The French formation transferred land-war thinking to the sea. Its commanders expected an orderly ship-against-ship struggle along the line. Chaining the hulls sacrificed maneuver and let the English concentrate at one end. English longbowmen supplied superior ranged attack and formidable boarding strength as the fixed formation was defeated piecemeal.
Notable Point · 22:57-24:08
Sluys turns a fleet into a fixed land battle
The French decision to chain ships into a rigid line at Sluys lets the English concentrate at one end and exploit longbowmen as powerful skirmishers and boarders.