Key Facts
- Date
- 10–11 April 1795
- French frigates involved
- 3 (Gloire, Gentille, Fraternité)
- Frigates captured
- 2 (Gloire, Gentille)
- Engagement duration (Astraea vs Gloire)
- Just under one hour
- British commander
- Rear-Admiral John Colpoys
Strategic Narrative Overview
Facing superior British numbers, the three French frigates split up to divide pursuers and attempt escape. HMS Astraea pursued Gloire and, though the vessels were comparable in size, defeated her in a close engagement of just under an hour. HMS Hannibal, a ship of the line, ran down the frigate Gentille by the morning of 11 April; the French captain surrendered immediately, unwilling to fight a hopeless action. The third frigate, Fraternité, escaped successfully.
01 / The Origins
During the French Revolutionary Wars, Britain maintained a sustained naval blockade of the major French base at Brest in Brittany to contain the French fleet and restrict enemy naval operations. In April 1795, a small squadron of French Navy frigates departed and was intercepted by a British battle squadron under Rear-Admiral John Colpoys, which was operating as part of this blockade in the Western Approaches.
03 / The Outcome
Two of the three French frigates, Gloire and Gentille, were captured by British forces. Colpoys' squadron refitted at Portsmouth before returning to their station off Brest. The blockade of Brest remained in place for the remainder of 1795, continuing to constrain French naval movements in the Atlantic.
Belligerents & Mobilization Analysis
Side A
1 belligerent
Side B
1 belligerent
Rear-Admiral John Colpoys.
Kinetic Engagement Axis
Scroll horizontally to view full axis. Events plotted relatively.