Napoleonic references potentially misleading (Was: [FT] squadron suggestions).

>>>> In Napoleonic fleet actions, the convention was that a ship of the
line
wouldn't fire at a frigate unless the frigate fired first. <<<<

Let's be a little careful here, because the term "frigate" can be a bit
slippery. In Napoleonic times it was applied to vessels very different
in
size and fighting power relative to the battle fleet, from those to
which it
was applied when the term was revived in the twentieth century.

Napoleonic frigates included the most powerful warships OTHER than the
line-of-battle ships, and fulfilled much the same roles as cruisers
(scouting for the fleet, commerce raiding/protection etc) rather than
light
escorts. The extra-large frigates deployed by the United States Of
America
during the War Of 1812 were forerunners of the battlecruiser. Light
escort
roles were allocated to corvettes (another slippery term) and
sloops-of-war.

Best regards, Robert Bryett.
mailto:rbryett@mail.com