Ironclad was a practical example of maneuver from the sea and a Corbettian use of maritime power. Broad Allied sea control created the strategic freedom to choose the point of attack and transport a large landing force around Africa. The narrow geography of the Diego Suarez peninsula then let warships isolate the objective from much of the rest of Madagascar. Defenders had few routes by which to reinforce or counterattack across the constricted ground. Naval firepower could therefore be concentrated along those limited approaches while the landing force advanced inland.
Notable Point · 27:59-29:49
Sea control enabled maneuver from the sea
Allied command of surrounding waters let naval forces isolate Diego Suarez and concentrate combat power on a narrow objective.