Breaking the line to concentrate force

The attack aims at the rear of the enemy formation, where a break in the line could let one section be rolled up without fighting the whole fleet evenly. The intended payoff is a local numerical advantage: bring a larger part of one's own force against a smaller part of the opponent's. Although the maneuver resembles Nelsonian tactics, its logic extends well beyond one admiral or battle. Soon afterward, an isolated third rate has a third rate and a fifth rate moving around it, showing the planned concentration in the game. Line-breaking matters here as a practical way to mass force against part of an enemy formation.