Corbett's central complication is that a fleet can remove itself from immediate attack by sheltering in a defended port, something an army cannot normally do in the same way. Offensive spirit and superior strength do not solve the problem if reaching the ships first requires an army to take the harbor. A navy seeking a decisive action can therefore become strategically arrested precisely when its superiority encourages the offensive. The weaker fleet may preserve itself in a defensive posture and wait for a favorable chance to counterstroke. Opening the video here reveals why seeking and destroying the enemy fleet is an aim constrained by access and by the enemy's choices.
Notable Point · 2:22-3:24
Why a sheltered fleet can deny decisive battle
A superior battle fleet may still fail to force a decision when its opponent can withdraw into a defended port.