The destruction of a few ships, as Ramatuelle slightingly puts it, gives just that superiority to which the happy result at Yorktown was due.

As a general principle, this is undoubtedly a better objective than that pursued by the French.

Of course, exceptions will be found; but those exceptions will probably be where, as at Yorktown, the military force is struck at directly elsewhere, or, as at Port Mahon, a desirable and powerful base of that force is at stake; though even at Mahon it is doubtful whether the prudence was not misplaced.

Had Hawke or Boscawen met with Byng's disaster, they would not have gone to Gibraltar to repair it, unless the French admiral had followed up his first blow with others, increasing their disability.
Grenada was no doubt very dear in the eyes of D'Estaing, because it was his only success.

After making the failures at the Delaware, at New York, and at Rhode Island, with the mortifying affair at Sta.
Lucia, it is difficult to understand the confidence in him expressed by some French writers.