A convoy of 121 merchant ships shows that escort work was a serious operational responsibility in the age of sail. Amazon sailed with two other frigates, two gun-brigs, a sloop, and a cutter, a modest screen for so many merchant vessels. French cruisers shadowed the fleet for several days, forcing Riou to drive the larger threat away. He believed Amazon could have completed the capture with another two hours of pursuit, but continuing would have separated the frigate from the convoy. Preserving the merchants and their cargoes mattered more than one possible prize.
Notable Point · 12:29-13:58
Convoy protection before prize chasing
Amazon's West Indies convoy duty illustrates the escort captain's core tradeoff: drive off enemy cruisers without abandoning the merchant fleet.