Rowley reached the West Indies after leading seven ships to reinforce John Byron and was promoted rear-admiral of the blue on 19 March 1779. The French fleet under the Comte d'Estaing then emerged at Grenada in order of sailing speed, disguising its numerical strength and tempting Byron to order a general chase. When the British discovered the stronger fleet and tried to reform, the van under Samuel Barrington, with Rowley aboard HMS Suffolk, recovered best and fought hardest. Neither fleet lost a ship, but the British withdrew while the French returned to Grenada to rearm. The tactical lesson is that uncertain intelligence made cohesion precious: a properly formed British line might have exploited the French disorder, whereas the chase surrendered that opportunity.
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Grenada and the danger of breaking formation
Rowley's organized van contrasts with Byron's premature general chase against an enemy fleet of uncertain strength.