Why Rodney's line-breaking plan failed at Martinique

Rodney sought to concentrate locally against a larger French fleet and apparently intended ships to break through the enemy line. His signal told each captain to engage the opponent appropriate to the fleets' distribution, but Robert Carkett at the front of Hyde Parker's van either misunderstood it or failed to execute it. Rodney's Sandwich nevertheless passed through the French line and fought three opponents for roughly an hour and a half, showing how far the flagship's action diverged from the rest of the formation. Unlike the center and rear, the leading end of the van had no additional commodore or rear admiral to interpret Rodney's intent with Carkett. The battle ended with higher French casualties but no captured ships, exposing the cost of unclear signaling and thin senior leadership.