Action of 29 April 1758

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Action of 29 April 1758
Part of the Seven Years' War

Scale plan of the HMS Dorsetshire
Date29 April 1758
Location
Result British victory
Belligerents
 Great Britain  France
Commanders and leaders
Peter Denis
Louis de Rohan
Strength
2 ships of the line 1 ship of the line
Casualties and losses
16 killed
20 wounded
61 killed
100 wounded
1 ship of the line captured

The action of 29 April 1758 was a naval engagement fought in the

Peter Denis was sent to investigate, discovering the ship to be the French ship of the line Raisonnable sailing to Louisbourg. In a fierce battle, Dorsetshire managed to inflict heavy casualties on the French ship and force her captain, Louis-Armand-Constantin de Rohan
, to surrender.

Action

In 1758 the British

French Canadian fortress of Louisbourg, which was soon to fall under siege. To support the city, the French Atlantic Fleet sent squadrons and single ships into the Atlantic to bring supplies and reinforcements to the garrison and the Royal Navy in turn deployed forces to intercept these missions.[1]

One squadron deployed in close

Peter Denis to investigate.[2] The ship proved to be the 64-gun French ship of the line Raisonnable under Captain Louis-Armand-Constantin de Rohan, Chevalier de Rohan and Prince de Montbazon. Realising the strength of the French ship, Pratten subsequently detached the 60-gun HMS Achilles under Captain Samuel Barrington to support Dorsetshire.[3]

Before Achilles could arrive, Denis succeeded in bringing Dorsetshire alongside the French ship and in a fierce

strike his colours. Barrington's ship only arrived in range in the final minutes, confirming the French surrender. French casualties were heavy, with 61 killed and 100 wounded, while losses on Dorsetshire numbered 15 killed and 21 wounded, one of whom subsequently died.[2] Raisonnable was subsequently repaired and commissioned into the Royal Navy under the same name, serving until she was accidentally wrecked at Martinique in February 1762.[4] The Siege of Louisbourg went ahead in June 1758, and the city fell the following month, blockaded from reinforcement by the Royal Navy.[5]

References

  1. ^ Clowes, p.182
  2. ^ a b Clowes, p.299
  3. ^ "No. 9790". The London Gazette. 9 May 1758. p. 1.
  4. ^ Clowes, p.311
  5. ^ Clowes, p.183

Bibliography