Action of 20-21 April 1782
Encyclopedia
The Action of 20–21 April was a naval battle fought during the American War of Independence, between a French
fleet of three ships of the line protecting a convoy and two British
ships of the line off Ushant
, a French island at the mouth of the English Channel
off the north-westernmost point of France. This was the third battle that occurred in this region during the course of the war.
, Captain John Jervis, attached to the fleet of Vice-Admiral Samuel Barrington
, off Ushant, was ordered, with other ships, in chase of a French fleet. At sunset the Foudroyant had got far ahead of her consorts, and near enough to the French ships and made them out to be a convoy, and four ships of war, two being line-of-battle ships of which were the 74-gun shipPégase
and the 64 gun Actionnaire. The squadron soon afterwards separated and the largest ship the 1,778 tons Pégase which the Foudroyant was pursuing, also bore up. A hard squall with hazy weather, coming on about the same time the Foudroyant lost sight of the fleet, and about half an hour after midnight brought the chase to close action. After engaging about three-quarters of an hour, the Foudroyant boarded the Pégase, and compelled her commander Chevalier de Sillaus to surrender. Out of a crew of 700 men, she had upwards of 100 killed and wounded while the rest had surrendered. Only two or three men were wounded in the Foudroyant. Other ships arriving up, the Pegase was taken possession of.
Meanwhile the 90 gun HMS Queen
, captained by Frederick Maitland, next day captured the other French ship Actionnaire after an action which lasted less than twenty minutes, armed en flute (in this case a storeship and only partially armed with 24 guns with a crew of less than 250) the French ship surrendered being after being totally outgunned
off Sumatra renamed (Petit Annibal). The British loss was only a total of 5 men were wounded.
The Pégase was used in the Royal Navy and commissioned as the third rate HMS Pegase. She served as a prison ship from 1799, and was used in this role until 1815 when she was broken up. John Jervis was knighted for this action.
Early Modern France
Kingdom of France is the early modern period of French history from the end of the 15th century to the end of the 18th century...
fleet of three ships of the line protecting a convoy and two British
Kingdom of Great Britain
The former Kingdom of Great Britain, sometimes described as the 'United Kingdom of Great Britain', That the Two Kingdoms of Scotland and England, shall upon the 1st May next ensuing the date hereof, and forever after, be United into One Kingdom by the Name of GREAT BRITAIN. was a sovereign...
ships of the line off Ushant
Ushant
Ushant is an island at the south-western end of the English Channel which marks the north-westernmost point of metropolitan France. It belongs to Brittany and is in the traditional region of Bro-Leon. Administratively, Ushant is a commune in the Finistère department...
, a French island at the mouth of the English Channel
English Channel
The English Channel , often referred to simply as the Channel, is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that separates southern England from northern France, and joins the North Sea to the Atlantic. It is about long and varies in width from at its widest to in the Strait of Dover...
off the north-westernmost point of France. This was the third battle that occurred in this region during the course of the war.
Battle
On 20 April the 84-gun ship HMS FoudroyantHMS Foudroyant (1758)
The Foudroyant was a 80-gun ship of the line of the French Navy. She was later captured and served in the Royal Navy as the Third Rate HMS Foudroyant.-French Navy and capture:...
, Captain John Jervis, attached to the fleet of Vice-Admiral Samuel Barrington
Samuel Barrington
Rear Admiral Samuel Barrington RN was a British admiral.Samuel was the fourth son of John Shute Barrington, 1st Viscount Barrington of Beckett Hall at Shrivenham in Berkshire...
, off Ushant, was ordered, with other ships, in chase of a French fleet. At sunset the Foudroyant had got far ahead of her consorts, and near enough to the French ships and made them out to be a convoy, and four ships of war, two being line-of-battle ships of which were the 74-gun shipPégase
French ship Pegase (1781)
The Pégase was a 74-gun ship of the line of the French Navy, lead ship of her class, launched in 1781.She was captured by the Captain John Jervis on 21 April 1782 in HMS Foudroyant, Jervis was invested as a Knight of the Bath for the capture....
and the 64 gun Actionnaire. The squadron soon afterwards separated and the largest ship the 1,778 tons Pégase which the Foudroyant was pursuing, also bore up. A hard squall with hazy weather, coming on about the same time the Foudroyant lost sight of the fleet, and about half an hour after midnight brought the chase to close action. After engaging about three-quarters of an hour, the Foudroyant boarded the Pégase, and compelled her commander Chevalier de Sillaus to surrender. Out of a crew of 700 men, she had upwards of 100 killed and wounded while the rest had surrendered. Only two or three men were wounded in the Foudroyant. Other ships arriving up, the Pegase was taken possession of.
HMS Queen (1769)
HMS Queen was a three-deck 90-gun second-rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy, launched on 18 September 1769 at Woolwich Dockyard. She was designed by William Bateley, and was the only ship built to her draught...
, captained by Frederick Maitland, next day captured the other French ship Actionnaire after an action which lasted less than twenty minutes, armed en flute (in this case a storeship and only partially armed with 24 guns with a crew of less than 250) the French ship surrendered being after being totally outgunned
Aftermath
What was found on the Actionnaire were eleven chests of Dutch silver on board, and also lower masts for four seventy-fours, with sails and rigging complete besides her own masts, which were intended for the recently captured HMS HannibalHMS Hannibal (1779)
HMS Hannibal was a 50-gun fourth rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy, built by Adams of Bucklers Hard and launched on 26 December 1779. She was subsequently captured by the French ship Héros off Sumatra, on 21 January 1782....
off Sumatra renamed (Petit Annibal). The British loss was only a total of 5 men were wounded.
The Pégase was used in the Royal Navy and commissioned as the third rate HMS Pegase. She served as a prison ship from 1799, and was used in this role until 1815 when she was broken up. John Jervis was knighted for this action.