The expedition brought 3,600 colonial troops from British America, but only about 300 initially went ashore. Most were reassigned to reinforce warships that needed additional Marines and crew strength. That decision reduced the effective landing force by roughly 3,300 people before the main land fighting began. The moment demonstrates how an amphibious fleet's shipboard manpower needs can consume troops counted on paper for operations ashore.
Notable Point · 47:48-48:28
Shipboard manpower cuts the landing force before battle
Only about three hundred of 3,600 colonial troops land because the rest must reinforce depleted warship crews as Marines.