Corbett's reassessment of Admiral Byng

Corbett acknowledges Byng's limitations as a commander while rejecting the claim that he lacked tactical knowledge. French ships were cleaner, faster and more fully manned, and their broadside weight exceeded that of Byng's fleet. Keeping a rigid line helped prevent an opponent doubling the van or rear and allowed ships to support one another. Breaking the enemy line remained familiar, but commanders considered it hazardous early in an action between evenly matched fleets. Corbett associates Byng with the first regular additional fighting instructions, while noting that no surviving copy can be securely identified as his. Their character therefore has to be inferred from their use during the battle. Byng also attempted a modified attack that his captains misunderstood, and Hawke later adopted the idea in an additional instruction of his own.