Battle of Saint Kitts

Battle of St. Kitts Part of the American Revolutionary War Battle of Frigate Bay, 1782, Hood's anchored fleet (left) repels the French fleet under de Grasse. From a painting by Nicholas Pocock Date 24–25 January 1782 Location Off Basseterre, St. Kitts, West Indies Result British tactical victory[1][2] Belligerents  Great Britain  France Commanders and leaders Sir Samuel Hood Comte de Grasse Strength 22 ships of the line 26 ships of the line Casualties and losses 72 killed and 244 wounded 107 killed and 204 wounded 1 ship captured[3]

The Battle of Saint Kitts, also known as the Battle of Frigate Bay, was a naval battle that took place 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 Rodney's absence in England. The French Admiral, the Comte de Grasse, attacked the British islands of Saint Kitts and Nevis Hood hoping to salvage the situation made for St Kitts with reinforcements however he soon learned that he was facing a much superior force. De Grasse had landed 6,000 men on St Kitts and laid siege to the fortress on Brimstone Hill.

Action

The British fleet on 24 January consisting of twenty-two sail of the line, was close off the south-east end of Nevis. It soon ran into and captured the French 16-gun cutter Espion carrying a large amount of ammunition for the use of the besieging French forces at Brimstone Hill. At daybreak on 25 January, the French fleet was discovered standing to the southward of Basseterre, comprising one ship of 110 guns, twenty-eight two-decked ships, and two frigates. Hood stood towards the French fleet, with the apparent intention of bringing on action, which had the effect of drawing the French fleet off the land. This was achieved but no sooner had Hood effected this he was aided by a favourable change in the wind, and took his fleet within the anchorage of Basseterre or Frigate Bay, which the French admiral had quit. Hood ordered his fleet in an L formation and once this had been achieved he then ordered his fleet to lay anchor. Comte de Grasse, in frustration made three distinct and vigorous attacks upon the British fleet on 26 January but was successively repulsed with great damage to his ships.^[2]

Aftermath

Losses on both sides were light but the French fleet had suffered considerable damage. Hood managed to stay in the position for another two weeks without further incident. Despite outmanoeuvring de Grasse, Hood was unable to save the island from surrendering to the French, due in part to the French siege of Brimstone Hill, a fortress on the island. This happened on 12 February and Hood left on the 14th. Hood then joined forces with the recently arrived Admiral George Rodney.

Order of Battle

Britain

Admiral Sir Samuel Hood's fleet
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 Lewis Gedoin	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	Rear Admiral 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 Wells	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’Lawrin	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
Source: Isaac Schomberg's Naval Chronology, pp. 396–7, The London Gazette, 9 March 1782.[4]

France

Admiral the Comte de Grasse's fleet
Ship	Guns	Commander	Fate
Ville de Paris	104	François Joseph Paul de Grasse M. La Velleon
Auguste	80	Louis Antoine de Bougainville
Duc de Bourgogne	80	M. Espinouse
Couronne	80	Claude Mithon de Genouilly
Languedoc	80	M. d'Arros
Magnanime	74	Comte l'Basque
Northumberland	74	M de St. Cezaire
Pluton	74	M. d'Albert de Rions
Glorieux	74	Comte d'Escars
César	74	M. de Marigny
Hercule	74	M. la Clochetterie
Zélé	74	Chev. Gras Preville
Palmier	74	M. de Mortilly
Hector	74	M. le Vicomte
Souverain	74	M. de la Glendevis
Conquérant	74	M. de la Grandiere
Sceptre	74	Louis-Philippe de Vaudreuil
Citoyen	74	Comte d'Ethy
Destin	74	M. de Goimpy
Neptune	74	M. Destouches
Bourgogne	74	M. Champmartin
Dauphin Royal	70	M. Montpereux
Marseillais	74	Henri-César de Castellane Majastre[5]
Diadème	74
Éveillé	64	Comte Tilly
Réfléchi	64	Chev. de Boades
Jason	64	Chev. de Villages
Ardent	64	M. Groullon
Caton	64	Comte Fremont
Source: Isaac Schomberg's Naval Chronology, p. 398

Notes

1. Jaques, Hood arrived and repulsed de Grasse with victory at sea off Basseterre p. 881
2. Allen p. 325
3. Marly p. 342
4. The London Gazette: no. 12277. pp. 3–4. 1782-03-09. Retrieved 2011-04-08.
5. Batailles navales de la France, Onésime-Joachim Troude, Challamel ainé, 1867, vol.2, p. 215

References

• Allen, Joseph (1852). Battles of the British Navy. London: Henry Bohn. p. 325.
• Clowes, William Laird. The royal navy: a history from the earliest time to the present, Volume 3
• Jaques, Tony Dictionary of Battles and Sieges: A-E Greenwood 2006 ISBN 978-0-313-33536-5
• Marley, F. David. Wars of the Americas: A Chronology of Armed Conflict in the New World, 1492 to the Present ABC-CLIO (1998). ISBN 0-87436-837-5
• Schomberg, Isaac (1802). Naval Chronology:or, An Historical Summary of Naval & Maritime Events, From the Time of the Romans, to the Treaty of Peace, 1802 4. London: T. Egerton by C. Roworth.

See also

• Naval operations in the American Revolutionary War

Coordinates: 17°09′N 62°35′W / 17.150°N 62.583°W