Q&A ยท 1:38:16-1:38:35

How much British reinforcement was available?

Bulwark was unavailable, but the Navarino squadron was not Britain's entire regional commitment; another second-rate and several third-rates were ready.

Question

Was HMS Bulwark available, and how many British line ships were standing by to reinforce Codrington?

Short answer

Bulwark was unavailable, but at least another second-rate and a couple of third-rates were ready to go.

Notes

HMS Bulwark was not available to join Codrington for this operation. The force inside Navarino Bay nevertheless did not exhaust Britain's available ships of the line. At least one more second-rate and a couple of third-rates were ready to move. That reserve illustrates the wider force-generation capacity behind the immediate order of battle.