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Action Of 4 January 1781
The action of 4 January 1781 was a minor battle of the War of American Independence. A French frigate division, departing Brest, met two British 74-gun ships of the line. The frigates tried to flee their stronger opponents, which gave chase. One of the frigates sacrificed herself to allow the others to escape. Background The War of American Independence had started in 1776, increasing tension between England and France. French support for the American insurgents and British provocations against French ships finally triggered the Anglo-French War in 1778. French fleet sailed to America under Orvilliers and Estaing. In 1781, another expedition was preparing under Grasse. Frigates served as reconnaissance screens for the squadrons, but between major movements, they would often cruise independently to engage in commerce raiding. Battle On 3 January 1781, a frigate division departed Brest to cruise at the entrance of the English Channel. It comprised the 32-gun frigates ''Fine'' ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
American Revolutionary War
The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was a major war of the American Revolution. Widely considered as the war that secured the independence of the United States, fighting began on April 19, 1775, followed by the Lee Resolution on July 2, 1776, and the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776. The American Patriots were supported by the Kingdom of France and, to a lesser extent, the Dutch Republic and the Spanish Empire, in a conflict taking place in North America, the Caribbean, and the Atlantic Ocean. Established by royal charter in the 17th and 18th centuries, the American colonies were largely autonomous in domestic affairs and commercially prosperous, trading with Britain and its Caribbean colonies, as well as other European powers via their Caribbean entrepôts. After British victory over the French in the Seven Years' War in 1763, tensions between the motherland and he ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
French Frigate Fine (1779)
''Fine'' was a ''Sybille'' class 32-gun, copper-hulled, frigate of the French Navy. Career On 4 December 1778, ''Fine'' departed Brest under Lieutenant Saint-Félix, bound for the Cape of Good Hope and ultimately for Isle de France (Mauritius), carrying ,. Indian Ocean campaign of the American Revolutionary War On 16 April 1781, she was part of Suffren's squadron at the Battle of Porto Praya, although she did not take part in the action. She took part in several actions in the Indian Ocean. In November 1781, Captain Périer de Salvert took command. ''Fine'' was part of the French frigate screen at the Battle of Providien, where she collided with before unentangling herself, then ran aground, then caught fire, but managed to save herself. In June, ''Fine'' captured the 24-gun storeship ''Yarmouth'', carrying rice, field artillery and nine Army officers. On 23 June, ''Fine'' captured the East Indianman ''Fortitude''. When the French captured her they freed some eight ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Naval Battles Of The American Revolutionary War Involving France
A navy, naval force, or maritime force is the branch of a nation's armed forces principally designated for naval and amphibious warfare; namely, lake-borne, riverine, littoral, or ocean-borne combat operations and related functions. It includes anything conducted by surface ships, amphibious ships, submarines, and seaborne aviation, as well as ancillary support, communications, training, and other fields. The strategic offensive role of a navy is projection of force into areas beyond a country's shores (for example, to protect sea-lanes, deter or confront piracy, ferry troops, or attack other navies, ports, or shore installations). The strategic defensive purpose of a navy is to frustrate seaborne projection-of-force by enemies. The strategic task of the navy also may incorporate nuclear deterrence by use of submarine-launched ballistic missiles. Naval operations can be broadly divided between riverine and littoral applications (brown-water navy), open-ocean applications (blu ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Indian Ocean
The Indian Ocean is the third-largest of the world's five oceanic divisions, covering or ~19.8% of the water on Earth's surface. It is bounded by Asia to the north, Africa to the west and Australia to the east. To the south it is bounded by the Southern Ocean or Antarctica, depending on the definition in use. Along its core, the Indian Ocean has some large marginal or regional seas such as the Arabian Sea, Laccadive Sea, Bay of Bengal, and Andaman Sea. Etymology The Indian Ocean has been known by its present name since at least 1515 when the Latin form ''Oceanus Orientalis Indicus'' ("Indian Eastern Ocean") is attested, named after Indian subcontinent, India, which projects into it. It was earlier known as the ''Eastern Ocean'', a term that was still in use during the mid-18th century (see map), as opposed to the ''Western Ocean'' (Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic) before the Pacific Ocean, Pacific was surmised. Conversely, Ming treasure voyages, Chinese explorers in the Indian Oce ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Striking The Colors
Striking the colors—meaning lowering the flag (the "colors") that signifies a ship's or garrison's allegiance—is a universally recognized indication of surrender, particularly for ships at sea. For a ship, surrender is dated from the time the ensign is struck. In international law "Colours. A national flag (or a battle ensign). The colours . . . are hauled down as a token of submission." International law absolutely requires a ship of war to fly its ensign at the commencement of any hostile acts, i.e., before firing on the enemy. During battle there is no purpose in striking the colors other than to indicate surrender. It was and is an offense to continue to fight after striking one's colors, and an offense to continue to fire on an enemy after she has struck her colors, unless she indicates by some other action, such as continuing to fire or seeking to escape, that she has not truly surrendered. For this reason, striking the colors is conclusive evidence of a surrender ha ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
French Ship Courageux (1753)
''Courageux'' was a 74-gun ship of the line of the French Navy, launched in 1753. She was captured by the Royal Navy in 1761 and taken into service as HMS ''Courageux''. In 1778 she joined the Channel Fleet, and she was later part of the squadron commanded by Commodore Charles Fielding that controversially captured a Dutch convoy on 31 December 1779, in what became known as the Affair of Fielding and Bylandt. On 4 January 1781, ''Courageux'' recaptured in a close-range action west of Ushant that lasted more than an hour. That April, ''Courageux'' joined the convoy under George Darby which successfully relieved the Great Siege of Gibraltar. At the start of the French Revolutionary Wars, ''Courageux'' took part in the blockade and subsequent occupation of Toulon in 1793. That September, she was sent with a squadron under Robert Linzee to support an insurrection in Corsica and took part in an unsuccessful attack on San Fiorenzo. When Toulon was evacuated, ''Courageux'' was i ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
HMS Valiant (1759)
HMS ''Valiant'' was a 70-gun third rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy, modelled on the captured French ship ''Invincible'' and launched on 1 August 1759 at Chatham Dockyard. Her construction, launch and fitting-out are the theme of the 'Wooden Walls' visitor experience at Chatham Historic Dockyard. She served under Augustus Keppel during the Seven Years' War, and was with him at the Capture of Havana, in 1763. She took part in the action of 4 January 1781. In 1782 she was under George Rodney at the Battle of the Saintes. ''Valiant'' also served under Admiral Prince William in 1789 and fought at the Glorious First of June The Glorious First of June (1 June 1794), also known as the Fourth Battle of Ushant, (known in France as the or ) was the first and largest fleet action of the naval conflict between the Kingdom of Great Britain and the First French Republic ... in 1794. In 1798 she captured the French privateer corvette ''Magicienne''. In 1799 she was pl ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
French Frigate Aigrette (1756)
''Aigrette'' was a 30-gun frigate of the French Navy. She took part in the Seven Year War and in the War of American Independence. Career ''Aigrette'' took part in the Battle of Quiberon Bay on 20 November 1759 under Longueville, and escaped into Vilaine River. On 27 July 1778, she took part in the Battle of Ushant. She was then part in the Armada of 1779. In 1779, ''Aigrette'' was under Lieutenant Mortemart. On 18 March, she was fought HMS ''Arethusa'', under captain Charles Holmes Everitt. ''Arethusa'' sustained damage and was wrecked the next day off Ushant, at a point . In 1781, she was under Traversay, part of the squadron under Grasse. She took part in the action of 4 January 1781. ''Aigrette'' took part in the Battle of Fort Royal on 29 April and 30 April 1781. In July 1781, she sailed to Havana to ferry 500,000 piasters that the Spanish government was providing to fund the French squadron. She returned to Bahamas with the funds in August. She took part in the ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
French Frigate Diligente (1761)
''Diligente'' was a 26-gun frigate of the French Navy. Originally built for the French East India Company, she was purchased by the Navy and took part in the War of American Independence. Career ''Diligente'' was built at Lorient as an East Indiaman for the French East India Company, and was completed in December 1756. She departed for her first journey on 31. On 26 March 1761, she arrived in Brest, returning from her second journey to India. The next month, the Navy purchased her and commissioned her as a frigate. In 1776, she was under Lieutenant Amblimont, part on the escadre d'évolution under Duchaffault. In September 1778, she took part in the Invasion of Dominica, along with the frigates ''Tourterelle'' and ''Amphitrite'', and the corvette French corvette Étourdie (1762). She later took part in the French invasion of Saint Martin on 29 February 1779 under Du Chilleau. In late September and October 1780 the French frigates (26 guns) and ''Diligente'', were e ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
HMS Minerva (1759)
HMS ''Minerva'' was one of the four 32-gun fifth-rate frigates of the Royal Navy. She was launched in 1759 and served through the Seven Years' War, but was captured in 1778 during the American Revolutionary War and served as the French ''Minerve'' until being recaptured in 1781 and renamed HMS ''Recovery''. She was broken up in 1784. Service history British career The frigate was built at Rotherhithe between 1756 and 1759 and was commissioned into the Royal Navy as HMS ''Minerva'' during the Seven Years' War. Under the command of Captain Alexander Hood, she took part in the Battle of Quiberon Bay on 20 November 1759. In mid-1761 prize money was paid to the crews of ships taking part in the battle, and also to the crews of and ''Minerva'', for the capture of ''St. Simon''. At daybreak on 24 January 1761 ''Minerva'', still under the command of Captain Hood, encountered a large two-decker ship about north-west of Cabo de Peñas in northern Spain. ''Minerva'' gave chase and ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
English Channel
The English Channel, "The Sleeve"; nrf, la Maunche, "The Sleeve" (Cotentinais) or ( Jèrriais), (Guernésiais), "The Channel"; br, Mor Breizh, "Sea of Brittany"; cy, Môr Udd, "Lord's Sea"; kw, Mor Bretannek, "British Sea"; nl, Het Kanaal, "The Channel"; german: Ärmelkanal, "Sleeve Channel" ( French: ''la Manche;'' also called the British Channel or simply the Channel) is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that separates Southern England from northern France. It links to the southern part of the North Sea by the Strait of Dover at its northeastern end. It is the busiest shipping area in the world. It is about long and varies in width from at its widest to at its narrowest in the Strait of Dover."English Channel". ''The Columbia Encyclopedia'', 2004. It is the smallest of the shallow seas around the continental shelf of Europe, covering an area of some . The Channel was a key factor in Britain becoming a naval superpower and has been utilised by Britain as a natural def ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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