A two-day chase in the French Revolutionary Wars ended with HMS Swiftsure capturing the French frigate Atalante, later commissioned into the Royal Navy as HMS Espion.
Key Facts
- Date of engagement
- 5–7 May 1794
- British ship
- HMS Swiftsure, 74-gun third-rate
- French ship
- Atalante (frigate)
- French commander
- Captain Charles Linois
- French casualties
- More than 40
- Captured ship renamed
- HMS Espion
By the Numbers
Cause → Event → Consequence
The French Navy employed roving frigates to disrupt British trade by capturing merchant ships. Britain countered by assigning heavy warships as convoy escorts. On 5 May 1794, escorts accompanying a convoy from Cork spotted two French vessels—a frigate and a corvette—approaching, prompting a chase in which both sides divided to pursue separate quarries.
Captain Charles Linois of the French frigate Atalante attempted multiple tactics over nearly two days to shake off his British pursuer. The chase ended when Atalante came within range of the 74-gun HMS Swiftsure. Despite a determined defence, Linois was forced to surrender after his crew suffered more than 40 casualties, unable to withstand the firepower of the much larger British ship of the line.
Atalante was taken into the Royal Navy and recommissioned as HMS Espion. Although defeated, Linois received widespread praise for defending his ship against overwhelming odds. A French battle squadron later pursued both British ships for the remainder of the day, but the British vessels escaped after dark, situating the skirmish within the broader Atlantic campaign of May 1794.
Belligerents & Mobilization Analysis
Side A
1 belligerent
Side B
1 belligerent
Charles Linois.