Battle of Porto Praya

16 April 1781, Porto Praya, Santiago, Cape Verde Islands

Indecisive; Suffren reached the Cape first

Both sides were racing to the Cape of Good Hope: Commodore Johnstone to take it from the Dutch, Suffren to save it. Johnstone had stopped for water in the neutral Portuguese harbour of Porto Praya when Suffren came round the point and, without waiting for his other ships, sailed straight in and anchored among the British. In the confused fight that followed Annibal lost all her masts and two French captains were killed; Suffren had to tow her out. But the British were too disorganised to follow quickly, and Suffren got to the Cape first and landed troops. Johnstone found it defended and had to content himself with taking Dutch East Indiamen in Saldanha Bay. Among the prizes the French kept was the Indiaman Hinchinbrooke, with a copy of the British signal book.