Faulknor delayed his response until the second broadside, his crew firing two broadsides of their own in quick succession while he backed his sails, throwing Bellona into reverse and swinging alongside Courageux.[3] The French ship's gunnery was however more effective in the initial stages of the action, and Faulknor's mizzen-mast was brought crashing down nine minutes after the first gunfire.[3] When a crewman expressed dismay at this damage, Faulknor was reported to have responded "Confound you! you rascal, what has a two-decked ship to do with a mizzen-mast in the time of action. See and knock away his mizzen-mast."[3]