Battle of Fort Royal explained

Conflict:Battle of Fort Royal
Partof:the Anglo-French War
Date:29 April and 30 April 1781
Place:Off Martinique, West Indies
Coordinates:14.6°N -76°W
Result:French victory
Commander1:Samuel Hood
Commander2:François Joseph Paul de Grasse
Strength1:18 ships of the line
Strength2:24 ships of the line
Casualties1:39 killed
162 wounded
Casualties2:Reports vary

The Battle of Fort Royal was a naval battle fought off Fort Royal, Martinique in the West Indies during the Anglo-French War on 29 April 1781, between fleets of the British Royal Navy and the French Navy. After an engagement lasting four hours, the British squadron under Admiral Samuel Hood broke off and retreated. Admiral de Grasse offered a desultory chase before seeing the French convoys safe to port.

Background

In March 1781, a large French fleet under the command of Grasse left the port of Brest. Most of this fleet was headed for the West Indies. Of the 26 ships of the line, one was sent to North America, and five, under the command of the Suffren, were destined for India. The remaining twenty arrived off to Martinique on 28 April.

On 17 April, Grasse had detached a cutter which arrived at Martinique on 26 to inform Bouillé of his arrival. Before sailing to the lee (western) side of the island, Grasse anchored the fleet and sent someone ashore to gather news and bring orders to Albert de Saint-Hippolyte, commander of a 4-ship division that a British fleet of 17 ships of the line under Samuel Hood had been blockading at Fort Royal for 50 days. The division comprised the 74-gun Victoire, under Saint-Hippolyte, and the 64-gun Caton, under Framond, Réfléchi, under Cillart de Suville, and Solitaire, under Cicé-Champion.

Hood was under orders from the fleet's station commander, Admiral George Brydges Rodney, to maintain the blockade of the port on the lee side, despite his protests that this would put him at a disadvantage should any other fleet arrive. Though disadvantaged by his position and his inferior firepower, the fact that all of his ships had copper bottoms, which required little maintenance compared to the alternative, and that he was not burdened with the responsibility of escorting a convoy both allowed him to focus his efforts on maintaining the blockade.

Battle

Grasse ordered his fleet to prepare for action on the morning of 29 April, and sailed for Fort Royal with the convoy ships hugging the coast and the armed ships in battle line. The French spotted Hood's fleet bearing towards them around 0800, but Grasse held the advantageous weather gauge from an East-North-East wind. At about 0920, Hood was joined by the Prince William, a 64-gun ship that had been at St. Lucia.

The two fleets continued to push for advantageous positions, however Hood's leeward position meant he was unable to prevent Grasse from bringing the convoy to the harbour, and Grasse's fleet and the four blockaded ships soon met. Around 1100, Grasse's van began firing at long range, with no effect. Saint-Hippolyte's division then set sail, leaving the harbour of Fort-Royal and making their junction with Grasse.

By 1230 the two fleets were aligned, but Grasse refused to take advantage of the weather gauge to close with Hood, despite Hood's efforts to bring the French to him, as doing so entailed risking his transports. The fleets then exchanged cannonades and broadsides for the next hour; at long range, the damage incurred was modest, although, Russell and required repairs. Centaur had her captain, first officer and 10 others killed, and 26 wounded.[1] The French suffered mostly light damage to their rigging.

From 1400, the French convoy slipped between the coast and Grasse's squadron, safely arriving at Martinique.

Hood finally drew away toward Saint Lucia. On 30, Grasse, having successfully completed his convoy escort, was free to give chase, and he harassed the British for a couple of days, but Hood refused to be brought to action. In the chase, the disparity of sailing performance between the French ships scattered Grasse's squadron, to the point that by 1 May, Grasse had only 11 ships with him and was losing sight of the last ones. He then returned to Fort-Royal, where he arrived on 6 May.

Aftermath

Hood dispatched Russell, which had been holed below the waterline to St. Eustatius for repairs, and to bring news of the action to Admiral Rodney. Hood spent the next day in fruitless attempts to gain the windward and eventually made sail to the North. He met Rodney on 11 May between St. Kitts and Antigua, the latter having left Saint Eustatius on 5 May. Reports of French casualties vary from as few as 74 killed and wounded to more than 250.

Order of battle

French fleet

Admiral de Grasse's fleet
width=8%; align= center rowspan=2 Divisionwidth=17%; align= center rowspan=2 Shipwidth=5%; align= center rowspan=2 Gunswidth=25%; align= center rowspan=2 Commanderwidth=9%; align= center colspan=3 Casualtieswidth=36%; align= center rowspan=2 Notes
width=3%; align= center Killedwidth=3%; align= center Woundedwidth=3%; align= center Total
Blue-and-White squadron, under Bougainville
3rd
Division		align= left Languedocalign= center 80align= left Jean-François d'Arros d'Argelosalign= center align= center align= center align= left Division flagship
2nd
Division -->		align= left Citoyenalign= center 74align= left align= center align= center align= center align= left
1st
Division		align= left Glorieuxalign= center 74align= left Jacques François de Pérusse des Carsalign= center align= center align= center align= left
1st
Division-->		align= left Augustealign= center 80align= left Louis Antoine de Bougainville (Chef d'escadre)
Pierre-Joseph de Castellan (flag captain)		align= center align= center align= center align= left Division and Squadron flagship
2nd
Division		align= left Souverainalign= center 74align= left Jean-Baptiste de Glandevès du Castelletalign= center align= center align= center align= left
3rd
Division -->		align= left Diadèmealign= center 74align= left Louis Augustin de Monteclercalign= center align= center align= center align= left
Signalsalign= left Médéealign= center 32-gun frigatealign= left Chevalier de Girardinalign= center align= center align= center align= left
White squadron, under Grasse
3rd
Division		align= left Zéléalign= center 74align= left align= center align= center align= center align= left
1stnd Division -->align= left Scipionalign= center 74align= left Antoine Pierre de Clavelalign= center align= center align= center align= left
1st
Division		align= left Northumberlandalign= center 74align= left Bon Chrétien de Briquevillealign= center align= center align= center align= left
2nd
Division -->		align= left Ville de Parisalign= center 104align= left François Joseph Paul de Grasse (Lieutenant général)
Pierre René Marie Vaugiraud de Rosnay (Major general)
Antoine Cresp de Saint-Césaire (flag captain)		align= center align= center align= center align= left Division, Squadron and Fleet flagship
2nd
Division -->		align= left Sceptrealign= center 74align= left Louis de Rigaud de Vaudreuilalign= center align= center align= center align= left
2nd Divisionalign= left Hectoralign= center 74align= left Laurent-Emmanuel de Renaud d'Aleinsalign= center align= center align= center align= left
3rd
Division -->		align= left Magnanimealign= center 74align= left align= center align= center align= center align= left
Signalsalign= left Diligentealign= center 26-gun frigatealign= left Victurnien-Henri-Elzéar de Rochechouart de Mortemartalign= center align= center align= center align= left
2nd
Division -->		align= left Pandouralign= center 18-gun cutteralign= left Étienne Marc Antoine Joseph de Grasse-Limermontalign= center align= center align= center align= left
Blue squadron, under Chabert
3rd Divisionalign= left Bourgognealign= center 74align= left align= center align= center align= center align= left
2nd
Division -->		align= left Vaillantalign= center 64align= left align= center align= center align= center align= left
1st
Division		align= left Marseillaisalign= center 74align= left Henri-César de Castellane-Majastrealign= center align= center align= center align= left
3rd
Division -->		align= left Césaralign= center 74align= left Charles Régis de Coriolis d'Espinousealign= center align= center align= center align= left
1st
Division-->		align= left Saint-Espritalign= center 80align= left align= center align= center align= center align= left Division and Squadron flagship
2nd Divisionalign= left Herculealign= center 74align= left Jean-Baptiste Turpin du Breuilalign= center align= center align= center align= left
2nd
Division -->		align= left Plutonalign= center 74align= left align= center align= center align= center align= left
Signalsalign= left Aigrettealign= center 26-gun frigatealign= left Jean-Baptiste Prévost de Sansac de Traversayalign= center align= center align= center align= left
2nd
Division -->		align= left Alertealign= center 18-gun cutteralign= left Gallien de Chabonsalign= center align= center align= center align= left
- valign="center"
Saint-Hippolyte's division
width=8%; align= center rowspan=2 Divisionwidth=17%; align= center rowspan=2 Shipwidth=5%; align= center rowspan=2 Gunswidth=25%; align= center rowspan=2 Commanderwidth=9%; align= center colspan=3 Casualtieswidth=36%; align= center rowspan=2 Notes
width=3%; align= center Killedwidth=3%; align= center Woundedwidth=3%; align= center Total
align= left Victoirealign= center 74align= left Joseph François Auguste Jules d'Albert de Saint-Hippolytealign= center align= center align= center align= left Division flagship
-->align= left Catonalign= center 64align= left Georges-François de Framondalign= center align= center align= center align= left
-->align= left Réfléchialign= center 64align= left Armand-François Cillart de Suvillealign= center align= center align= center align= left
-->align= left Solitairealign= center 64align= left Louis-Toussaint Champion de Cicéalign= center align= center align= center align= left

British fleet

British order of battle as provided by Clowes, p. 482.

References

Notes and References

  1. Web site: John Neale Pleydell Nott . More than Nelson . 1 June 2020.

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