Once the battle line breaks, the action becomes a confused melee, but the two forces do not lose cohesion equally. The French ships hold together better while British ships begin surrendering. Later, their surviving share of the balance of power is linked directly to keeping together and sailing as an effective formation. The sequence shows why mutual support remains a source of combat power after the original line no longer controls the engagement.
Notable Point · 17:09-17:28
Cohesion after the battle line breaks up
Once a line of battle disintegrates, a coherent group of ships can matter more than the original formation plan.