BRITISH NAVY'S LUCKY DAY.

Pukekohe & Waiuku Times, Volume 4, Issue 18, 5 March 1915, Page 8 (Supplement)

BRITISH NAVY'S LUCKY DAY.

If the British Navy has a " -lucky day "' it should be a Friday. Tt was on Friday, July 2!>th. IOSB, that the Spani-h Armada was destroyed. True, it was also a Friday, November 29th, 1052, when Van Tromp sailed the Channel with a broom at hie mast-In ad to indicate that ho had swept the English fiom the seas; but luck has a habit of turning, and, according to the must reliable chronologies, Friday, Juno 1653, was the decisive day in the baWlo off the North Foreland, wlvn .six of Van Tromp's ships woV(. taken and eleven were sunk.

Jt was on Friday, April 20th. 1657. that Blake won IIL3 greatest victory, ji tiio harbour of Santa. Cruz; on July 30th. 1779, that the American fleet was totally destroy d off the shores mf Xpw •England; 'Oll Friday, April 12th. that Rodney defeated the French, taking the French admiral prisoner; and on Friday, September 13th of the same yar. that the British totally defeated the fleets of France a'td Spain in the Bay of Gi'bralTai.

Lt was also r,n Friday. July 16th, 1779, that the great siege of Gibraltar began, to end in the fotal overthrow of the hostile armaments. Trafalgar, indeed, was fought on a Monday, hint at least it wn.s on the previous EViday tlint t!ie French admiral made the fata! decision to come out and gjive battle. Nelson would have been the last to dispute th.: "'luckiness" of Friday, for lie was born, on that day. created a viscount on that dav and it was on Friday. May 20th. 1803. that he assumed chief command in the Mediterranean.