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Raking fire

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at the stern would render the target unable to steer and thus manoeuvre. However, achieving a position to rake a single enemy ship was usually very difficult unless the opponent was unable to manoeuvre due to damage to its sails or rudder; it was easier if the enemy ship was required to maintain its
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and thus more likely to miss the target ship to one side or the other, an individual cannon shot that hit would pass through more of the ship, thereby increasing damage to the
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from ahead (in front of the ship) or astern (behind the ship). Although each shot was directed against a smaller profile compared to firing at the target ship's
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and rake the opposing ships. While only a small proportion of captains and ships achieved this, it was decisive enough to turn the battle.
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rake because the shots were less likely to be deflected by the curved and strengthened bow, and because disabling the exposed
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column of the British fleet, broke the French line just astern of the French flagship
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survived, and although he was not captured for three hours, the raking put
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less-protected stern, killing 197 and wounding a further 85, including the
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Fighting at Sea in the Eighteenth Century: The Art of Sailing Warfare
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Weapons fire directed parallel to the long axis of an enemy ship
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The effectiveness of this tactic was demonstrated at the
49:. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. 193:directed parallel to the long axis of an enemy 391:. Woodbridge UK: Boydell Press. p. 143. 8: 109:Learn how and when to remove this message 377: 221:rake tended to be more damaging than a 7: 47:adding citations to reliable sources 167:raking the French ship of the line 14: 313:Admiral of the Fleet (Royal Navy) 23: 173:in the action of 30 March 1800. 34:needs additional citations for 1: 342:ordered his British fleet to 344:turn through the French line 154:Capture of the William Tell 447: 291:Pierre-Charles Villeneuve 323:, raking both opponents. 335:(1 June 1794) battle, 333:Glorious First of June 324: 174: 146: 143:action of 28 June 1803 426:Naval warfare tactics 366:Enfilade and defilade 303: 287:Jean-Jacques Magendie 152: 124: 356:Sailing ship tactics 267:, and just ahead of 43:improve this article 385:Wills, Sam (2008). 244:Battle of Trafalgar 131:raking the British 325: 305:HMS Defence (1763) 297:out of the fight. 175: 160:. British frigate 147: 398:978-1-84383-367-3 119: 118: 111: 93: 438: 431:Weapon operation 410: 409: 407: 405: 382: 133:ship of the line 114: 107: 103: 100: 94: 92: 51: 27: 19: 446: 445: 441: 440: 439: 437: 436: 435: 416: 415: 414: 413: 403: 401: 399: 384: 383: 379: 374: 352: 240: 125:French frigate 115: 104: 98: 95: 52: 50: 40: 28: 17: 12: 11: 5: 444: 442: 434: 433: 428: 418: 417: 412: 411: 397: 376: 375: 373: 370: 369: 368: 363: 361:Crossing the T 358: 351: 348: 257:, leading the 239: 236: 232:line of battle 230:position in a 170:Guillaume Tell 117: 116: 31: 29: 22: 15: 13: 10: 9: 6: 4: 3: 2: 443: 432: 429: 427: 424: 423: 421: 400: 394: 390: 389: 381: 378: 371: 367: 364: 362: 359: 357: 354: 353: 349: 347: 345: 341: 338: 334: 330: 322: 318: 314: 310: 309:James Gambier 306: 302: 298: 296: 292: 288: 284: 280: 276: 272: 271: 266: 265: 260: 256: 255: 249: 245: 237: 235: 233: 228: 224: 220: 216: 212: 208: 204: 200: 196: 192: 188: 184: 180: 179:naval warfare 172: 171: 166: 165: 159: 155: 151: 144: 140: 139: 134: 130: 129: 123: 113: 110: 102: 99:December 2014 91: 88: 84: 81: 77: 74: 70: 67: 63: 60: –  59: 58:"Raking fire" 55: 54:Find sources: 48: 44: 38: 37: 32:This article 30: 26: 21: 20: 402:. Retrieved 387: 380: 340:Richard Howe 326: 294: 283:Bucentaure's 282: 279:Bucentaure's 278: 274: 268: 262: 253: 241: 186: 176: 169: 163: 153: 137: 128:Poursuivante 127: 105: 96: 86: 79: 72: 65: 53: 41:Please help 36:verification 33: 404:December 5, 191:cannon fire 187:raking fire 183:Age of Sail 181:during the 158:Robert Dodd 420:Categories 372:References 329:Royal Navy 295:Bucentaure 289:. Admiral 277:raked the 270:Redoutable 264:Bucentaure 246:. Admiral 69:newspapers 321:Tourville 307:(Captain 285:captain, 199:broadside 350:See also 311:; later 238:Efficacy 164:Penelope 337:Admiral 327:In the 275:Victory 259:weather 254:Victory 141:in the 138:Hercule 83:scholar 395:  317:Mucius 248:Nelson 227:rudder 211:cannon 85:  78:  71:  64:  56:  219:stern 207:sails 156:, by 90:JSTOR 76:books 406:2014 393:ISBN 319:and 252:HMS 215:crew 213:and 203:hull 195:ship 189:was 162:HMS 136:HMS 62:news 331:'s 250:'s 223:bow 177:In 45:by 422:: 273:. 234:. 209:, 205:, 185:, 408:. 145:. 112:) 106:( 101:) 97:( 87:· 80:· 73:· 66:· 39:.

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Poursuivante
ship of the line
HMS Hercule
action of 28 June 1803

Robert Dodd
HMS Penelope
Guillaume Tell
naval warfare
Age of Sail
cannon fire
ship
broadside
hull
sails
cannon
crew
stern

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