Second rates as line-breaking heavy ships

A second rate saved relatively little money or crew compared with a first rate, so economy was not its main purpose. It maximised force by giving the fleet another heavy three-decker that could create or exploit a gap in the enemy line. Third rates could then follow and reinforce the break. An infantry analogy casts third rates as the rank and file, first rates as senior leadership, and second rates as corporals who provide local strength and direction. George Brydges Rodney's preference for the second-rate HMS Sandwich supplies a named example of an aggressive commander valuing the type. Second rates widened the battle line's hard-hitting core without serving as cheap first rates.