Tourville held the weather gauge and reinforced his center, hoping to inflict enough damage to justify breaking off. Edward Russell matched that concentration without weakening the rest of his much larger fleet, while the Dutch van tried to overlap the French line. A wind shift let Cloudesley Shovell break the line, and cannon smoke, fog, tides, and a fireship attack prolonged the action into the night. Both battle lines survived the initial fight, but Tourville’s cable-cutting withdrawal began a dangerous pursuit down the Channel.
Chapter · 1:57:39-2:08:24
Barfleur: Tourville fights for an escape
Tourville concentrated his outnumbered center and tried to damage the Allies before withdrawing, while Russell used superior numbers to extend and break the French line.