Editing Line of battle (section)

{{Short description|Naval warfare tactic in which a fleet of ships forms a line end to end}}
{{About|the line formation in fleet|the line of battle in infantry and cavalry|Line (formation)}}
{{Use British English|date=November 2022}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2022}}
[[File:Combat naval en rade de Gondelour, 20 juin 1783.jpg|thumb|upright=1.8 |Two fleets in their line of battle during [[Battle of Cuddalore (1783)|the Battle of Cuddalore]] ([[French Navy]] to the left, [[Royal Navy]] to the right)]]
[[File:Nicholas Pocock - The Battle of Copenhagen, 2 April 1801.jpg|thumb|upright=1.8 |[[Nicholas Pocock]], ''The Battle of Copenhagen, 2 April 1801'' (undated), [[Royal Museums Greenwich]]]]

The '''line of battle''' or the '''battle line'''<ref name="USNHHC 2024-08-16">{{cite journal |title=Battle of Midway |journal=Combat Narratives |year=2017 |page=3 |url=https://www.history.navy.mil/content/dam/nhhc/browse-by-topic/War%20and%20Conflict/WWII/midway-170519.pdf |accessdate=2024-08-16 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230816000000/https://www.history.navy.mil/content/dam/nhhc/browse-by-topic/War%20and%20Conflict/WWII/midway-170519.pdf |archive-date=August 16, 2023|quote=While the Japanese succeeded in crippling the battle line… }}</ref> is a [[Naval tactics|tactic in naval warfare]] in which a fleet of ships (known as [[Ship of the line|ships of the line]]) forms a line end to end.  The first example of its use as a tactic is disputed—it has been variously claimed for dates ranging from 1502 to 1652. Line-of-battle tactics were in widespread use by 1675.

Compared with prior naval tactics, in which two opposing ships closed on one another for individual combat, the line of battle has the advantage that each ship in the line can fire its [[Broadside (naval)|broadside]] without fear of hitting a friendly ship. This means that in a given period, the fleet can fire more shots. Another advantage is that a relative movement of the line in relation to some part of the enemy fleet allows for a systematic concentration of fire on that part. The other fleet can avoid this by manoeuvring in a line itself, with a result typical for sea battles since 1675: two fleets sail alongside one another (or on the opposite [[Tack (sailing)#Position|tack]]).