Thomas Foley's route inside the French line

Captain Thomas Foley supplied the decisive initiative rather than Nelson acting alone. Foley judged that Goliath could pass between the French line and the northern shoal; other British ships followed, while Nelson attacked from seaward. With crews ashore and guns initially manned on one side, the French were caught in a tactical dilemma created by British experience and seamanship. Initiative spread through the squadron as later captains trusted the first ship's judgment and followed the same hazardous route.