Nicolas Béhuchet's plan chained the French ships into two defensive lines so the English would have to attack a fixed barrier. The chains held the vessels together but could not preserve their intended formation. Wind, waves, and tidal movement bunched the ships into tangled groups, leaving them unable to maneuver or support threatened parts of the line. By accepting a fixed barrier, the larger and more experienced fleet surrendered the qualities that should have favored it.
Chapter · 37:31-39:32
Chaining the French fleet surrendered maneuver
The French attempt to build a chained defensive wall collapsed into immobile, disordered groups under wind and tidal pressure.