Unfortunately, the squadron was, in fact, quite a bit north by northeast of where they thought they actually were. The radiobeacon readings, as it turned out, had been correct. At about five o'clock in the afternoon, they'd adopted a line ahead formation, and, so, when the flagship made its turn to port at nine o'clock, the rest of the ships followed in an orderly queue. However, it was to be the third ship in line, USS Young, that would be the first casualty, as she tore open her hull on a submerged section of the shoal, capsizing to starboard, and taking twenty men with her, at four minutes past nine.

Line ahead

Meaning

Noun

Antonyms