The Toulon assignment targeted the French fleet rather than the harbour itself. Nelson was expected to watch Toulon, follow the French wherever they sailed and bring them to battle. A basketball marking analogy compares this system to assigning defenders to particular opponents while still expecting them to cover a teammate's area when circumstances changed. The method depended on judgement instead of a fixed line off the harbour entrance. It allowed dispersed Royal Navy squadrons to support one another across the wider Trafalgar campaign.
Notable Point · 7:25-8:53
Blockading fleets rather than ports
Nelson's Toulon assignment explains a Royal Navy blockade system designed to track an enemy fleet after it escaped rather than keep a harbour closed.