Les Bleus de la marine

Navy Blues (Les Bleus de la marine)
The two main characters: Sergeant Cornelius Chesterfield and Corporal Blutch
Date	24 September 1984
Series	Les Tuniques Bleues
Publisher	Dupuis
Creative team
Creator	Raoul Cauvin & Willy Lambil
Original publication
Published in	Dupuis
Date of publication	1975
Language	French
ISBN	9782800108643
Chronology
Preceded by	La Prison de Robertsonville (1975)
Followed by	Les Cavaliers du ciel (1976)

Navy Blues (French: Les Bleus de la marine is the seventh album in Les Tuniques Bleues comic series by Willy Lambil and Raoul Cauvin. It was published for the first time at No. 1904 and No. 1917 in Spirou magazine, afterwards as an album in 1975. The plot is based around the Battle of Hampton Roads in 1862.

Plot

After a battle between the Confederate and Union Army's goes awry for the Northeners, even with a near suicidal cavalry charge from the 22nd cavalry regiment. Corporal Blutch and Sergeant Chesterfield are dismissed by Captain Stark for cowardice and insubordination respectfully. Afterwards, both men are first reassigned to the infantry regiment where they attack a Confederate barrier too early, which gets them dismissed again. Next, they are reassigned to the artillery regiment, where they operate their own cannon. They end up getting dismissed from this regiment as well when they fire upon their own trenches. After that, they become stretch-bearers and are warned if they fail again, there wouldn't be any place anymore for them in the army. They end up being dismissed a final time when they bring back a wounded Confederate soldier from the battlefield to the field hospital. As a final solution, Corporal Blutch and Sergeant Chesterfield are reassigned to the Navy as sailors on a sailing ship, which ends up sinking in battle with the Confederates. Following the sinking, both men are transferred to the USS Monitor and see action during the Battle of Hampton Roads against the Confederate ironclad CSS Virginia. The battle ends in a draw, bringing back glory to Corporal Blutch and Sergeant Chesterfield. As a reward, they are reassigned back to the 22nd Cavalry regiment, although a lack of manpower following one of Stark's infamous suicide charges could've also been the reason for the transfer, as both men are experienced cavalrymen.