Why George Byng's command was so formidable

Byng was a senior commander entrusted with a fleet assembled for an emergency. He had twice served as the Admiralty's senior naval lord, making the appointment comparable to sending a serving First Sea Lord to sea. Vice Admiral Charles Cornewall and Rear Admiral George Delaval joined his flag team, while Byng's Admiralty experience gave him detailed knowledge of the captains available. His force included twenty-two ships of the line, two fireships, a storeship, a hospital ship, a bomb vessel, and a tender. Britain kept its expensive first rates on other duties, but Byng still had powerful 80- and 90-gun second rates. The ships and officers had been selected with care rather than gathered at random. The fleet's size and preparation, together with the officers' experience, put the Spanish under severe pressure once the pursuit began.