Battles involving France and Spain 1777-1783
Latest Changes: 08May31 - new article on Battle of the Capes / 09Jan04 - assign all 1782 Feb West Indies battles to de Grasse / 09Feb02 - add 1779Jan 16 battle /| Battles during 1778 | 1779 | 1780 | 1781 | 1782 | 1783 |
Battles around the Globe A 1975 article from Cols Bleus [McJoynt]
translated into English by Ulane Bonnel
provides a brief (16-page) description of the role of the French navy
in the American Revolution.
Print Ref.: The French Navy and American Independence, by Jonathan Dull, provides a more detailed (473-page) study of French arms and diplomacy. The battles listed below are based on
Several maps of allied fleet movements around the globe are being developed
to indicate the vast scope of allied operations in what some consider to be the first
world-wide war. One example is shown below:
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| Color Codes for Fleet Commanders Cruise Map? |
Cordova, D'Orvilliers, du Chauffault no |
de Guichen, Monteil no |
D'Estaing YES |
Ternay, Des Touches, de Barras no |
de Grasse, Vaudreuil no |
G‡lvez no |
D'Estienne -d'Orves, Suffren no |
Battles in 1778
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1778 April 15: Admiral D'Estaing sailed from France's Mediterranean naval base at Toulon
with twelve ships-of-the-line and four frigates (a total of 958 cannon).
The fleet was manned by 7,500 sailors and carried 1,000 infantry (half Haynault and half Foiux)
and somewhat less than its full compliment of 700 marine riflemen.
Their mission was to help dislodge the armed forces of Great Britain from U.S. territory.
Map of D'Estaing's 1778-79 cruise |
 | 1778 Jun 27: A French fleet under Adm. D'Orvielliers (La Manche) engaged in an indecisive battle with a British fleet off Ile d'Ouessant. [The Anglicized version of the island's name is Ushant]. This was the first naval engagement of the war between French and British. |
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1778 Jun 18: The British forces in Philadelphia evacuate the city after hearing that
the French Expeditionary Force under D'Estaing was on its way to the U.S.
and might blockade the Delaware River, cutting the main British supply line.
On June 28 as the British were marching back to New York the U.S. Continentals
attacked the rear guard of the British column near Monmouth NJ, causing many casualties.
1778 Jul 06: After nearly three months at sea D'Estaing's fleet reached the mouth of the Delaware Bay and restocked his ships with food and water. Since the British were no longer in Philadelphia he sailed on to New York City, where Adm. Richard Howe's British fleet consisted of only nine ships-of-the-line. 1778 Jul 11 - 27: The pilots for D'Estaing's fleet recommended against attempting to enter the New York harbour area because sand banks around the harbour did not provide a reliable channel with the depth required by the large French ships of the line, which required deeper water than the British ships-of-the-line. The French fleet sailed on toward Newport RI. 1778 Jul 29-Aug 31: Poor coordination of forces, the arrival of a re-inforced British fleet, and bad weather that caused major damage to both fleets prevented D'Estaing from supporting or participating in an allied attack on the British garrison at Newport. The French fleet sailed to Boston for repairs, while the British fleet delivered reinforcements to the British garrison in Newport, allowing them to re-take the island. |
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1778 Sep 7: The French captured Dominica (West Indies).
West Indies Score Card
(1776-1783) [McJoynt]
This site covers many of the following battles in this theater.
1778 Sep 14: The British captured St. Pierre-et-Miquelon Isles (North Atlantic). 1778 Oct 1: The British captured Pondichery (India). | |
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1778 Nov 04: D'Estaing's fleet departed from Boston for Martinique (in the West Indies),
arriving there on Dec 09.
1778 Dec 13: The British captured St. Lucia (West Indies). |
| 1778 Dec 28: The French captured St. Louis (Senegal). |
Battles in 1779
| 1779 Jan 19: British Adm. George Rodney's squadron with 18 ships-of-the-line engages Spanish Adm. Juan de Langera's squadron with 11 ships-of-the-line off Cape Vincent (on the southwestern coast of Portugal). This is called the "Moonlight Battle" because, rather than breaking off sunset (as was usual) the combatants continued until 2 AM. The Spanish lost seven of their ships-of-the-line. | |
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1779 Jan: The British occupied St. Martin (West Indies),
which had been jointly governed by the Dutch and French.
The British also occupied St. Barthélémy.
1779 Feb 24: D'Estaing's forces re-captured St. Martin (West Indies) from the British. 1779 Feb 28: D'Estaing's forces re-captured St. Barthélémy (West Indies) from the British. |
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French Lt-Gen. de Broglie had some years previously developed a plan for an invasion of England,
and France and Spain now agreed to implement it with a combined fleet of 66 ships-of-the-line.
1779 May 1: The French staged an unsuccessful raid on the Jersey Isles (Great Britain). The French fleet set out from Brest to meet the Spanish fleet off the north coast of Spain. The Spanish fleet was late in getting to the assembly area, and during this time an epidemic of dysentery incapacitated the sailors. The invasion plan was abandoned, and the French forces returned to Brest on Sep 19. |
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1779 Jun 18: D'Estaing's forces captured St. Vincent (Virgin Islands).
1779 Jul 4: D'Estaing's forces captured Grenada (West Indies). On Jul 25 D'Estaing departed for Savannah GA. |
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1779 Sept 21:
Spanish forces under Gen. Bernardo Gálvez captured British forts
at Manchac (east of present-day Gonzalez), Baton Rouge, and Natchez
(now in Mississippi) along the Mississippi River.
Washington's Second Front, by Ralph N. Cramer, Sr. [Florida Society SAR] describes the entire campaign. |
| 1779 Sep 23-Oct 20: D'Estaing's forces joined the American army in an unsuccessful siege of British-held Savannah GA. In November the French fleet sailed home, arriving in December. |
| 1779 Sep 23: French troops participated in the naval battle of Flamborough Head (Great Britain) -- (Bonhomme Richard vs HMS Serapis). |
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Battles in 1780
| 1780 Feb-May 12: French troops assisted in the unsuccessful defense of Charleston SC. | |
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1780 Mar 13-17 -
Spanish forces under Gen. Bernardo G‡lvez captured British forts
at Mobile (now in Alabama).
Washington's Second Front, by Ralph N. Cramer, Sr. [Florida Society SAR] describes the entire campaign. |
 | 1780 Apr 17 and May 19: Lt-Gen.de Guichen's fleet left Brest on Feb 3 and arrived Mar 22 in Martinique. This fleet engaged the British fleet under Adm Rodney in naval battles off Martinique (West Indies). In August Lt-Gen.de Guichen left with a part of the fleet to escort a Spanish convoy to Cadiz, Spain, arriving Oct 23. Adm. Monteil took command of the remaining French forcess in the West Indies. |
 | 1780 May 02: Chef d'escadre Ternay's squadron left Brest with Rochambeau's Expeditionary Force. See July 11 below. |
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1780 May 26: An attack by between 1,300 and 2,000 British-led Sioux, Sac, Fox,
and Winnebago warriors on the 900 (mostly French) inhabitants of the town of St. Louis
(in what is now Missouri) failed. The town had been fortified after George Rogers Clark
(of Virginia) told the Spanish Lieutenant Governor Fernando DeLeyba that the British
and their Indian allies would try to capture the town so as to control the Mississippi River.
Two-page description
[National Park Service - Lewis and Clark: Journey of Discovery]
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| Spain | 1780 June: Spanish Admiral Don Solano arrived at Fort Royal, Martinique, with a fleet of 12 warships and transports carrying 10,500 soldiers and their supplies. The men were quite ill, so the fleet continued to Puerto Rico and then Havana without engaging the enemy. [Ref. Bonnel] |
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1780 Jul 11: Chef d'escadre Ternay's squadron arrived at Newport RI with Rochambeau's
Expeditionary Force. The W3R-NHT is being developed along the route taken
by the French force under Rochambeau when they marched in 1781
to the Continental Army encampment near Dobbs Ferry NY (near Greenburgh NY)
and with half of that army marched and to the climactic siege at Yorktown VA.
Si vous parlez Franaise, cliquez sur histoire des armes de Rochambeau
en amŽrique septentrionale (1780) by AndrŽ Amblard
1780 Dec 15: Chef d'escadre Ternay died in Newport RI (where he is buried). Command of the French squadron at Newport passed to capitaine de vaisseau Des Touches. |
Battles in 1781
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1781 Jan 05: The French staged an unsuccessful raid on the Jersey Isles. (Great Britain).
1781 Feb 03: The British captured St. Eustatius and Saba from the Dutch (West Indies). | |
 | 1781 March 22: Adm de Grasse departed from Brest, France. He arrived at Martinique in April |
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1781 March-May:
Pensacola (Florida) held by fewer than 1,500 British, Hessian, and Loyalist soldiers,
with 400 Creek amd 100 Choctaw warriors as allies. Spanish Field Marshal Bernardo de Gálvez
(age 35) led an allied Spanish-French siege, with some 7,000 Spanish and French soldiers and sailors.
The Spanish forces included dozens of warships and transports carrying the Louisiana militia
and soldiers from many Spanish regiments: Aragon, Cataluna, Crown, Guadalajara, Hibernia,
King, Louisiana, Mallorca, Navarra, Prince, Sorio, and Toledo.
French Adm. Monteil led a force of four ships-of-the-line (Palmier, Deston, Intrepide, and Triton)
and two frigates (Andromaque and Licorne) and four transports with 700 soldiers from
several regiments: Agenois, Cambresis, Gationiois, Orleans, Poitiou, and also from
the Royal Corps of Artillery: the 52d (La Sarre) and 83d (Angoumois) regiments.
The French ground forces were led by capitaine de vaisseau de Botderu.
[Savas and Dameron err in saying that the Marquis de St. Simon led the French forces here.]
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| 1781 Mar 16: The First Battle of the Virginia Capes -- The French naval squadron from Newport (under capitaine de vaisseau Des Touches) fought a British squadron just outside of the Chesapeake Bay. The Bay remained under British control, and the French ships returned to Newport. In May Chef d'escadre de Barras arrived at Newport and replaced Des Touches as commander of the French squadron there. |
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1781 May 10: The allied Spanish-French force captured Pensacola (Florida) from the British.
Two days before this an explosion in one of the British powder magazines
had killed many of the defenders. The French portion of the allied force immediately
left the area to join Adm. De Grasse, and several months later participated
in the siege and victory at Yorktown, Virginia.
British: 105 killed and wounded, 1,100 captured, 300 paroled; Indian: unknown; Spanish: 78 killed, 198 wounded (including G‡lvez); French: unknown |
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1781 May 10-12: Adm. de Grasse's forces raided British-held St. Lucia (West Indies). |
 | 1781 May 16: French forces under Commodore Suffren fought the British at Porto Praya, in the Cape Verde islands (mid-Atlantic). |
| 1781 Jun 2: Adm. de Grasse's forces captured Tobago (West Indies) from the British. |
| 1781 Jun-Oct: Lt-Gen.de Guichen's fleet guarded the coasts of France and Spain, and supported an allied French-Spanish landing on the island of Minorca. |
| 1781 Jul 12: French troops from Rochambeau's force raided the Tory fort at Loyd Neck (on Long Island) NY. | |
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1781 Sep 5:
Second Battle of the Virginia Capes (VA) off the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay (VA).
A French fleet with 24 ships-of-the-line under Adm. de Grasse rebuffed efforts
by a British fleet of 19 ships-of-the-line under Adm. Graves
to enter the Chesapeake Bay and relieve the British garrison at Yorktown.
Background: In August a French fleet under Adm. de Grasse had started north from the Caribbean, bound for Yorktown VA. A British fleet under Adm. Hood planned to follow a parallel course and to oppose the French fleet at the Chesapeake Bay. Accidentally arriving there before the French fleet did they saw no French warships and concluded that the French fleet had sailed north to New York. They hastened north to defend New York. Three days later the French Fleet arrived at the Chesapeake Bay and promptly blockaded it. The Battle: An augmented British fleet, now under Adm. Graves, returned from New York to relieve the British garrison under Gen. Cornwallis at Yorktown VA. The French fleet sailed out into the Atlantic, where the flee could maneuver better. While few ships got into position to engage the enemy the French inflicted serious damage to the British fleet, which returned to New York. The British army at Yorktown -- badly outnumbered and with limited food and ammunition -- was now virtually doomed to defeat. Casualties: 321 French dead and estimated same (321) British dead
[Ref: Colonial National Park - Yorktown history page]
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1781 Sept 11: Chef d'escadre de Barras' squadron from Newport arrived in the Chesapeake Bay
with the French siege guns while Adm. de Grasse's fleet was engaging the British off the Virginia Capes.
1781 Sep 28 to Oct 19: The allied U.S and French armies and French navy besiege a British army at Yorktown VA, which surrenders after ten days of constant bombardment. Adm. de Grasse immediately returned to the West Indies, accompanied by the squadron under chef d'escadre de Barras (which later returned to France). For more see U.S. battle listing 1781 Nov 21: Adm. de Grasse's forces re-capture St. Eustatius from the British (West Indies). |
| 1781 Dec 24: Adm. Vaudreuil's fleet departed from Boston carrying most of Gen. Rochambeau's regiments (who had marched from Yorktown to Boston). |
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Battles in 1782
| 1782 Jan 06 - Feb 5: French and Spanish forces under Lt-Gen.de Guichen capture Ft. St. Philip at Mahon, Minorca (in the Mediterraneam Sea). |
| 1782 Feb 14: Adm. de Grasse's forces capture St. Christophe (St. Kitts) (West Indies) from the British. |
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1782 Feb - Sept: A French fleet under the command of Adm. Pierre Andre de Suffren de Saint-Tropez
(also known as Bailli de Suffern) engaged the British fleet under Vice-Adm. Edward Hughes
in the battle of Sadras in the Indian Ocean off Madras (India). See below for three others in 1782.
Suffren's East India Campaign (1782-1783)
[McJoynt] describes these battles in the Indian theater of war.
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1782 Feb 20: French captured Nevis (West Indies) from the British.
1782 Feb 22: French captured Monserrat (West Indies) from the British. 1782 Apr 12: Much of the French fleet at Saints (West Indies) was destroyed by a British squadron, and Adm de Grasse was captured. Adm. Vaudreuil assumed command of the remnants of this French fleet and departed in July for Boston MA |
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1782 Apr 12: French Adm. Suffren's fleet fought British Vice-Adm. Hughes' fleet in the battle of Providien (India)
1782 Jul 06: French Adm. Suffren's fleet fought British Vice-Adm. Hughes' fleet off Negapatan (India). |
| 1782 Jul through Mar: Spanish and French under Adm. Guichen besieged and blockaded British-held Gibraltar (which dominates the entrance to the Mediterranean Sea) but failed to keep British Adm. Howe from breaking the blockade and relieving the fortress. |
| 1782 Aug 25-30: Adm. Suffren's fleet besieged and captured Trincomalee (Ceylon). After four major battles neither fleet had captured a single ship of the opposition. On Oct 15 the French fleet left for a brief stay in Sumatra. |
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1782 Aug: Adm. Vaudreuil's fleet arrived at Boston to bring naval help for the French and American allied armies,
as well as to find wood for his masts. He sent La Prouse (with Le Sceptre, L'Engageante, L'Astre)
to Hudson's Bay (in Canada), where they captured and destroyed the British establishments
of Fort Prince of Wales, York Factory, and Severn.
1782 Dec 28: Adm. Vaudreuil's fleet departed from Boston to transport Rochambeau's Expeditionary Force [except for Lauzun's Legion] to the West Indies (Porto Caballo), as part of a renewed operation against Jamaica. However, news of the Preliminary Articles of Peace arrived on 1783 March 24, so the plan was aborted. |
Battles in 1783
| 1783 Jan 20: Preliminary Articles of Peace were signed in Paris by Great Britain, France, and Spain. Hostilities were officially ended, but it took many months for the news to reach the front lines worldwide. | |
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1783 Mar-Jul: Adm. Suffren's fleet participated in the capture of Voloze, Bednor (May 3);
Onor and the siege of Mangalore from May 6 to Jul (India)
1783 Jun 13-29: French Adm. Suffren's fleet fought British Vice-Adm. Hughes' fleet off Cuddelore (India), preventing its capture by the British. Hughes sailed back to Madras. Soon Suffren learned of the Peace Treaty and returned to France. |
| 1783 Sep 3: The Peace Treaty ending the global war was signed in Paris. |
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