Why the Rochefort raid failed to exploit sea control

At Rochefort, the Navy delivered the force and James Wolfe showed energy, but army commander John Mordaunt did not carry out the intended landing. The intended quick strike would have forced France to divert troops from its campaign in Germany to coastal defence. A battle fleet could secure enough sea for an amphibious force to operate even without complete command of the sea. Ships could transport troops continuously without exhausting them on the march, allowing the attacker to concentrate while the defender covered a long coastline. That advantage depended on a credible landing threat. With the troops remaining aboard, naval mobility produced little of the intended pressure ashore.