The run-up to Grenada shows that a fleet's paper strength was not stable. Ships left to escort convoys, while homebound vessels carried personnel sickened by service in the Caribbean. Newly arriving ships brought fresh crews and supplies, so the quality as well as the number of available vessels changed. French reinforcements appeared while the Royal Navy and many of its frigates were occupied with convoy duty. The British consequently returned to Grenada acting on an outdated picture of the local balance.
Notable Point · 18:24-21:16
Why Caribbean fleet strength kept changing
Convoys, illness, returning ships, supplies, and reinforcements constantly altered the local balance of naval power.