Action of 21 July 1781

Battle off Spanish River; Combat naval en vue de Louisbourg
	Part of the American Revolutionary War
	File:Bataille nav. de Luisbourg 1781.jpg; Naval battle off Cape Breton (Combat Naval A La Hauteur De Louisbourg) by Auguste-Louis de Rossel de Cercy
Date	July 21, 1781
Location	Off present-day Sydney, Nova Scotia
Result	Tactical French victory; strategically inconsequential
Belligerents
France	Great Britain
Commanders and leaders
Latouche Tréville; La Pérouse	Captain Evans †; Captain George
Strength
2 frigates:; Astrée (38); Hermione (34)	6 warships:; Charlestown (28); Allegiance (24); Vernon (24); Vulture (20); Jack (14); Thompson (18) (did not fight); ; 9 coal transports; 4 supply ships
Casualties and losses
6 killed; 34 wounded	~17 killed; 48 wounded; 2 warships and 3 merchantmen captured

The Battle off Spanish River^[1] took place during the American Revolution between two French Navy frigates and a convoy of 18 British ships under protection of the Royal Navy off the harbour of Spanish River, Cape Breton, Nova Scotia (present-day Sydney, Nova Scotia). The two French Navy Frigates were led by the famous Admiral Latouche Tréville and La Pérouse, who were outnumbered and still victorious in the battle.

Historical Context

The attack took place in the context of the Franco-American alliance against Great Britain in the American Revolutionary War.^[2]^[3]

Encounter

The British convoy was bound for Spanish River on Cape Breton Island to pick up coal for delivery to Halifax.^[4] It was composed of 18 ships, including 9 coal-transporting ships and 4 supply ships.^[5] The escorting ships were the frigate Charlestown (28), two sloops Allegiance (24) and Vulture (20), an armed transport Vernon (14), and another small armed ship Jack (14).^[4]

Two French frigates attacked the convoy:^[5] they were the Astrée (38), commanded by La Pérouse, and the Hermione (34), commanded by Latouche Tréville. The French ships severely damaged the Charlestown in the encounter, losing her mainmast and much of her command crew, including Captain Evans. The French also significally damaged Jack, which also lost her captain and struck her colors. The engagement ended with the fall of night. Captain George of the British ship Vulture led the damaged escorts into harbor. Six French sailors were killed and 17 British.^[6]

While the British escort was severely damaged, the convoy picked up a load of coal at Spanish River and delivered it to Halifax.^[4] The French captured the two British ships Jack and Thorn off of Halifax Harbour, along with three merchantmen, and were brought back to Boston. (The following year, the Jack was recaptured by the British in the Naval battle off Halifax.)

Afterwards

The two French commanders would become particularly famous, as Latouche Tréville became an Admiral and a hero of the Napoleonic war, and La Pérouse became a famous explorer. One of the ships, the Hermione, had brought La Fayette to the United States, and a copy is now under construction in the original docks of Rochefort.

Commemorations

The encounter was painted by Auguste-Louis de Rossel de Cercy, and is on display at the Musée Nationale de la Marine in Rochefort.

Images of the Battle

French ship Astree at the battle off Cape Breton
French ship Hermione at the battle off Cape Breton
L'Hermione in combat off Cape Breton. Combat Naval A La Hauteur De Louisbourg by Auguste-Louis de Rossel de Cercy.
Description of the order of battle by Lieutenant de Frégate auxillaire Mullon, who was on the Hermione the day of the battle.

Notes

^ (French: Combat naval en vue de Louisbourg, or Combat naval à la hauteur de Louisbourg)
^ History of the origin, formation, and adoption of the Constitution of the United States George Ticknor Curtis, p.156 [1]
^ Brian Douglas Tennyson and Roger Flynn Sarty (2002), Guardian of the Gulf, University of Toronto Press. Pages 18-19
^ ^a ^b ^c Frigates and Foremasts: The North American Squadron in Nova Scotia Waters, 1745- 1815 by Julian Gwyn p.72-3[2]
^ ^a ^b Ashore and afloat by Julian Gwyn p.155 [3]
^ http://www.awiatsea.com/incidents/1781-07-21%20Battle%20off%20Spanish%20River.html

References

Gwyn, Julian, Ashore and afloat
Gwyn, Julian (2004), Frigates and Foremasts: The North American Squadron in Nova Scotia. Waters, 1745–1815, UBC Press.
Murdoch, Beamish, A History of Nova-Scotia, or Acadie.

Links

Battle off Spanish River

45°54′27″N 59°58′26″W / 45.9075°N 59.9739°W / 45.9075; -59.9739

[1] (French: Combat naval en vue de Louisbourg, or Combat naval à la hauteur de Louisbourg)

[2] History of the origin, formation, and adoption of the Constitution of the United States George Ticknor Curtis, p.156 [1]

[Guardian-3] Brian Douglas Tennyson and Roger Flynn Sarty (2002), Guardian of the Gulf, University of Toronto Press. Pages 18-19

[Frig72-4] Frigates and Foremasts: The North American Squadron in Nova Scotia Waters, 1745- 1815 by Julian Gwyn p.72-3[2]

[Ashore155-5] Ashore and afloat by Julian Gwyn p.155 [3]

[6] ttp://www.awiatsea.com/incidents/1781-07-21%20Battle%20off%20Spanish%20River.html

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