With all due respect, I can't buy the Taffy III comparison. They were trapped. They had two choices:
1. Go down swinging.
2. Go down swinging.
HMS Victory traveling alone? That's a reach. But let's grant it. The frigate is more maneuverable, so it would have the choice to engage or not. Why on Earth would a captain of a frigate engage HMS Victory? But let's grant it. As stated before, his crew would be justified in reliving him of command. As stated before, he'd have to play every card he held just right to avoid annihilation by HMS Victory.
It could be attempted given a mad captain, a willing crew, perfect ship handling, and ideal conditions. What sort mauling would ensue? That's why we have the W.A.B.
