A 28-hour running battle off Toulon forced French frigates to surrender to an overwhelmingly superior British fleet during the War of the Second Coalition.
Key Facts
- Date
- 18 June 1799
- Duration
- 28 hours
- British fleet size
- 30 ships
- Detached British ships
- 3 ships of the line and 2 frigates
- French commander
- Counter-admiral Jean-Baptiste Perrée
- British commander
- Lord Keith
By the Numbers
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
During the Mediterranean campaign of 1798 and the subsequent War of the Second Coalition, a French frigate squadron under Counter-admiral Jean-Baptiste Perrée was returning to Toulon from Syria when it encountered a large British fleet of 30 ships under Lord Keith operating in the same waters.
Three British ships of the line and two frigates were detached from Keith's main fleet to pursue Perrée's squadron, leading to a 28-hour running battle off Toulon. The British ships gradually overhauled the French force, whose frigates and brigs were outmatched by their opponents' greatly superior firepower and numbers.
Faced with overwhelming British strength, the French frigates and brigs had no choice but to surrender, ending the engagement in a clear British victory. The loss of Perrée's squadron further weakened French naval capacity in the Mediterranean during this phase of the Revolutionary Wars.
Belligerents & Mobilization Analysis
Side A
1 belligerent
Lord Keith.
Side B
1 belligerent
Jean-Baptiste Perrée.