Behind this combat, other ships of the centre division struck the French line, HMS Valiant under Thomas Pringle passing close to Patriote which pulled away, her crew suffering from contagion and unable to take their ship into battle. Valiant instead turned her attention on Achille, which had already been raked by Queen Charlotte and Brunswick, and badly damaged her before pressing on sail to join the embattled van division. HMS Orion under John Thomas Duckworth and HMS Queen under Admiral Alan Gardner both attacked the same ship, Queen suffering severely from the earlier actions in which her masts were badly damaged and her captain John Hutt mortally wounded. Both ships bore down on the French Northumberland, which was soon dismasted and left attempting to escape on only the stump of a mast. Queen was too slow to engage Northumberland as closely as Orion, and soon fell in with Jemmapes, both ships battering each other severely.
behind this combat other ships of the centre division struck the french line hms valiant under thomas pringle passing close to patriote which pulled away her crew suffering from contagion and unable to take their ship into battle valiant instead turned her attention on achille which had already been raked by queen charlotte and brunswick and badly damaged her before pressing on sail to join the embattled van division hms orion under john thomas duckworth and hms queen under admiral alan gardner both attacked the same ship queen suffering severely from the earlier actions in which her masts were badly damaged and her captain john hutt mortally wounded both ships bore down on the french northumberland which was soon dismasted and left attempting to escape on only the stump of a mast queen was too slow to engage northumberland as closely as orion and soon fell in with jemmapes both ships battering each other severely