Peuple Souverain drifted toward L'Orient after its anchor cable was cut and received fire from its own flagship. The French lacked the British precautions for recognizing friendly ships after dark. An improvised fireship then drifted through the action without striking HMS Orion. Its exact origin remains uncertain, with Guerrier suggested as the ship that launched it. Both incidents added confusion while the French line was already under concentrated attack.
Notable Point · 2:13:01-2:14:38
Improvised French measures add confusion after dark
A drifting French fireship missed Orion while L'Orient fired on the disabled Peuple Souverain, revealing the cost of weak identification and coordination at night.