Champions of the Fleet: Captains and Men-of-war and Days that Helped to Make the Empire

These tales of the navy of the fighting days of old are to some extent, it may seem, cruises in rather out-of-the-way waters. At the same time, they may claim present-day associations that should render them not out of place just now. How and why, for instance, the world-famous nameDreadnought came into the Royal Navy is a story of interest on its own account that ought to be timely. With that also is told something of what our Dreadnoughts of old did under fire in the fighting days of history: with Drake; against the Armada; with Sir Walter Raleigh; against De Ruyter and the Dutchmen; at La Hogue; how one gave the sobriquet “Old Dreadnought” to the famous Boscawen; how Nelson’s uncle and patron Maurice Suckling captained the same ship in battle; of Collingwood in the Dreadnought; and of the Dreadnought at Trafalgar. We get, too, a passing glance at certain of the “points” of our mighty battleship the Dreadnought of the present hour. Again, in the year that has seen the name of Clive recalled to the memory of his countrymen by an ex-Viceroy ofIndia in connection with the hundred and fiftieth anniversary of Plassey, what the navy did for Clive at the most critical moment of his fortunes, how without its active support on the field of battle Clive would have been powerless, the forgotten, or certainly little appreciated, part that the navy took in the founding of our Indian empire—should be of interest to English readers. This year again sees a newTéméraire, one of our “improved Dreadnoughts,” added to the Royal Navy. The fine story of how the never-to-be-forgotten name Téméraire—immortalized alike by Turner and by Trafalgar—first came to appear on the roll of the British fleet is told here. And it should be of interest to recall certain incidental matters concerning the old Victory herself: among others the circumstances in which she came to be built and was safely sent afloat in spite of expected incendiarism; where too those who fought on board at Trafalgar came from, and how many representatives each of our counties had with Nelson in his last fight. Such are some of the matters dealt with in these pages, which of themselves should afford entertainment and help also to make this book useful.