Fleet Ledger

Naval wars from the age of sail to the present day

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Ranger and Drake (North Channel Naval Duel)

Ranger and Drake (North Channel Naval Duel)

24 April 1778, North Channel, off Carrickfergus, Belfast Lough

American victory; Drake captured

John Paul Jones had brought the war to British waters, raiding Whitehaven the day before. Off Carrickfergus he lured out the sloop Drake, whose crew was half made up of new hands and volunteers. The two ships fought for an hour; Drake's captain and first lieutenant were killed, her rigging was cut to pieces and she struck. It was the first time a Continental ship had taken a British warship in British waters.

Read more on Wikipedia

Identifier: lifeofjohnpauljo00otis (find matches) Title: The life of John Paul Jones : written from original letters and manuscripts in possession of his relatives, and from the collection prepared by John Henry Sherburne : together with Chevalier Jones' own account of the campaign of the Liman Year Image: Otis, James, 1848-1912; Sherburne, John Henry, 1794-1850?, No restrictions · Wikimedia Commons

Royal Navy

1 ship, 1 lost

ShipTypeOutcome
HMS Drake

Captain George Burdon killed

Sloop

20 guns

Captured

Continental Navy and state navies

1 ship, none lost

ShipTypeOutcome
Ranger

John Paul Jones

Sloop

18 guns

Survived

Map

  • Jones's raid into the Irish Sea 10–24 April 1778