A decisive French naval victory over Britain in the West Indies, described by Mahan as Britain's worst naval defeat since Beachy Head in 1690.
Key Facts
- Date
- 6 July 1779
- British commander
- Admiral John Byron
- French commander
- Charles Henri Hector, Count of Estaing
- Ships lost by either side
- None
- Mahan's assessment
- Most disastrous British naval defeat since Beachy Head, 1690
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
French forces under the Count of Estaing captured the island of Grenada, prompting the British Royal Navy fleet under Admiral John Byron to sail in an attempt to relieve the island. Byron incorrectly believed he held numerical superiority over the French fleet as it departed its anchorage.
On 6 July 1779, Byron ordered a general chase against the French fleet off Grenada. The disorganized nature of the British attack, combined with actual French numerical superiority, resulted in the British fleet being badly mauled in the engagement, part of the broader conflict of the American Revolutionary War in the West Indies.
Although no ships were lost on either side, Byron's fleet suffered severe damage, leaving British naval power in the Caribbean significantly weakened. Naval historian Alfred Thayer Mahan later judged it the most disastrous British naval defeat since the Battle of Beachy Head in 1690, underscoring France's growing dominance in the region.
Belligerents & Mobilization Analysis
Side A
1 belligerent
Admiral John Byron.
Side B
1 belligerent
Charles Henri Hector, Count of Estaing.