Editing Arthur Phillip (section)

===Recommissioned into Royal Navy===
{{quote box|width=25em|quote=[Phillip] is an officer of education and principle, he gives way to reason and does not, before doing so fall into exaggerated and unbearable excesses of temper{{nbsp}}... he is very clean-handed; is an officer of great truth and very brave; and is no flatterer, saying what he thinks but without temper or want of respect.{{sfn|Tink|2009|p=31}}|source=Correspondence of [[Luís de Almeida Portugal Soares de Alarcão d'Eça e Melo Silva Mascarenhas, 2nd Marquess of Lavradio|Luís, 2nd Marquis Lavradio]], Viceroy of Brazil, 1778.}}

In 1778, with Britain again at war, Phillip was recalled to Royal Navy service and on 9 October was appointed first lieutenant of the 74-gun {{HMS|Alexander|1778|6}} as part of the Channel fleet.{{sfn|Pembroke|2013|p=65}} Promoted to commander on 2&nbsp;September 1779 and given command of the 8-gun [[fireship]] HMS ''Basilisk''.{{sfn|Hiscocks|2018a}} With Spain's entry into the conflict, Phillip had a series of private meetings with the [[First Lord of the Admiralty]], the [[John Montagu, 4th Earl of Sandwich|Earl of Sandwich]], sharing his charts and knowledge about the South American coastlines.{{sfn|Pembroke|2013|p=67}} 

Phillip was promoted to [[post-captain]] on 30&nbsp;November 1781 and given command of the 20-gun {{HMS|Ariadne|1776|6}}. ''Ariadne'' was sent to the [[Elbe]] to escort a transport ship carrying a detachment of Hanoverian troops, arriving at the port of [[Cuxhaven]] on 28 December, the estuary froze over trapping ''Ariadne'' in the harbour. In March 1782, Phillip arrived in England with the Hanoverian troops.{{sfn|Pembroke|2013|p=71}} In the following months ''Ariadne'' got a new lieutenant, [[Philip Gidley King]], whom Phillip took under his wing. ''Ariadne'' was used to patrol the Channel where on 30&nbsp;June, she captured the French frigate ''Le Robecq''.{{sfn|King|1999}}

With a change of government on 27 March 1782, Sandwich retired from the Admiralty, [[George Germain, 1st Viscount Sackville|Lord Germain]] was replaced as [[Home Secretary|Secretary of State for Home and American Affairs]] by [[William Petty, 2nd Earl of Shelburne|Earl of Shelburne]], before 10 July 1782, in another change of government [[Thomas Townshend, 1st Viscount Sydney|Thomas Townshend]] replaced him, and assumed responsibility for organising an expedition against Spanish America. Like Sandwich and Germain, he turned to Phillip for planning advice.{{sfn|Frost|Moutinho|1995|p=114}} The plan was for a squadron of three ships of the line and a frigate to mount a raid on Buenos Aires and [[Montevideo|Monte Video]], then to proceed to the coasts of Chile, Peru, and Mexico to maraud, and ultimately to cross the Pacific to join the British Navy's East India squadron for an attack on Manila.{{sfn|Frost|1987|p=114}} On 27&nbsp;December 1782, Phillip, took charge of the 64-gun {{HMS|Europa|1765|6}}.{{sfn|Frost|1987|p=114}} The expedition, consisting of the 70-gun {{HMS|Grafton|1771|6}}, the 74-gun {{HMS|Elizabeth|1769|6}}, ''Europa'', and the 32-gun frigate {{HMS|Iphigenia|1780|6}}, sailed on 16&nbsp;January 1783 under the command of [[Commodore (Royal Navy)|Commodore]] [[Sir Robert Kingsmill, 1st Baronet|Robert Kingsmill]].{{sfn|Frost|1987|p=114}} Shortly after the ships' departure, an armistice was concluded between Great Britain and Spain. Phillip learnt of this in April when he put in for storm repairs at Rio de Janeiro. Phillip wrote to Townshend from Rio de Janeiro on 25&nbsp;April 1783, expressing his disappointment that the ending of the [[American Revolutionary War|American War]] had robbed him of the opportunity for naval glory in South America.{{sfn|Frost|1980|p=209}}