During Byng's First Lordship, Britain fought the Anglo-Spanish War of 1727-1729, in which Spain attempted to recover Gibraltar while Britain tried to blockade Porto Bello. Byng developed Russell's administrative methods into a fleet that could be readied quickly. If British ships could reach an opponent's coast before the opposing fleet mobilized, the threat of deployment itself strengthened diplomacy. The one-week deployment example is deliberately exaggerated: preparing a fleet usually took months, unless existing guardships were available. Readiness mattered because it allowed Britain to act before an opponent could organize an effective response.
Notable Point · 1:53:25-1:56:17
Byng turns fleet readiness into deterrent diplomacy
Enter the 1727-29 Anglo-Spanish War and see how a fleet ready before its opponent could turn threatened deployment into diplomatic leverage.