 Nyora kupfuurira kweiyi ndima - Muna January 1867, Flandre yakasangana nengarava yezvokutengeserana yeBritain Brutus muAtlantic Ocean. Brutus yakanyura nokurasikirwa navanegumi vavashandi vayo vane gumi navana. Pamwe chete ne Magnanime uye Magenta, Flandre yakasunga vatakuri vaitakura mauto eFrance kuenda kumusha mushure mekuparara kwekupindira kwechipiri kweFrance kuMexicomuna 1867. Makore maviri gare gare akava ngarava huru yaRear Admiral Charles de Dompierre dHornoy. Apo Hondo yeFrench-Prussian yakatanga musi wa 19 July 1870 vaFrench vaida nguva yokupedzisa kuunganidza kwavo. Ngarava yacho yakapiwa kuVice Admiral Édouard Bouët-Willaumezs squadron iyo yakapiwa basa rokudzivirira zviteshi zveGermany muHeligoland Bight. Yakabva Cherbourg musi wa 24 July uye, ichitadza kuwana ngarava dzeGermany, yakaenda kumvura dzeDenmark kumirira mimwe mirayiridzo. Bouët-Williaumez akarayirwa musi wa 2 Nyamavhuvhu kuti apatsanure mauto ake nehafu, kusanganisira Flandre, achienderera mberi muGungwa reBaltic kuvhara zviteshi zvePrussian ipapo pasi pekutungamira kwake uye vamwe kuti vadzokere kuBight. Kudzivirirwa kwemhenderekedzo yegungwa kwakasimba kwePrussia kwakadzivisa kurwisa kupi nokupi kwezvikepe zveFrance, asi kuvapo kwazvo kwakadzivisa zvikuru kutakura kweGermany. Flandre ne ironclad vakasunungurwa ne ironclads Rochambeau uye muna Nyamavhuvhu vakadzokera kuCherbourg uko Flandre yakabatana nezvikepe zvakavhara Bight. 