Strachan went on to flag rank, but his later career did not unfold as smoothly as his victory at Cape Ortegal might suggest. Part of the trouble came from a command relationship with an Army general who enjoyed royal favour. The two senior officers communicated poorly, creating a joint-command problem even without the technological excuse available to later commanders. A comparison with Norway in 1940 places this Napoleonic case in the longer history of Army-Navy coordination failures. Promotion exposed an officer to political and inter-service problems beyond the command of ships at sea.
Notable Point · 22:54-23:25
Strachan and joint-command friction
Strachan's later difficulty cooperating with a favoured Army general illustrates how weak inter-service communication could damage an otherwise successful naval career.