Editing Battle of the Nile (section)

===Morning===
[[File:Battle of the Nile, Whitcombe.jpg|thumb|''Battle of the Nile, Augt 1st 1798'', [[Thomas Whitcombe]], 1816, [[National Maritime Museum]] – the climax of the battle, as ''Orient'' explodes]]
As the sun rose at 04:00 on 2 August, firing broke out once again between the French southern division of ''Guillaume Tell'', ''Tonnant'', ''Généreux'' and ''Timoléon'' and the battered ''Alexander'' and ''Majestic''.<ref name="WLC368">[[#Reference-Clowes|Clowes, p. 368]]</ref> Although briefly outmatched, the British ships were soon joined by ''Goliath'' and ''Theseus''. As Captain Miller manoeuvred his ship into position, ''Theseus'' briefly came under fire from the frigate {{ship|French frigate|Artémise|1794|2}}.<ref name="RG36"/> Miller turned his ship towards ''Artémise'', but Captain [[Pierre-Jean Standelet]] struck his flag and ordered his men to abandon the frigate. Miller sent a boat under Lieutenant [[William Hoste]] to take possession of the empty vessel, but Standelet had set fire to his ship as he left and ''Artémise'' blew up shortly afterwards.<ref name="OW111">[[#Reference-Warner|Warner, p. 111]]</ref> The surviving French ships of the line, covering their retreat with gunfire, gradually pulled to the east away from the shore at 06:00. ''Zealous'' pursued, and was able to prevent the frigate {{ship|French frigate|Justice|1794|2}} from boarding ''Bellerophon'', which was anchored at the southern point of the bay undergoing hasty repairs.<ref name="WJ172"/>

Two other French ships still flew the tricolour, but neither was in a position to either retreat or fight. When ''Heureux'' and ''Mercure'' had cut their anchor cables to escape the exploding ''Orient'', their crews had panicked and neither captain (both of whom were wounded) had managed to regain control of his ship. As a result, both vessels had drifted onto the shoal.<ref name="IG61">[[#Reference-Germani|Germani, p. 61]]</ref> ''Alexander'', ''Goliath'', ''Theseus'' and ''Leander''  attacked the stranded and defenceless ships, and both surrendered within minutes.<ref name="WLC368"/> The distractions provided by ''Heureux'', ''Mercure'' and ''Justice'' allowed Villeneuve to bring most of the surviving French ships to the mouth of the bay at 11:00.<ref name="WJ173"/> On the dismasted ''Tonnant'', Commodore Du Petit Thouars was now dead from his wounds and thrown overboard at his own request.<ref name="RLA30">[[#Reference-Adkins|Adkins, p. 30]]</ref> As the ship was unable to make the required speed it was driven ashore by its crew. ''Timoléon'' was too far south to escape with Villeneuve and, in attempting to join the survivors, had also grounded on the shoal. The force of the impact dislodged the ship's foremast.<ref name="NM272">[[#Reference-Mostert|Mostert, p. 272]]</ref> The remaining French vessels—the ships of the line ''Guillaume Tell'' and ''Généreux'' and the frigates ''Justice'' and {{ship|French frigate|Diane|1796|2}}—formed up and stood out to sea, pursued by ''Zealous''.<ref name="RG38">[[#Reference-Gardiner|Gardiner, p. 38]]</ref> Despite strenuous efforts, Captain Hood's isolated ship came under heavy fire and was unable to cut off the trailing ''Justice'' as the French survivors escaped seawards.<ref name="WJ173">[[#Reference-James|James, p. 173]]</ref> ''Zealous'' was struck by a number of French shot and lost one man killed.<ref name="JA212">[[#Reference-Allen|Allen, p. 212]]</ref>

For the remainder of 2 August Nelson's ships made improvised repairs and boarded and consolidated their [[Prize (law)|prizes]]. ''Culloden'' especially required assistance. Troubridge, having finally dragged his ship off the shoal at 02:00, found that he had lost his rudder and was taking on more than {{convert|120|LT|MT|0}} of water an hour. Emergency repairs to the hull and fashioning a replacement rudder from a spare topmast took most of the next two days.<ref name="WJ178">[[#Reference-James|James, p. 178]]</ref> On the morning of 3 August, Nelson sent ''Theseus'' and ''Leander'' to force the surrender of the grounded ''Tonnant'' and ''Timoléon''. The ''Tonnant'', its decks crowded with 1,600 survivors from other French vessels, surrendered as the British ships approached while ''Timoléon'' was set on fire by its remaining crew who then escaped to the shore in small boats.<ref name="RLA37">[[#Reference-Adkins|Adkins, p. 37]]</ref> ''Timoléon'' exploded shortly after midday, the eleventh and final French ship of the line destroyed or captured during the battle.<ref name="NM272"/>