To be honest, many of the ship damages can be ignored during wartime, but cannot be left unattended forever.
For example, if a section of the side deck is broken, that part of the ship can no longer bear weight.
When a wooden warship turns or faces waves, the hull will undergo slight deformation, and the structure surrounding the breach will be subjected to very high structural stress. The structure of the hull near the damage will rapidly age and become obsolete.
It's like when we tear plastic packaging; if the outer layer is intact, it is very hard to tear. But if you cut a small slit at the edge, it can be easily ripped from there.
So these warships look lightly damaged, but they must return to port for repairs, otherwise, what were minor issues can turn into major repairs requiring the replacement of half the hull.
Lord Hood couldn't help but recall the losses of the Mediterranean Fleet during this operation——
