Action of 15 February 1783

Action of 15 February 1783 Part of the Anglo-French War Date 15 February 1783 Location off Guadeloupe, Caribbean Sea Result British victory Belligerents  Great Britain  France Commanders and leaders Captain Robert Linzee Capitaine Chevalier du Clesmaur Strength 1 third-rate HMS Magnificent 1 Frigate Concorde Casualties and losses Light 1 frigate captured, 300 captured[1]

The Action of 15 February 1783 was a small naval engagement which was fought off Guadeloupe between the French Navy frigate Concorde of 36 guns and the Royal Navy 74-gun ship of the line Magnificent. The British were victorious when Concorde was overhauled and captured.^[2]

Captain Charles Inglis was given command of a squadron of four ships cruising independently in the West Indies. The squadron, consisting of HMS St Albans, the 64-gun Prudent, the 74-gun HMS Magnificent under Captain Robert Linzee and the sloop HMS Barbados, had arrived in St. Lucia. They were to eventually help blockade Cap-François off Saint-Domingue with the help of ships of the line from the Jamaica station.^[1] On 12 February reports arrived of a French squadron, consisting of Triton, Amphion and several frigates, having sailed from Martinique and so the squadron was sent to investigate.^[3][4]

Magnificent sailed from Gros Islet Bay in Bay on 12 February 1783 in company with Prudent and St Albans. On 15 February 1783 a French frigate was sighted just past Guadeloupe island by Magnificent. The frigate was the Concorde carrying 36 guns and 300 men, and was under the command of Chevalier du Clesmaur.^[1] Magnificent gave chase and by 20:00 as darkness fell Concorde opened fire on her pursuer with her stern guns.^[1] Magnificent however overhauled the French ship by 21:15, and after fifteen minutes of fighting including a devastating broadside, forced her to strike her colours. Magnificent then took possession of Concorde.^[1]

Shortly after surrendering, the Concorde's maintopsail caught fire, forcing the crew to cut away the mainmast to extinguish it.^[1] Prudent and St Albans arrived two hours later and Magnificent towed Concorde to St. John's, Antigua.^[1] Concorde served in the Royal Navy as HMS Concorde until being broken up in 1811.^[4]

Notes & References

1. Allen. Memoir of the Life and Services of Admiral Sir William Hargood. p. 41.
2. McGrigor pg 41
3. "Inglis, Charles (1731?–1791)". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/14398. (subscription required (help)).
4. Winfield. British Warships of the Age of Sail 1714–1792. p. 213.

• McGrigor, Mary (2003). Defiant and Dismasted at Trafalgar: The Life & Times of Admiral Sir William Hargood. Leo Cooper Ltd. ISBN 978-1844150342.