The horseshoe placed ships of the line and heavy frigates in front, with smaller vessels firing through their gaps and fireships guarding the ends. This land-like arrangement underestimated ship motion and the confusion of firing through friendly lines at close range. It also left open water inside the crescent where better-drilled Allied ships could anchor and engage both sides. Codrington's earlier success in turning back Ibrahim Pasha without bloodshed made it plausible that the fleet might again submit to pressure. His decision to enter with an unfavorable wind can therefore be read as confidence, coercive theater, or a calculated hope that Ottoman fire would settle the diplomatic problem.
Chapter · 2:33:31-2:39:36
A three-line horseshoe invited the Allies into point-blank range
The Ottoman-Egyptian formation protected small vessels behind heavy ships, but it also let superior Allied crews anchor inside the crescent.