Most British ships closed to pistol range, but Hawke judged Captain Thomas Fox of Kent to have remained too far from the action. Fox was court-martialled and dismissed even though his ship had participated, showing that participation alone did not satisfy the service's standard. The same expectation of utmost engagement later shaped the cases of John Byng and Nelson, as well as Hyde Parker's signal at Copenhagen.
Notable Point · 1:17:10-1:18:14
Close engagement was enforced as a professional norm
The dismissal of Captain Thomas Fox for remaining too distant shows how strongly the Royal Navy enforced an expectation of closing with the enemy.