The general melee put roughly forty ships into fights ranging from about a hundred yards down to near-contact distance. French gunnery often sought to disable British rigging and reduce manoeuvrability. That approach was less effective once British ships had already closed and were firing into crowded hulls and gun decks. The difference in aim is linked to French casualty totals that reached into the hundreds on individual ships. An appropriate long-range objective could become a damaging doctrinal disadvantage after the tactical geometry changed.
Notable Point · 2:02:24-2:04:15
Rigging fire meets hull fire at close range
French fire aimed at rigging was useful for manoeuvre warfare but imposed a severe cost when British ships closed to point-blank range and fired into hulls.