Delayed action and a lack of strategic purpose compounded the problems with Graves's tactics. Following the French out of the bay created space that another force could use. A fleet manoeuvring outside the bay might have created opportunities for either side to insert ships or supplies. The example connects tactical battle decisions to the larger problem of sustaining Yorktown by sea.
Chapter · 35:00-38:07
Chesapeake: the strategic failure behind the battle
The Battle of the Chesapeake mattered because British command failed to use fleet movements strategically to protect or resupply Yorktown.