Pendennis Castle guarded one side of Falmouth's entrance, with St Mawes covering the other side of the harbour. The easiest beaches left troops directly beneath artillery that could turn cannon into close-range grapeshot and canister weapons. Any survivors then had to climb steep ground toward Pendennis on a narrow neck of land. Naval gunfire offered no simple answer because ships would fire uphill while the fort's earthworks absorbed solid shot, making the harbour entrance a dangerous place to establish a beachhead.
Notable Point · 8:35-11:10
Pendennis and St Mawes turn beaches into killing grounds
Falmouth's most accessible beaches placed assault troops beneath fort guns and at the foot of steep, easily defended ground.