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Line of Battle Warfare
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Ships of the line in battle formation

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French Ship of the Line Valmy

Ship-of-the-Line Warfare
The columnar naval-battle formation developed by the James, Duke of York of England during the English and Dutch wars in the mid-17th century continued to be the standard Battle Order as late as the battle of Jutland in World War I. In this tactic, the capital ships formed in a line, each following the other. This formation maximized the new firing power of the broadside (simultaneous discharge of all the guns arrayed on one side of a ship) and marked a final break with the tactics of galley warfare, in which individual ships sought each other out and fought individually.

Naval Tactics
In ship of the line battle formations, columns of ships maneuvered to fire their guns in broadside (a simultaneous discharge of all the guns arrayed on one side of a ship) against each other. Combat using these formations was known as line-of-battle warfare. Battles were usually won by the heaviest ships carrying the biggest and most powerful guns. Therefore, a natural progression was toward fleets of big "battle ships".

The ideal was for one line to fo forward of the enemy and then turn to "cross the T". This maneuver brought the full broadside of several ships upon the enemy lead ship and their fleet ws quickly scattered or destroyed

Ship of The Line)
The frequent hard-fought sea battles of the 17th century, particularly in the Anglo-Dutch wars, led to the column formation of heavy warships called line ahead. In the line formation, each warship followed in the wake of the ship ahead so that every ship in the line had a clear field of fire for a broadside discharge of its guns.

The age of Fighting Sail)
The column, or line ahead, became the logical tactical formation for bringing the most guns to bear. With all the ships of a battle line following one another, their guns could face the enemy line without obstruction. The three Anglo-Dutch Wars of 1652-74 saw the first closely studied battles of sail and gun. In them the column was as much a means for command and control as it was for the battle itself.

The line of Battle as Viewed by Nelson
The line of battle was not however used exclusively. In the Battle of Trafalgar, Nelson, saw that the French/Spanish fleets were at a disadvantage because they were sailing with (rather than into) the troth of the waves. The roll of the ships made it virtually impossible for them to properly aim their guns.

Nelson planned to advance on the Franco-Spanish fleets in two divisions to break their line and destroy them piecemeal. This was an abandonment of the traditionally rigid tactics of fighting in line of battle and it was only successful because the positioning of the enemy fleet rolled them from side to side with each oncoming wave.

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