Final answer:
The British would retreat to a peninsula to focus defensive efforts and control the battleground, as seen in historic examples like the Dunkirk Evacuation and General Cornwallis's positioning at Yorktown. However, this strategy could also lead to entrapment if naval support failed, as it did for Cornwallis.
Step-by-step explanation:
It would have made sense for the British to retreat to a peninsula because peninsulas can provide strategic advantages in military situations.
Retreating to a peninsula with limited access points, like narrow passes, allows an army to focus defensive efforts and create a bottleneck where the enemy forces are forced to engage on unfavorable terms for them.
Examples of this strategy in history include the British during the Dunkirk Evacuation and General Cornwallis's positioning at Yorktown during the American Revolution.
In Cornwallis's case, he expected support from the Royal Navy which would keep the coast clear, but he was ultimately trapped by a combined American and French force.
Similarly, during the Battle of Long Island, General Washington's Continental Army was trapped by the British, necessitating a stealthy retreat.