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Battle of Saint Kitts

Coordinates: 17°09′N 62°35′W / 17.150°N 62.583°W / 17.150; -62.583
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For the Anglo-Spanish War battle, see Battle of St. Kitts (1629).

Battle of St. Kitts
Part of the American Revolutionary War

Hood's anchored fleet repels de Grasse off St Kitts. The Battle of Frigate Bay, 26 January 1782 by Nicholas Pocock
Date25–26 January 1782
Location
Off Basseterre, Caribbean Sea
17°09′N 62°35′W / 17.150°N 62.583°W / 17.150; -62.583
Result British victory[1][2]
Belligerents
 Great Britain  France
Commanders and leaders
Sir Samuel Hood Comte de Grasse
Strength
22 ships of the line 29 ships of the line
2 frigates
1 cutter
Casualties and losses
72 killed
244 wounded		 107 killed
204 wounded
1 cutter captured[3]

The Battle of Saint Kitts, also known as the Battle of Frigate Bay, was a naval battle fought on 25 and 26 January 1782 during the American Revolutionary War between a British fleet under Rear Admiral Sir Samuel Hood and a larger French fleet under the Comte de Grasse.

Background

When Hood returned to the West Indies in late 1781 after the Battle of the Chesapeake, he was for a time in independent command owing to Admiral George Rodney's absence in England. The French admiral, the Comte de Grasse, attacked the British islands of St Kitts and Nevis with 7,000 troops and 50 warships, including the 110-gun Ville de Paris. He started by besieging the British fortress on Brimstone Hill on 11 January 1782. Hoping to salvage the situation, Hood made for St Kitts by departing Antigua on 22 January with 22 ships of the line, compared to de Grasse's 36.[4]

Action

The British fleet on 24 January consisted of 22 sail of the line, and was close off the southeast end of Nevis. They ran into and captured the French 16-gun cutter Espion, which carried a large amount of ammunition for the besieging French forces at Brimstone Hill.

At daybreak on 25 January, the French fleet was discovered having stood to the southward of Basseterre, consisting of a 110-gun ship, 28 two-decked ships, and two frigates. Hood stood towards the French fleet with the apparent intention of bringing on action, and effectively drew the French fleet off the land. As soon as Hood effected this maneuver, he was aided by a favorable change in wind and was able to guide his fleet within the anchorage of Basseterre, which the French admiral had just quit. Hood ordered his fleet in an L-formation and then ordered his fleet to lay anchor. De Grasse made three distinct attacks upon the British fleet on 26 January but was repulsed.[2]

The Pluton, commanded by D'Albert de Rions, led the French line, "receiving the crashing broadside of ship after ship until the splintered planking flew from her off side and her rigging hung in a tangled mass." Chauvent goes on to describe the battle as "...a sulphurous hell, with cannon vomiting forth flame and death." The entire battle lasted from 7:00 am to 6:30 pm, with the major action in the afternoon.[4]

Repulse of the French in Frigate Bay, St Kitts, 26 January 1782, oil on canvas by Thomas Maynard

Aftermath

Further information: Siege of Brimstone Hill

Damage on both sides was heavy, though the French suffered higher casualties. However, Hood was unable to stop the French and could only observe the land action. After the successful French siege of Brimstone Hill fortress, St Kitts and Nevis surrendered on 12 February.[4]

Hood left on the 14th and joined forces with the recently arrived Admiral George Rodney.

Order of battle

Britain

Admiral Sir Samuel Hood's fleet[5][6]
Ship Rate Guns Commander Casualties Notes
Killed Wounded Total
Van
HMS St Albans Third rate 64 Captain Charles Inglis
0
0
0
HMS Alcide Third rate 74 Captain Charles Thompson
2
4
6
HMS Intrepid Third rate 64 Captain Anthony James Pye Molloy
2
0
2
HMS Torbay Third rate 74 Captain John Lewis Gidoin
0
0
0
HMS Princessa Third rate 70 Rear-Admiral Francis Samuel Drake
Captain Charles Knatchbull
2
4
6
 Flagship of van
HMS Prince George Second rate 98 Captain James Williams
1
3
4
HMS Ajax Third rate 74 Captain Nicholas Charrington
1
12
13
Centre
HMS Prince William Third rate 64 Captain George Wilkinson
0
3
3
HMS Shrewsbury Third rate 74 Captain John Knight
3
7
10
HMS Invincible Third rate 74 Captain Charles Saxton
0
2
2
HMS Barfleur Second rate 98 Rear-Admiral Sir Samuel Hood
Captain Alexander Hood
9
24
33
 Flagship of centre
HMS Monarch Third rate 74 Captain Francis Reynolds
2
2
4
HMS Belliqueux Third rate 64 Captain Lord Cranstoun
5
7
12
HMS Centaur Third rate 74 Captain John Nicholson Inglefield
0
12
12
HMS Alfred Third rate 74 Captain William Bayne
2
20
2
Rear
HMS Russell Third rate 74 Captain Henry Edwyn Stanhope
8
29
37
HMS Resolution Third rate 74 Captain Lord Robert Manners
5
11
16
HMS Bedford Third rate 74 Commodore Edmund Affleck
Captain Thomas Graves
2
15
17
 Flagship of Rear
HMS Canada Third rate 74 Captain William Cornwallis
1
12
13
HMS Prudent Third rate 64 Captain Andrew Barclay
18
36
54
HMS Montagu Third rate 74 Captain George Bowen
7
23
30
HMS America Third rate 64 Captain Samuel Thompson
1
17
18
Attached frigates
Van
HMS Eurydice Sixth rate 20 Captain George Wilson
0
0
0
Centre
HMS Pegasus Sixth rate 28 Captain John Stanhope
0
0
0
HMS Fortunee Sixth rate 28 Captain Hugh Cloberry Christian
0
0
0
HMS Lizard Sixth rate 28 Captain Edmund Dod
0
0
0
HMS Champion Sixth rate 20 Captain Thomas West
1
1
2
 To repeat signals
HMS Convert Fifth rate 32 Captain Henry Harvey
0
0
0
HMS Triton Sixth rate 28 Captain John M’Laurin
0
0
0
Rear
HMS Sibyl Sixth rate 28 Captain John Norton
0
0
0
HMS Solebay Sixth rate 28 Captain Charles Everitt
0
0
0
Total recorded casualties: 72 killed, 244 wounded

France

Admiral de Grasse's fleet [7]
Division Ship Guns Commander Casualties Notes
Killed Wounded Total
Souverain 74 Glandevès du Castellet
Hercule 74 Chadeau de la Clocheterie
Languedoc 80 Arros d'Argelos
Duc de Bourgogne 80 Champmartin
Barras de Saint-Laurent (Lieutenant General)
Marseillais 74 Castellane Majastre
Jason 64 Couète de Villages
Magnanime 74 Le Bègue de Germiny
Zélé 74 Gras-Préville
Éveillé 64 Le Gardeur de Tilly
Saint-Esprit 80 Chabert-Cogolin
Sceptre 74 Vaudreuil
Ville de Paris 104 De Grasse (Lieutenant General)
Cresp de Saint-Césaire (Flag captain)
César 74 Coriolis d'Espinouse
Northumberland 74 Bricqueville
Diadème 74 Monteclerc
Glorieux 74 Pérusse des Cars
Citoyen 74 De Thy
Scipion 74 Dassas
Ardent 64 Bernard de Marigny
Neptune 74 Renaud d'Aleins
Auguste 80 Bougainville (Chef d'Escadre)
Castellan (flag captain)
Bourgogne 74 Charritte
Pluton 74 Albert de Rions
Caton 64 Framond
Sagittaire 50 Montluc de la Bourdonnaye
Experiment 50 Médine

Citations

  1. ^ Jaques, Hood arrived and repulsed de Grasse with victory at sea off Basseterre p. 881
  2. ^ a b Allen p. 325
  3. ^ Marly p. 342
  4. ^ a b c Hubbard, Vincent (2002). A History of St. Kitts. Macmillan Caribbean. pp. 95–96. ISBN 978-0-333-74760-5.
  5. ^ Isaac Schomberg Naval Chronology, pp. 396–7
  6. ^ "No. 12277". The London Gazette. 9 March 1782. pp. 3–4.
  7. ^ Troude (1867), p. 215.

References

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