Naval battle off Cape Breton

Action of 21 July 1781
Combat naval en vue de Louisbourg

Naval battle off Cape Breton (Combat Naval A La Hauteur De Louisbourg) by Auguste-Louis de Rossel de Cercy

Date	21 July 1781
Location	Off present-day Sydney, Nova Scotia
Result	French victory

Belligerents

France

Great Britain

Commanders and leaders

Latouche Tréville

La Pérouse

Captain Henry Francis Evans †

Captain Rupert George

Strength

2 frigates:
Astrée (38)
Hermione (34)

6 warships:
Charlestown (28)
Allegiance (24)
Vernon (24)
Vulture (20)
Jack (14)
Thompson (18) (did not fight)

9 coal transports
4 supply ships

Casualties and losses

6 killed
34 wounded

~17 killed
48 wounded
2 warships and 3 merchantmen captured

The Action of 21 July 1781 was a naval skirmish during the American Revolution between two French Navy frigates and a convoy of 18 British ships under protection of the Royal Navy off the harbour of Spanish River, Cape Breton, Nova Scotia (present-day Sydney, Nova Scotia) led by Admiral Latouche Tréville and La Pérouse. The two French frigates won the engagement, capturing two escort ships while the remainder of the British convoy escaped.

A possible motive for the French attack was to make advances to reclaim Louisburg, a strategic fortress which the British had seized during the French and Indian War.

The convoy, which consisted of eighteen ships, including nine coal-transporting and four supply ships, was bound for Spanish River on Cape Breton Island to pick up coal for delivery to Halifax. The escorting ships were the frigate Charlestown (28); the sloops Allegiance (24) and Vulture (20); an armed transport Vernon (14); and another small armed ship Jack (14).

Two French frigates Astrée (38), commanded by La Pérouse, and Hermione (34), commanded by Latouche Tréville, attacked the convoy. The French severely damaged Charlestown, which lost its main mast and a number of its officers, including Captain Francis Evans. The French also significantly damaged Jack, which also lost its captain, and subsequently struck her colors. The engagement ended at nightfall. Captain Rupert George of Vulture led the damaged escorts into a safe harbor. Six French and seventeen British sailors were killed.

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Wikipedia