line of battle

The "line of battle" was a naval formation developed in the mid-17th century, primarily by the British and Dutch. This tactic involved arranging ships in a column, one after another, to maximize the firing power of their broadsides. This marked a significant shift from earlier galley warfare, which focused on ramming and boarding.12

In this formation, ships maintained regular intervals, creating a long line that allowed the fleet to act as a cohesive unit under the admiral's command, even through smoke. The "ship of the line" was the warship designed for this tactic, evolving into large vessels with multiple decks of cannons. While this formation offered control, it could also be rigid, leading to debates between "formalists" who insisted on maintaining the line and "meleeists" who favored breaking it to pursue enemies. Notable admirals like Horatio Nelson later developed more flexible tactics within this framework.123