Confused diplomatic reporting contrasted with Hornby's direct control of the operational picture. He positioned battleships near the threatened coastal line, limiting Russian amphibious manoeuvre and giving the Sultan more room to resist demands. Behind those forward ships, the Channel Fleet moved to Gibraltar and another force trained in Britain, making the local display credible as the leading edge of wider mobilisation. The ships did not occupy the capital, but they altered the practical choices available to everyone around it.
Notable Point · 37:16-44:10
Sea power as leverage outside Constantinople
British ships helped contain the Russian advance by protecting the coastal approaches, coordinating scattered forces, and making the cost of further movement clear.