The training in single-ship actions which convoy protection provided was further honed by cruises against French privateers. Frigate captains were not expected to take part in the action against ships of the line: their role was to shadow the enemy, pass intelligence and repeat instructions to ships of the line out of sight of the flag ship. The natural progression for captains was from sloops in which they conducted intelligence gathering and convoy protection, to the swift frigates which were the eyes of a fleet at sea, and finally to the heavily gunned ships of the line which determined the outcomes of battles at sea. This chapter contains material from those whose courage enabled them to make the transition effortlessly. Spanning the thirty years from the Seven Years' War to the American War, the careers of the survivors amongst these men represent a microcosm of the naval actions of the third and fourth quarters of the century.

For the successful captains, the war years from 1756 to 1762 were those in which they ensured further employment after the peace. Most of the men were engaged initially in home waters, but their duties expanded from intelligence gathering, convoy protection and cruising for privateers, to attacks on enemy trade, taking part in amphibious operations, blockade and fleet actions. The amphibious operations which were practised on the French coasts were then extended to North America, the West Indies and the Pacific. The naval blockade of French ports took place not just on the northern coasts, but in the Mediterranean.