Chesapeake, off Yorktown. 4:15 PM. The British fleet has received two contradictory orders, causing confusion in the formation. The French fleet, after an initial confusion, is now fairly aligned. The leading ships open fire. Up to thirty cannonballs, each weighing 10 kg, are hurled at their opponents with each salvo. But it is the splinters that the sailors fear most. The first British ship to take a broadside (from the Pluton) is the 74-gun Shrewsbury, whose damaged masts force her to withdraw from the action. Then comes the Marseillas, which disables the Intrepid, which has arrived to cover the Shrewsbury. The British flagship Princess intervenes, forcing the Reflechi and the Pluton to withdraw, and then the Caton as well.
