The action of 10 August 1780 was a minor naval engagement that took place off

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during the

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 t ...

between a

Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by English and Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were fought in the Hundred Years' War against F ...

frigate A frigate () is a type of warship. In different eras, the roles and capabilities of ships classified as frigates have varied somewhat. The name frigate in the 17th to early 18th centuries was given to any full-rigged ship built for speed and ...

and a French Navy frigate. This was the first engagement thought to involve the use of the

carronade A carronade is a short, smoothbore, cast-iron cannon which was used by the Royal Navy. It was first produced by the Carron Company, an ironworks in Falkirk, Scotland, and was used from the mid-18th century to the mid-19th century. Its main func ...

Events

;Background The 36-gun frigate under Captain William Williams was patrolling off

Ushant Ushant (; br, Eusa, ; french: Ouessant, ) is a French island at the southwestern end of the English Channel which marks the westernmost point of metropolitan France. It belongs to Brittany and, in medieval terms, Léon. In lower tiers of governm ...

not far from

on the afternoon of 10 August 1780.Winfield p. 208 ''Flora'', as well as her nominal armament also carried six recently-introduced 18-pounder

s. Through the

haze Haze is traditionally an atmospheric phenomenon in which dust, smoke, and other dry particulates suspended in air obscure visibility and the clarity of the sky. The World Meteorological Organization manual of codes includes a classification ...

she sighted two vessels, a square-rigged vessel and a cutter, about four miles away. As ''Flora'' approached, the cutter edged away, while the square-rigged vessel waited, accepted battle. ;Action Naval battle at Ushant, 1780 RCIN 734058

Naval battle at Ushant, 1780 RCIN 734058

When the two ships were within two cables length the French ship raised her colours and opened fire. Moving in, for over an hour the two frigates battered each other relentlessly; ''Flora'' being much cut up, moved closer in which the carronades were able to sweep the decks of the French ship with

grapeshot Grapeshot is a type of artillery round invented by a British Officer during the Napoleonic Wars. It was used mainly as an anti infantry round, but had other uses in naval combat. In artillery, a grapeshot is a type of ammunition that consists of ...

. After another 15 minutes the French abandoned their guns and attempted to board, but ''Flora''s crew repulsed the attempt. An explosion of a box of cartridges aboard the Frenchman added further to the carnage. ''Flora''s crew then boarded the French vessel and within moments the French vessel struck. She proved to be the frigate ''La Nymphe'', pierced for 40 guns, but mounting only 32, and commanded by the

Chevalier Chevalier may refer to: Honours Belgium * a rank in the Belgian Order of the Crown * a rank in the Belgian Order of Leopold * a rank in the Belgian Order of Leopold II * a title in the Belgian nobility France * a rank in the French Legion d'h ...

Charles-Marie de Trolong du Rumain Chevalier Charles-Marie de Trolong du Rumain (30 September 1743 – 10 August 1780) was a French naval officer of the Ancien Régime. Career He took part in the War of American Independence, notably commanding the 10-gun cutter ''Curieuse'' ...

, who died that evening of his wounds with command being passed to Lieutenant Pennandref de Keranstret. ;Aftermath ''Flora''s guns were heavier, 18- and 9-pounders, against the French ship's 12- and 6-pounders. The effect of the new carronades on ''Flora'' is reflected in the number of casualties; 9 killed and 17 wounded on ''Flora'' out of a crew of 259, and 55 killed and 81 wounded aboard ''La Nymphe'', from a crew of 291. ''Nymphe'' was transferred into the Royal Navy (as HMS ''Nymphe'') the following March after repairs at

Portsmouth Dockyard His Majesty's Naval Base, Portsmouth (HMNB Portsmouth) is one of three operating bases in the United Kingdom for the Royal Navy (the others being HMNB Clyde and HMNB Devonport). Portsmouth Naval Base is part of the city of Portsmouth; it is l ...

. In the aftermath of ''La Nymphe'' being taken by ''Flora'', the

Navy Board The Navy Board (formerly known as the Council of the Marine or Council of the Marine Causes) was the commission responsible for the day-to-day civil administration of the Royal Navy between 1546 and 1832. The board was headquartered within the ...

quickly became enamoured of the carronade and the weapon’s effectiveness in combat. As a result they were soon mounted on many Royal Navy ships.

References

;Bibliography * {{cite book , last=Winfield , first=Rif , year=2008 , title=British Warships in the Age of Sail 1793–1817 , edition=2nd , publisher=Seaforth Publishing , location=London, UK , isbn=978-1-84415-717-4 Conflicts in 1780 10 August 1780 Military history of Brittany 1780 in France 10 August 1780