Battle of the Chesapeake

5 September 1781, Off the Virginia Capes, at the mouth of Chesapeake Bay

French strategic victory; Cornwallis cut off at Yorktown

Cornwallis's army had dug in at Yorktown, waiting for the navy. De Grasse got there first, bringing his whole fleet up from the West Indies. When Graves arrived from New York, de Grasse came out of the bay to meet him. Only the vans and centres of the two fleets came properly into action, partly because of Graves's confusing signals, and after two hours' fighting at sunset the fleets drifted apart. For several days they manoeuvred within sight of each other, while de Barras's squadron slipped into the bay behind them with the siege guns from Newport. Graves, with several ships badly damaged, went back to New York, and Cornwallis surrendered on 19 October. The war on land in America was over.

Royal Navy

19 ships, 1 lost

Ship	Type	Outcome
HMS Alfred	Ship of the line Third rate, 74 guns	Survived
HMS Belliqueux	Ship of the line Third rate, 64 guns	Survived
HMS Invincible	Ship of the line Third rate, 74 guns	Survived
HMS Barfleur Hood's flagship, in the rear; barely engaged	Ship of the line Second rate, 90 guns	Survived
HMS Monarch	Ship of the line Third rate, 74 guns	Survived
HMS Centaur	Ship of the line Third rate, 74 guns	Survived
HMS America	Ship of the line Third rate, 64 guns	Survived
HMS Bedford	Ship of the line Third rate, 74 guns	Survived
HMS Resolution	Ship of the line Third rate, 74 guns	Survived
HMS London Graves's flagship	Ship of the line Second rate, 90 guns	Damaged
HMS Royal Oak	Ship of the line Third rate, 74 guns	Survived
HMS Montagu	Ship of the line Third rate, 74 guns	Damaged
HMS Europe	Ship of the line Third rate, 64 guns	Survived
HMS Terrible Burned on 11 September, too damaged to save	Ship of the line Third rate, 74 guns	Scuttled
HMS Ajax	Ship of the line Third rate, 74 guns	Damaged
HMS Princessa Also known as Princesa As HMS Princessa, Drake's flagship in the van	Ship of the line Third rate, 70 guns	Survived
HMS Alcide	Ship of the line Third rate, 74 guns	Survived
HMS Intrepid 56 casualties	Ship of the line Third rate, 64 guns	Damaged
HMS Shrewsbury 66 casualties, the most in the British line	Ship of the line Third rate, 74 guns	Damaged

French Navy

27 ships, none lost

Ship	Type	Outcome
Pluton	Ship of the line Third rate, 74 guns	Survived
Marseillais	Ship of the line Third rate, 74 guns	Survived
Bourgogne	Ship of the line Third rate, 74 guns	Survived
Diadème	Ship of the line Third rate, 74 guns	Survived
Réfléchi	Ship of the line Third rate, 64 guns	Survived
Auguste Bougainville's flagship, leading the van, where most of the fighting was	Ship of the line Third rate, 80 guns	Survived
Saint-Esprit	Ship of the line Third rate, 80 guns	Survived
Caton	Ship of the line Third rate, 64 guns	Survived
César	Ship of the line Third rate, 74 guns	Survived
Destin	Ship of the line Third rate, 74 guns	Survived
Ville de Paris De Grasse's flagship	Ship of the line First rate, 104 guns	Survived
Victoire	Ship of the line Third rate, 74 guns	Survived
Sceptre	Ship of the line Third rate, 74 guns	Survived
Northumberland	Ship of the line Third rate, 74 guns	Survived
Palmier	Ship of the line Third rate, 74 guns	Survived
Solitaire	Ship of the line Third rate, 64 guns	Survived
Citoyen	Ship of the line Third rate, 74 guns	Survived
Scipion	Ship of the line Third rate, 74 guns	Survived
Magnanime	Ship of the line Third rate, 74 guns	Survived
Hercule	Ship of the line Third rate, 74 guns	Survived
Languedoc Monteil's flagship, in the rear	Ship of the line Third rate, 80 guns	Survived
Zélé	Ship of the line Third rate, 74 guns	Survived
Hector	Ship of the line Third rate, 74 guns	Survived
Souverain	Ship of the line Third rate, 74 guns	Survived
Glorieux Left to guard the mouth of the bay; not in the line	Ship of the line Third rate, 74 guns	Survived

Flotillas and other craft	Number	Lost
Frigates Railleuse and Aigrette, for signals. Glorieux, Vaillant and the other frigates stayed at the mouth of the bay.	2	0

Flotillas and other craft

Number

Lost

Frigates

Railleuse and Aigrette, for signals. Glorieux, Vaillant and the other frigates stayed at the mouth of the bay.

Map

De Grasse sails for the Chesapeake August 1781
De Barras brings the siege guns 25 August – 10 September 1781
Graves sails from New York 31 August – 5 September 1781