The Battle of Grenada took place on 6 July 1779 during the American Revolutionary War in the West Indies between the British Royal Navy and the French Navy, just off the coast of Grenada. A British fleet led by Admiral John Byron (the grandfather of Lord Byron) had sailed in an attempt to relieve Grenada, which French forces under Charles Henri Hector, Count of Estaing had just captured.
Incorrectly believing he had numerical superiority, Byron ordered a general chase to attack the French as they left their anchorage at Grenada. Because of the disorganized attack and the French Navy's numerical superiority, Byron's fleet was badly mauled in the encounter, although no ships were lost on either side. Naval historian Alfred Thayer Mahan described the battle as "the most disastrous... that the British Navy had encountered since Beachy Head, in 1690."Mahan, pp. 438–439
Background
Following the entry of France into the American War of Independence as an American ally in early 1778, French Admiral Charles Henri Hector, Count of Estaing arrived in the West Indies in early December 1778 in command of a fleet consisting of 12 ships of the line and a number of smaller vessels.Mahan, pp. 429–431 At about the same time, a British fleet under Admiral William Hotham also arrived, augmenting the fleet of Admiral Samuel Barrington.Mahan, p. 429 The British then captured French-held St. Lucia, despite Estaing's attempt at relief. The British used St. Lucia to monitor the major French base at Martinique, where Estaing was headquartered.Mahan, pp. 429–432
The British fleet was further reinforced in January 1779 by ten ships of the line under Admiral John Byron, who assumed command of the British Leeward Islands station.Colomb, p. 388 Throughout the first half of 1779, both fleets received further reinforcements, after which the French fleet was slightly superior to that of the British.Colomb, pp. 388–389 Furthermore, Byron departed St. Lucia on 6 June in order to provide escort services to British merchant ships gathering at St. Kitts for a convoy to Europe, leaving Estaing free to act. Estaing and Governor François Claude Amour, marquis de Bouillé seized the opportunity to begin a series of operations against nearby British possessions.Colomb, p. 389
Their first target, the isle of Saint Vincent, fell on 18 June, and Estaing turned his attention to other islands. He had hoped to capture the key British possession, Barbados, but after making no progress against the prevailing easterly trade winds, he turned his attention instead to Grenada.Colomb, p. 390 The French fleet arrived off Grenada on 2 July, and stormed its main defences beginning late on 3 July. Terms of capitulation were agreed on 4 July.Colomb, p. 391 On the way, the French squadron met the 50-gun Fier Rodrigue, under Chevalier de Montault, a letter of marque belonging to Beaumarchais and escorting a convoy. They commandeered Fier Rodrigue, and she took a place in the French line of battle.
Byron had been alerted to the French action at Saint Vincent, and was sailing with a force to recapture it. When news arrived that the French were at Grenada, he immediately changed course to meet them. The British fleet consisted of 21 ships of the line and 1 frigate. Because he was escorting troop transports and was short of frigates, three ships of the line were assigned duty to escort the transports. Estaing was warned on July 5 of Byron's approach, and promptly reembarked most of his troops. His fleet consisted of 25 ships of the line and a large number of frigates and smaller vessels.Mahan, pp. 434–435 Byron was unaware of Estaing's full strength, since during his absence Estaing had been reinforced by a squadron from Europe under Toussaint-Guillaume Picquet de la Motte.
Battle
The French were anchored off St. George's Town on the southwest of the island, and the British approached during the night. Estaing weighed anchor at 4:00 am when the British fleet was spotted, ordering his ships to form a line of battle in order of speed (that is, without regard to the usual sailing order), heading roughly northward.Mahan, p. 435 This masked the true strength of the French fleet as each ship left the cluster at the anchorage. Believing his force to be superior, Byron gave the order for general chase, approaching the anchorage from the northeast.Mahan, pp. 435, 437
When Byron finally became aware of the full French strength, he attempted to reform a battle line. As a result, the British attack was disordered and confused. , and two other ships got separated from the main body and were very badly mauled. Lion was forced to run downwind to Jamaica to avoid capture. The French lost no ships and eventually hauled off. The British lost 183 killed and 346 wounded. Fame had four killed and nine wounded. The French lost 190 killed and 759 wounded.
Aftermath
Estaing returned to Grenada to make repairs while Byron made for St. Kitts to do the same. The French admiral failed to capitalise on his superior strength to launch further attacks in the West Indies. Byron returned home in August. Estaing, after co-operating unsuccessfully with the Americans in an attack on Savannah in September also returned to Europe.
The action was a stepping stone into a career in the French Navy for Honoré Joseph Antoine Ganteaume, then 22, who served as an auxiliary officer on Fier Rodrigue, who eventually rose to vice admiral.
Order of battle French fleet
Estaing's fleet Division Ship Type Commander Casualties Notes Killed Wounded TotalEscadre blanche et bleue (vanguard) Zélé 74 Captain Jacques-Melchior Saint-Laurent, Comte de Barras Fantasque 64 Captain Pierre André de Suffren 22 43 65 First officer Campredon killed. Magnifique 74 Captain François-Louis de Brach Tonnant 80 Lieutenant-General Pierre-Claude Haudeneau de BreugnonCaptain Bruyères-Chalabre Division and Squadron flagship Protecteur 74 Captain Étienne de Grasse-Limermont Fier 74 Captain Jean-Baptiste Turpin du Breuil Provence 64 Captain Victor-Louis Desmichels de Champorcin Joseph-François-Félix Garnier de Saint-Antonin assumed commandEscadre blanche (centre) 74 Captain Louis-Philippe de Rigaud, Marquis de Vaudreuil 64 Captain Antoine de Thomassin de Peynier Fier-Rodrigue 50 Captain Montault Hector 74 Captain Pierre de Moriès-Castellet Languedoc 80 Vice-Admiral Charles Henri Hector, Count of EstaingCaptain Henri-Louis de Boulainvilliers de Croy Division, Squadron and Fleet flagship Robuste 74 Chef d'Escadre François Joseph Paul de Grasse Vaillant 64 Captain Joseph-Bernard de Chabert-Cogolin Sagittaire 50 Captain François Hector d'Albert de Rions Guerrier 74 Captain Louis Antoine de Bougainville Escadre bleue (rear) Sphinx 64 Captain Claude-René Pâris de Soulanges Diadème 74 Captain Charles Picot de Dampierre 50 Captain Ferron de Quengo Marseillais 74 Captain Louis-Armand de La Poype de Vertrieux César 74 Chef d'Escadre Jean-Joseph de Rafélis de BrovesCaptain Jean-Baptiste de Moriès de Castellet Division and Squadron flag 64 Captain Jean-Georges du Croiset de Retz 64 Captain Armand-François Cillart de Suville Annibal 74 Chef d'Escadre Toussaint-Guillaume Picquet de la Motte 59 90 149 Reconnaissance and signals Alcmène 26 Captain Pierre-René-Bénigne-Mériadec de Bonneval Aimable 26 Captain Antoine-Stanislas de Curières de Castelnau Saint-Cosme Sainte-Eulalie Total losses: 173 killed, 773 wounded, 949 total
British fleet Byron's fleet Ship Guns Commander Casualties Notes Killed Wounded TotalVan 74 Rear-Admiral Joshua RowleyCaptain Hugh Cloberry Christian72532 70 Captain Herbert Sawyer123042 74 Captain Thomas Fitzherbert41216 74 Vice-Admiral Samuel BarringtonCaptain Benjamin Hill264672 74 Captain John Elphinstone81119 64 Captain Anthony James Pye Molloy369 60 Captain William Affleck044Centre 74 Captain John Butchart4913 64 Captain Walter Griffith000 74 Captain Alan Gardner163955 90 Vice-Admiral John ByronCaptain William Blair369Fleet flagship 74 Captain George Bowyer022 64 Captain Robert Carkett268 74 Captain William Truscott123Rear 64 Captain Nathaniel Bateman000 64 Captain William Cornwallis213051 64 Captain Sir Digby Dent000 74 Rear-Admiral Hyde ParkerCaptain Harry Harmood000 74 Captain Timothy Edwards162743 64 Captain Robert Fanshawe252853 74 Captain Thomas Collingwood356398 Reconnaissance and signals 20 Captain Thomas Pringle000Casualties: 183 killed, 346 wounded, 529 total
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References
External links Etat des forces navales françaises engagées dans la guerre d’indépendance des Etats-Unis