Editing Glorious First of June (section)

==Melee==
[[Image:Combat-de-prairial.jpg|thumb|right|The dismasted ship [[French ship Vengeur du Peuple|''Vengeur du Peuple'']] in the aftermath of battle.<br />Lithograph after [[Auguste Mayer]].]]

Within an hour of their opening volleys the British and French lines were hopelessly confused, with three separate engagements being fought within sight of one another. In the van, ''Caesar'' had finally attempted to join the fight, only to have a vital spar shot away by ''Trajan'' which caused her to slip down the two embattled fleets without contributing significantly to the battle. ''Bellerophon'' and ''Leviathan'' were in the thick of the action, the outnumbered ''Bellerophon'' taking serious damage to her rigging. This left her unable to manoeuvre and in danger from her opponents, of which ''Eole'' also suffered severely. Captain [[William Johnstone Hope]] sought to extract his ship from her perilous position and called up support; the frigate [[HMS Latona (1781)|HMS ''Latona'']] under Captain [[Edward Thornbrough]] arrived to provide assistance. Thornbrough brought his small ship between the ships of the French battleline and opened fire on ''Eole'', helping to drive off three ships of the line and then towing ''Bellerophon'' to safety. ''Leviathan'', under [[Lord Hugh Seymour]], had been more successful than ''Bellerophon'', her gunnery dismasting ''America'' despite receiving fire from ''Eole'' and ''Trajan'' in passing. ''Leviathan'' only left ''America'' after a two-hour duel, sailing at 11:50 to join ''Queen Charlotte'' in the centre.{{sfn|James |2002|pp=154–156}}

''Russell'' had not broken the French line and her opponent ''Témeraire'' got the better of her, knocking away a topmast and escaping to windward with ''Trajan'' and ''Eole''. ''Russell'' then fired on several passing French ships before joining ''Leviathan'' in attacking the centre of the French line. ''Russell's'' boats also took the surrender of ''America'', her crew boarding the vessel to make her a prize (although later replaced by men from ''Royal Sovereign''){{sfn|Tracy |1998|p=98}} ''Royal Sovereign'' lost Admiral Graves to a serious wound and lost her opponent as well, as ''Terrible'' fell out of the line to windward and joined a growing collection of French ships forming a new line on the far side of the action. Villaret was leading this line in his flagship ''Montagne'', which had escaped from ''Queen Charlotte'', and it was ''Montagne'' which ''Royal Sovereign'' engaged next, pursuing her close to the new French line accompanied by ''Valiant'', and beginning a long-range action.{{sfn|James |2002|p=157}}

Behind ''Royal Sovereign'' was ''Marlborough'', inextricably tangled with ''Impétueux''. Badly damaged and on the verge of surrender, ''Impétueux'' was briefly reprieved when ''Mucius'' appeared through the smoke and collided with both ships.{{sfn|Padfield |2000|p=33}} The three entangled ships continued exchanging fire for some time, all suffering heavy casualties with ''Marlborough'' and ''Impétueux'' losing all three of their masts. This combat continued for several hours. Captain Berkeley of ''Marlborough'' had to retire below with serious wounds, and command fell to Lieutenant [[John Monkton]], who signalled for help from the frigates in reserve.{{sfn|James |2002|p=158}} [[Robert Stopford (Royal Navy officer)|Robert Stopford]] responded in [[HMS Aquilon (1786)|HMS ''Aquilon'']], which had the assignment of repeating signals, and towed ''Marlborough'' out of the line as ''Mucius'' freed herself and made for the regrouped French fleet to the north. ''Impétueux'' was in too damaged a state to move at all, and was soon seized by sailors from HMS ''Russell''.{{sfn|Tracy |1998|p=98}}

Dismasted, ''Defence'' was unable to hold any of her various opponents to a protracted duel, and by 13:00 was threatened by the damaged ''Républicain'' moving from the east. Although ''Républicain'' later hauled off to join Villaret to the north, Gambier requested support for his ship from the fleet's frigates and was aided by [[HMS Phaeton (1782)|HMS ''Phaeton'']] under Captain [[William Bentinck (Royal Navy officer)|William Bentinck]]. As ''Impétueux'' passed she fired on ''Phaeton'', to which Bentinck responded with several broadsides of his own.{{sfn|James |2002|p=158}} ''Invincible'', the only ship of the forward division of the British centre to engage the enemy closely, became embroiled in the confusion surrounding ''Queen Charlotte''. ''Invincible's'' guns drove [[French ship Deux Frères|''Juste'']] onto the broadside of ''Queen Charlotte'', where she was forced to surrender to Lieutenant [[Henry Blackwood]] in a boat from ''Invincible''.{{sfn|James |2002|p=159}} Among the other ships of the division there were only minor casualties, although [[HMS Impregnable (1786)|HMS ''Impregnable'']] lost several [[yard (sailing)|yards]] and was only brought back into line by the quick reactions of two junior officers, Lieutenant [[Robert Otway]] and Midshipman [[Charles Dashwood (Royal Navy officer)|Charles Dashwood]].<ref name="ODNBOt">[http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/20943 Otway, Sir Robert], ''[[Oxford Dictionary of National Biography]]'', [[J. K. Laughton]], retrieved 2 January 2008</ref>

[[File:Lord Howe on the deck of HMS Queen Charlotte 1 June 1794.jpg|thumb|right|250px|''[[Lord Howe on the Deck of the Queen Charlotte|Lord Howe on the deck of HMS ''Queen Charlotte'' 1 June 1794]]'', painted by [[Mather Brown]].]]

The conflict between ''Queen Charlotte'' and ''Montagne'' was oddly one-sided, the French flagship failing to make use of her lower-deck guns and consequently suffering extensive damage and casualties. ''Queen Charlotte'' in her turn was damaged by fire from nearby ships and was therefore unable to follow when ''Montagne'' set her remaining sails and slipped to the north to create a new focal point for the survivors of the French fleet.{{sfn|James |2002|p=149}} ''Queen Charlotte'' also took fire during the engagement from [[HMS Gibraltar (1780)|HMS ''Gibraltar'']], under [[Thomas Mackenzie (Royal Navy officer)|Thomas Mackenzie]], which had failed to close with the enemy and instead fired at random into the smoke bank surrounding the flagship. Captain [[Andrew Snape Douglas|Sir Andrew Snape Douglas]] was seriously wounded by this fire.{{sfn|Padfield |2000|p=32}} Following ''Montagne'''s escape, ''Queen Charlotte'' engaged ''Jacobin'' and ''Républicain'' as they passed, and was successful in forcing the surrender of ''Juste''.{{sfn|Padfield |2000|p=37}} To the east of ''Queen Charlotte'', ''Brunswick'' and ''Vengeur du Peuple'' continued their bitter combat, locked together and firing main broadsides from point blank range. Captain Harvey of ''Brunswick'' was mortally wounded early in this action by [[Naval artillery in the Age of Sail#Shot|langrage fire]] from ''Vengeur'', but refused to quit the deck, ordering more fire into his opponent.<ref name="ODNBJHarvey">[http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/12525?docPos=3 Harvey, John], ''[[Oxford Dictionary of National Biography]]'', J. K. Laughton, retrieved 24 December 2007</ref> ''Brunswick'' also managed to drive ''Achille'' off from her far side when the French ship attempted to intervene. ''Achille'', already damaged, was totally dismasted in the exchange and briefly surrendered, although her crew rescinded this when it became clear ''Brunswick'' was in no position to take possession.{{sfn|James |2002|p=163}} With her colours rehoisted, ''Achille'' then made what sail she could in an attempt to join Villaret to the north. It was not until 12:45 that the shattered ''Vengeur'' and ''Brunswick'' pulled apart, both largely dismasted and very battered. ''Brunswick'' was only able to return to the British side of the line after being supported by ''Ramillies'', while ''Vengeur'' was unable to move at all.{{sfn|Padfield |2000|p=37}} ''Ramillies'' took ''Vengeur's'' surrender after a brief cannonade but was unable to board her and instead pursued the fleeing ''Achille'', which soon surrendered as well.{{sfn|James |2002|p=164}}

To the east, ''Orion'' and ''Queen'' forced the surrender of both ''Northumberland'' and ''Jemmappes'', although ''Queen'' was unable to secure ''Jemmappes'' and she had to be abandoned later. ''Queen'' especially was badly damaged and unable to make the British lines again, wallowing between the newly reformed French fleet and the British battleline along with several other shattered ships.{{sfn|Tracy |1998|p=99}}{{efn|Manderson served as a lieutenant aboard HMS ''Queen''}} ''Royal George'' and ''Glory'' had between them disabled ''Scipion'' and ''Sans Pareil'' in a bitter exchange, but were also too badly damaged themselves to take possession. All four ships were among those left drifting in the gap between the fleets.{{sfn|James |2002|p=168}}