The battle between British and French fleets fought in the Atlantic between 28 May and 1 June 1794 marked a key stage in the revolution in maritime tactics. It would culminate at Trafalgar in 1805 with one of the most-complete victories in naval history.
It is unsurprising that the British were in the forefront of this revolution. There were two reasons for this, one to do with the character of British naval personnel, the other with the technical nature of fighting at sea in the age of sail.
Whereas British Army officers were typically from titled backgrounds, naval officers were more likely to be middle class. The greatest of them all is a case in point: Nelson was the son of a Norfolk parson.
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