A fireship confrontation triggered general action

Thomas Fellowes first tried to prevent the fireship from being lit, then covered his cutter after Ottoman crews fired on it. French musketry and an Ottoman corvette's cannon shot widened the exchange before the Allies had finished deploying. Most ships then fought at anchor, hauling on springs attached to their cables when they needed to shift a broadside toward a new target. The accidental escalation therefore locked the bay into a close-range contest decided by gun weight, rate of fire, and the ability to reorient under pressure.