tactfully sunken ship might have blocked Napoleon from entering a Middle Eastern port on his quest to conquer the British Empire in Egypt and India, and sent the future emperor retreating back to France.

A new study of the ship's excavated cargo will help marine archaeologists analyze the role of sunken ship and reconstruct the 61-day battle between the British and Napoleon's army at the entry to the Israeli city Akko, known then as Acre, more than 200 years ago

http://www.livescience.com/history/070307_..._shipwreck.html

"tactfully sunken ship"?

Is that "A ship that was polite was sunk "or "A ship that was sunk in a polite manner"?

--Jaylemurph