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124 transports should be escorted by the battle fleet to protect it against the enemy's ships. A naval engagement under these conditions would be the more serious, as the battle fleet would be deprived of its freedom of manoeuvre by the fleet of transports. The decisive naval engagement must be fought out by the battle fleet alone."

But whatever the formation adopted, the area will be very large, and the difficulty of affording adequate defence to the troopships correspondingly great; whereas the British attack, delivered by far more numerous destroyers and other small craft, though only supported by half the men-of-war that ought to be on guard, would be