Chapter 792: The Battle of Genoa, Part II
Twenty minutes later, more than thirty French warships appeared on the southeastern horizon.
Aboard HMS Theseus, the British sailors squinted at the smoke-belching French vessels—and chuckled mockingly.
Even their largest ships were mere fifth-rate frigates, unworthy of even joining the battle line.
They could only serve as scouts and support vessels.
Worse still, the French formation was a total mess.
It wasn't a proper attack column.It wasn't a battle line.It resembled a fleet of leisure yachts more than a war fleet.
And to make matters even more laughable, the wind was blowing from the southwest.
Yet, the French were approaching from the east, sailing against the wind.
Some British sailors even began to suspect that the French hadn't come to fight at all.
After all, they had managed to break nearly every rule of naval combat.
However, Rear Admiral Hotham and the other British officers remained cautious.
One thing was impossible to ignore—despite sailing against the wind, the French ships were still moving fast.
Captain of HMS Theseus turned to Hotham and suggested:
—Admiral, the wind is in our favor.
—If we charge downwind, we should be able to crush those little ships instantly.
[Note 1]
In this era, whoever controlled the windward position held a massive tactical advantage.
They could maneuver freely.They could choose the angle of attack.They could dictate the pace of battle.
And against light warships like these, the British fleet could easily overwhelm them.
Yet, Hotham hesitated.
He shook his head.
—No. Wait and observe.
—The French aren't fools. If they dare to charge in like this, they must be relying on something.
Turning to his signal officer, he ordered:
—Send HMS Stagecoach forward with a few oar-sail ships.
—Disrupt their approach.
—Yes, Admiral!
A British Interception
From the left side of the British battle line, the fifth-rate frigate HMS Stagecoach took the lead.
Alongside two more frigates and eight sloops, they sped toward the right flank of the approaching French fleet.
The plan was simple:
If the French turned left to fire their broadside, the British ships would simply retreat.But by turning too early, the French would lose their best approach angle.
Ideally, attacking ships wait until they're about 800–1,000 yards from the enemy before turning broadside.
But if they turned too soon, they would have to circle back—wasting precious time.
And with the British fleet waiting on the windward side, the French would never get a second chance.
At 800 yards, Captain Edward Byrne of HMS Stagecoach raised the signal flags:
—Prepare to turn left and pass behind the French ships.
Byrne was confident.
If the French continued forward, they would be trapped in combat.
Even if the British suffered casualties, the heavier ships of the main fleet could arrive within 15 minutes to finish the job.
But then… the French did the unthinkable.
Instead of turning slightly, they swung sharply to the left at a near 90-degree angle!
Their entire fleet pivoted in an instant, their broadside cannons now pointed directly at the bows of the British ships.
For a moment, the British crews stood frozen in shock.
This was insanity.
The French had pulled off a maneuver that should have been impossible.
Sailing against the wind, they had still turned faster than any ship should be able to.Even with the wind, such a tight turn should have required twice the space.It was as if some invisible hand had pushed them sideways across the water.
This was a perfect T-crossing maneuver—the classic "Crossing the T" tactic that allowed an entire fleet to fire broadside into an enemy's vulnerable bow.
Captain Byrne panicked.
He immediately raised the signal flags, ordering his ships to turn right instead.
They had to escape south.Reduce the time spent under fire.Minimize damage before reinforcements arrived.
He had heard rumors of French steam-powered warships before.
But no one had ever believed they were this maneuverable.
Reports from survivors of previous engagements had only vaguely mentioned:
—"The French ships turn very fast."
The British Admiralty had dismissed those reports as exaggerated.
After all, in a battle, no one had time to measure turning speeds precisely.
They assumed that with good wind positioning, British seamanship would still outperform the French.
They were wrong.
And now Byrne's squadron was about to pay the price.
The French Open Fire
The British sailors scrambled to adjust their sails and rudders.
But it was too late.
They had already committed to a leftward turn—and now had to reverse course.
By the time they had pivoted just 20 degrees, they were already within French cannon range.
Suddenly—BOOM!
The French cruiser Tunis fired first.
Her 32-pounder broadside cannons erupted in flame and smoke.
Then, one after another, the entire French battle line followed suit.
Thick white smoke swallowed the sea.
"HMS Stagecoach" had no chance to return fire.
Its bow still faced the enemy, leaving only its two front guns operational.
Byrne's heart pounded as cannonballs whistled past, some crashing into the deck.
—This firepower is insane!
—This feels like fighting a third-rate ship!
Then came the cracking sound of splintering wood—the French cannonballs had pierced the hull.
A moment later, the upper deck was hit, sending splinters flying.
Screams erupted as wounded sailors collapsed.
From a distance, Admiral Hotham lowered his spyglass, his expression grim.
It was the first time he had seen French steamships in battle—and their speed and agility were terrifying.
Worse yet, their formation was unusual.
Instead of a straight battle line, the French ships had arranged in an arc, semi-surrounding the British.
This allowed them to fire far more effectively than in a traditional naval engagement.
Hotham clenched his jaw.
—This… is going to be a problem.
[Note 1]: In the Royal Navy, the fleet admiral does not directly control the flagship. Each ship has its own captain. This ensures that if the flagship is destroyed, the admiral can transfer command without disrupting the chain of command.
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