cross someone's T

Definitions

To sail one's battle line across the front of the enemy battle line, allowing one to bring one's full firepower to bear on the enemy battle line while limiting the firepower that the enemy can use in return.

Examples

“No sooner has the fleet settled onto this course than a small group of Japanese cruisers and actual, real, live⟳, all-singing, all-dancing, all-features-included, protected-by-the-Emperor torpedo boats begin⟳ to move⟳ to cross the T of the Russian fleet. Worried about a torpedo attack on his lead⟳ battleships and determined to sweep⟳ this small formation aside, Rozhestvensky orders his main ships into a line abreast, a far-more-potent display of force⟳ that allows every forward-pointing gun on his capital ships to bear⟳ at the same time.”

CEFR level