Because British troops normally had to move by sea, infantry - and especially light infantry - fit the transport problem better than horse-heavy formations. Soldiers could board under their own power and required less space, food, and handling than cavalry and its animals. Admiral Fisher's image of the army as a projectile launched by the Royal Navy is treated as an exaggeration that still captures this expeditionary design. The army's lower dependence on horses later made conversion to motorized and mechanized formations comparatively easier. Geography thus left a durable mark on both Britain's regimental mix and its path into modern warfare.
Notable Point · 1:14:37-1:16:49
Sea transport favored British light infantry
Britain's need to move troops by ship favored compact infantry formations and later made the army easier to motorize than horse-heavy continental forces.