A British squadron blockading Cádiz captured the French ship of the line Achille and frigate Bouffone, reinforcing Royal Navy dominance in European waters during the Seven Years' War.
Key Facts
- Date
- 17 July 1761
- French ship of the line
- Achille (64 guns)
- French frigate
- Bouffone (32 guns)
- British commander
- Captain Charles Proby, HMS Thunderer
- British squadron base
- Mediterranean Fleet, Gibraltar
- Outcome
- Both French vessels captured by boarding and action
By the Numbers
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
Following decisive French naval defeats in 1759, Britain established blockades of French Atlantic ports and neutral Spanish harbors sheltering French warships. The French 64-gun Achille had broken out of Brest in March 1761 but became trapped in the Spanish naval base at Cádiz, along with the frigate Bouffone, by a British squadron detached from the Mediterranean Fleet at Gibraltar.
When Achille attempted to leave Cádiz on 17 July 1761, Captain Charles Proby aboard HMS Thunderer gave chase and brought her to battle. Despite suffering heavy casualties when a cannon exploded aboard Thunderer, Proby maneuvered alongside Achille and took her in a boarding action. Simultaneously, HMS Thetis and HMS Modeste intercepted and captured the frigate Bouffone.
The capture of both French vessels eliminated a significant French naval presence that had been sheltering in a neutral Spanish port, further consolidating British control over European sea lanes and demonstrating the effectiveness of close blockade tactics maintained against France and its sympathizers in the latter stages of the Seven Years' War.
Belligerents & Mobilization Analysis
Side A
1 belligerent
Captain Charles Proby.
Side B
1 belligerent