Rather than maintain a conventional parallel engagement, Howe sought to break the French formation at multiple points. Each British ship was to turn independently, pass through a gap, and fire into vulnerable bows and sterns before engaging on the leeward side. The design reduced dependence on a single leading captain after the failures of 29 May and made the signal's basic demand difficult to misread. It also aimed to cut French ships off from retreating downwind and convert the whole line into a series of local captures. Damage, ingrained line-ahead habits, and hesitation made the actual assault ragged from the moment Queen Charlotte turned.
Chapter · 1:38:05-1:44:08
Howe's all-ships attack
On 1 June Howe ordered individual ships to pierce the French line, rake opponents, and cut off their retreat.