Training mattered at Trafalgar, as did the feasibility of each side's tactical concept. A conjectured Franco-Spanish response treated sailing ships like a land reserve that could hurry into position, even though wind governed their speed and freedom of movement. Such a maneuver also required a highly trusted subordinate, and the combined fleet's command structure lacked that trust. Nelson's line-breaking attack was a comparatively simple sledgehammer, making it easier for the Royal Navy to convert preparation into action.
Chapter · 10:00-13:16
Trafalgar rewarded a plan the fleet could execute
The Trafalgar comparison explains why a conjectured Franco-Spanish response was harder to execute than the Royal Navy's simple line-breaking attack.