Recently promoted to rear admiral, Rowley led at the front while the British fleet rushed a larger, ordered French force. Several captains informally kept close to him, creating a compact group of six third rates around which the disordered British effort could pivot. The French held the field, but both fleets retained every ship and the French suffered more than twice as many wounded. The casualty figures and survival of every ship show why tactical performance within a defeated fleet deserves separate examination.
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Grenada: a cohesive van inside a British defeat
Rowley's ships preserve local cohesion during a general chase, making the Battle of Grenada more complex than a simple loss.