The Seven Years' War was an important stage in British forward-basing strategy. A fleet could appear, bombard a coastal town, or conduct a raid before an inland army received the warning and moved to respond. Ships did not always need to land sailors or soldiers, since bombardment and the threat of a sudden return could impose costs by themselves. Rival powers found that mobility threatening because naval power let Britain affect events on land without matching every army in Europe.
Notable Point · 58:14-59:43
Forward basing and the threat of naval raiding
Royal Navy sea power could shape European events through coastal bombardment and raids that armies often could not counter in time.