Action of 2 September 1781
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The Action of 2 September, 1781 was a minor naval engagement fought off Cape Ann during the American War of Independence; HMS Chatham captured the French frigate Magicienne after a fight of a few hours.[2]
On 2 September, the British fifty gun fourth rate HMS Chatham under Captain Andrew Snape Douglas was cruising off Cape Ann near Boston harbour and spotted the French frigate Magicienne. She was a thirty six gun 800 ton frigate that was serving in comte d'Orvilliers fleet and was commanded by the Chevalier Bouchetierre with 280 men.[3]
Douglas ordered action stations, and the Chatham hove to and after a few hours chase opened the action; she overtook the French frigate. After an hour's action, the Chatham got the better of the French and Magicienne soon struck.[4]
The Chatham had only one man killed and one wounded while losses on the Magicienne were heavy; 32 killed and 54 wounded with the rest being taken prisoner. She was subsequently taken to Halifax and recommissioned in the Royal Navy as HMS Magicienne.[5]
Subsequently the action thwarted a planned French assault on British ships in the Saint John River.[3]
Notes
- ↑ Allen pg 282
- ↑ de Trémarec, Yves-Joseph de Kerguelen (1796). Relation des combats et des évènements de la guerre maritime de 1778 entre la France et l'Angleterre mêlée de réflexions sur les manoeuvres des généraux. Lyon Public Library. pp. 203–05.
- 1 2 Tracy. Who's who in Nelson's Navy. p. 120.
- ↑ The London Gazette: no. 12279. p. 1. 16 March 1782.
- ↑ The London Gazette: no. 12239. p. 4. 3 November 1781.
References
- Allen, Joseph (1852). Battles of the British Navy, Volume 1. Bohn's illustrated library. ASIN B009ZMMQ56.
- Clowes, William Laird (2003). The Royal Navy: v. 4: A History - From the Earliest Times to 1900. Chatham Publishing. ISBN 978-1861760128.