Action of 30 September 1780

Action of 30 September 1780 Part of the Anglo-French War The Pearl taking L'Esperance - 30 Sep 1780 Date 30 September 1780 Location off the Bermudas Result British victory Belligerents  Great Britain  France Commanders and leaders George Montagu unknown Strength 1 Frigate HMS Pearl 1 frigate L'Esperance Casualties and losses 6 killed, 10 wounded 20 killed, 24 wounded 156 captured, 1 frigate captured

The Action of 30 September 1780 was a minor naval engagement off the Bermudas, where HMS Pearl captured the L'Espérance, a French frigate of 32 guns launched in 1779.^[1]

HMS Pearl under the command of George Montagu was sent out to North America, and on 30 September 1780, soon encountered a frigate off the Bermudas. As Pearl closed Montagu cleared for action and engaged close for and maintained a running fight for two hours and more when the frigate struck.^[2][3]

The prize turned out to be the French frigate L'Espérance of about 850 tons of thirty two guns consisting of twelve and six pounders, nearly 200 men and with a valuable cargo heading from Cape Francois to Bordeaux. L'Espérance lost 20 killed and 24 wounded as well as the crew & marines captured, while Pearl's loses were six killed and ten wounded. The captured French frigate was put into Royal Naval service and renamed HMS Clinton.^[4]

References

1. James, William I (1837). The Naval History of Great Britain from the Declaration of War by France in 1793 to the Accession of George IV Vol 1. Austrian National Library: London, Bentley. p. 179. Retrieved 11 June 2014.
2. The Scots Magazine Volume 42. Sands, Brymer, Murray and Cochran,. 1780. p. 602. Retrieved 11 June 2014.
3. Allen p. 268
4. Allen p. 268

Bibliography

• 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.