breaking-the-line system
Quick Summary
In military naval tactics, "breaking the line" was a strategy employed during the age of fighting sail. This tactic involved penetrating the enemy's formation, which was typically a single column or "line ahead," to disrupt their cohesion and concentrate superior force on individual enemy ships.12
This maneuver aimed to overwhelm segments of the enemy fleet, making them vulnerable to concentrated fire. While formalists advocated for maintaining the line, meleeists saw the advantage in breaking it to pursue a fleeing enemy. This tactic became more prominent towards the end of the 18th century, notably associated with Admiral Horatio Nelson's successes. The Hindenburg Line, mentioned in a different context, was a defensive barrier in World War I, not a naval tactic.123
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