Why a modest British squadron could dominate

The inconclusive action involving Centurion and Diomede illustrates the wider imbalance: Britain could deploy larger ships and more firepower in a theatre where France struggled to reinforce its possessions. French priorities lay elsewhere, while British damage to stores at Toulon took years to repair and further constrained support for Dutch colonies overseas. The two British ships had an estimated 870-pound broadside against about 780 pounds from four French vessels. France therefore held more men and hulls but still faced heavier British firepower, and a British third rate would have made the disparity greater. The French sortie was driven partly by food shortages and the threat of unrest among the enslaved population on Île de France. Although both sides withdrew for repairs and supplies reached the colony, the encounter shows how little force Britain needed to exercise freedom of action in the Indian Ocean.