Action of 21 July 1781
Action of 21 July 1781 Combat naval en vue de Louisbourg | |||||||
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Part of the American Revolutionary War | |||||||
Combat Naval A La Hauteur De Louisbourg, Auguste-Louis de Rossel de Cercy | |||||||
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Belligerents | |||||||
France | Great Britain | ||||||
Commanders and leaders | |||||||
Henry Evans † Rupert George Richard Peter Tonge (POW) | |||||||
Strength | |||||||
2 frigates | 6 frigates | ||||||
Casualties and losses | |||||||
6 killed 34 wounded |
17 killed 48 wounded 2 frigates captured |
The action of 21 July 1781 (
Background
Even since France had lost its colonies in Canada in the
In June 1781 Hermione was attached to a frigate division under Lapérouse, recently promoted to Captain after capturing HMS Ariel, with his flag on Astrée.[1] Both ships were light frigates, designed for speed, coppered, and armed with 26 12-pounder long guns, a larger calibre than that carried by most privateers, but under-powered against larger naval ships. The two ships cruised off Pennsylvania, preying on British merchantmen, privateers, and smaller naval ships.
In the morning of 21 July, Astrée and Hermione detected a 20-ship convoy, with two corvettes or frigates detaching to investigate. The convoy, which consisted of 18 merchant vessels, including nine
Action
As Astrée and Hermione approached the convoy,[3] four further escorts joined the two that were sailing to meet them, while the convoy tried to escape to Spanish River. Five of the British warships, Charlestown, Allegiance, Vernon, Vulture and Jack, formed a line of battle.[5] Lapérouse maneuvered to try to prevent the convoy from escaping, and it was not until 1830 that Astrée came in cannon range and opened fire. The French had the advantage in gunnery, as the British had 9-pounder guns, less powerful than the French 12-pounders.[6]
Astrée concentrated her fire on the British flagship Charlestown, which sought support from the two ships preceding her, but Hermione then overtook Astrée and for 30 minutes she also fired broadsides into her. Charlestown stopped, but doing so she fell in Astrée' line of fire again, while Hermione was free to fire on Jack at point-blank range. Jack
By nightfall, the three remaining British warships were trying to escape, chased by Hermione. Astrée took possession of Jack and signaled Hermione to take possession of Charlestown, but by then Charlestown had established a jury rigging and she escaped into the darkness under her first officer, Lieutenant Michael Cashman. Hermione and Astrée gave chase but failed to find her again, and by 2200 they abandoned the pursuit. [7]
Meanwhile, Captain Rupert George of Vulture led the damaged escorts into a safe harbour.[8] While the British escort was severely damaged, the convoy was still able to pick up a load of coal at Spanish River and deliver it to Halifax.[2]
Six French and seventeen British sailors were killed in the action.[9] Hermione had three killed, six gravely wounded (three of whom died in the following days), and 13 lightly wounded; Astrée had three killed and 15 wounded. [7] Hermione had sustained a dozen hits, was holed in three places, and had suffered two fires during the action. [7] Charleston had 8 killed and 29 wounded; Allegiance, 1 killed and 5 wounded; Vulture, 1 killed and 2 wounded; and Vernon, 7 killed and 6 wounded, totaling 13 killed and 42 wounded on the British side.[10]
After effective temporary repairs, Astrée and Hermione returned to Boston, arriving on 17 August.[10]
Aftermath
Learning of their presence, the British scrambled three heavy frigates to intercept Astrée and Hermione, but the division did not meet and the French frigates returned safely to Boston. [10]
Captain Tonge and his crew were taken prisoner to Boston. The French sent Jack to Boston with a prize crew, as they had done with four other ships that they had captured in the previous days: the 18-gun corvette Thorn, captured on 12 July; [11] the 12-gun merchantman Friendship, captured on 17; the 8-gun merchantman Phoenix, captured on 18; and the merchantman Lockard Ross, taken on 19 July.[11] The British recaptured Friendship and Lockard Ross while in transit.
Jack was sold at Salem, only to be recaptured the following year in the
Lapérouse and Latouche were at first irritated by Charleston's escape, but expressed regrets when they learnt that Evans had died of his wound. Lapérouse called him "a very brave man". [10]
American privateers attacked British mining on Cape Breton throughout the war.[14]
In 1788, Rossel de Cercy painted a large depiction of the battle. The painting is now on display at the Musée national de la Marine in Paris.
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Lieutenant
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Description of the order of battle by Lieutenant de Frégate auxillaire Mullon, who was aboard the Hermione the day of the battle.
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Capt Henry Francis Evans Memorial,St. Paul's Church (Halifax), Nova Scotia
Order of battle
Ship | Rate | Guns | Commander | Casualties | Notes | ||
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Killed | Wounded | Total | |||||
HMS Charlestown | Fifth rate
|
34 | Captain Henry Evans | 8 | 29 | 37 | |
HMS Allegiance | Sloop | 24 | Commander David Phips | 1 | 5 | 6 | |
HMS Vulture | Sloop | 24 | Lieutenant Rupert George | 1 | 2 | 3 | |
Vernon | Transport
|
24 | 7 | 6 | 13 | ||
Jack | Merchantman | 14 |
Ship | Rate | Guns | Commander | Casualties | Notes | ||
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Killed | Wounded | Total | |||||
Astrée | Fifth rate
|
32 | Captain Jean-François de Galaup, comte de La Pérouse
|
6 | 15 | 21 | |
Hermione | Fifth rate
|
32 | Captain Louis-René Levassor de Latouche Tréville | 6 | 15 | 21 |
Citations
- ^ Monaque (2000), p. 63.
- ^ a b c Gwyn (2004a), p. 72–73.
- ^ a b Gwyn (2004b), p. 155.
- ^ p. 29
- ^ Monaque (2000), p. 64.
- ^ a b Monaque (2000), p. 66.
- ^ a b c Monaque (2000), p. 68.
- ^ Battle off Spanish River.
- ^ Battle off Spanish River.
- ^ a b c d Monaque (2000), p. 70.
- ^ a b Monaque (2000), p. 75.
- ^ "Old Province Tales".
- ^ Murdoch, Beamish (1866). A History of Nova-Scotia, Or Acadie. Vol. II. Halifax: J. Barnes. p. 619.
- ^ "Timothy Hierlihy and his times". Archived from the original on 9 April 2018. Retrieved 8 April 2018.
References
- Ballu, Jean-Marie (2007). L'Hermione, l'aventure de sa reconstruction. Editions du Gerfaut. ISBN 978-2-35191-018-4.
- Fontainieu, Emmanuel; Gaubert, Yves (2002). L'Hermione, de Rochefort à la gloire américaine. Editions de Monza. ISBN 978-2-908071-95-5.
- Kalbach, Robert; Gireaud, Jean-Luc (2004). L'Hermione, Frégate des Lumières. Dervy. ISBN 978-2-84454-319-6.
- Gwyn, Julian (2004a). Frigates and Foremasts: The North American Squadron in Nova Scotia Waters, 1745-1815. UBC Press. pp. 72–73. ISBN 978-0-7748-0911-5.
- Gwyn, Julian (2004b). Ashore and Afloat: The British Navy and the Halifax Naval Yard Before 1820. University of Ottawa Press. p. 155. ISBN 978-0-7766-3031-1.
- Lacour-Gayet, Georges (1910). La marine militaire de la France sous le règne de Louis XVI. Paris: Honoré Champion.
- Monaque, Rémi (2000). Les aventures de Louis-René de Latouche-Tréville, compagnon de La Fayette et commandant de l'Hermione (in French). Paris: SPM.
- Roche, Jean-Michel (2005). Dictionnaire des bâtiments de la flotte de guerre française de Colbert à nos jours. Vol. 1. Group Retozel-Maury Millau. ISBN 978-2-9525917-0-6.
- Troude, Onésime-Joachim (1867). Batailles navales de la France (in French). Vol. 2. Challamel ainé.
- Volo, James M. (2007). Blue Water Patriots: The American Revolution Afloat. Greenwood Publishing Group. ISBN 978-0-275-98907-1.
- Winfield, Rif (2007). British Warships of the Age of Sail 1714–1792: Design, Construction, Careers and Fates. Seaforth. ISBN 978-1-86176-295-5.
External links