The Caribbean campaign supported wider imperial and maritime objectives, but it did not receive first claim on either navy's resources. Earlier British strength had enabled the capture of Saint Lucia and the defeat of d'Estaing's relief effort. Ships then rotated elsewhere as global demands changed, leaving the station to work with whatever remained available. An important theatre could contain capable warships yet still lack enough of them for decisive control.
Notable Point · 58:37-59:25
The Caribbean squadron received what wider strategy could spare
Grenada shows how an enabling theatre could matter greatly while still yielding ships and reinforcements to higher-priority operations.