23. The British claimed to have restored their naval dominance after the Battle of the Saintes
Before Rodney’s victory over de Grasse at the Battle of the Saintes, Great Britain had suffered a series of naval defeats between their fleets and those of France and Spain. Several clashes in the Indian Oceans and the waters around the Spice Islands had been British defeats, as well as in the Caribbean, and in North American waters. Privateers continued to venture out of American ports, attacking the ships attempting to supply the British Army occupying New York. The British were forced to retain vessels there which could have been put to better use in the Windward Islands or India.
In June 1783 another British fleet under the command of Admiral Edward Hughes was defeated off Cuddalore, India, by French Admiral Bailli de Suffren. Throughout the year 1782 and the early part of 1783, the European powers maneuvered to gain territory, hoping to retain them at the peace table. The British Navy managed to hold on to Jamaica but lost several other valuable territories, as the war in North America sputtered to an end.