I wouldn`t disagree with your wider view.
The British government has a long and proud tradition of squandering our military assets on pointless, pin-prick raids, which may - or may not - have any strategic aims . They were still at it in WW II.
I question whether any serious strategic thinking went into the Maida battle. I think not. It was just `Let`s give Johnny Frenchie a bloody nose` . . . and skip off, chortling.