Question
Those who supported strict adherence to this naval tactic came to be known as “formalists” and were the dominant school of thought in British Naval warfare until the 18th century. For 10 points each:
[10m] Name this naval tactic that maximized cannon firing rates and prevented friendly fire. A class of warships from the 17th-18th centuries were named for and specifically designed to use this tactic.
ANSWER: line of battle [or ship-of-the-line tactics or line-ahead battle]
[10h] This naval commander was purportedly the first to deliberately use line of battle tactics in a crushing defeat of the Spanish navy at the 1639 Battle of the Downs. This commander died while fighting the British at the Battle of Scheveningen.
ANSWER: Maarten Tromp [or Maarten Harpertszoon Tromp]
[10e] Admiral Nelson defied conventional line of battle tactics at this 1805 battle, where he charged the French line in two columns and split it into three parts before decimating the middle section of the line.
ANSWER: Battle of Trafalgar
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