
of officers and officials concerned with the preparation or the execution
of the Instructions, were for the most part too fragmentary to be treated

as separate documents, or too long or otherwise unsuitable for
foot-notes. The only adequate way therefore was to embody them in
Introductory Notes, and this it is hoped will be found to justify their
bulk.
A special apology is, however, due for the Introductory Note on
Nelson's memoranda. For this I can only plead their great importance,
and the amount of illustrative matter that exists from the pens of
Nelson's officers and opponents. For no other naval battle have we so
much invaluable comment from men of the highest capacity who were
present. The living interest of it all is unsurpassed, and I have therefore
been tempted to include all that