Battle of St Kitts (Frigate Bay)

25–26 January 1782, Basseterre Roads and Frigate Bay, St Kitts

British tactical victory; the island fell anyway

De Grasse had landed troops on St Kitts and was besieging Brimstone Hill when Hood came up with a smaller fleet. Hood drew de Grasse out to sea, then slipped round him and took the anchorage the French had just left, mooring his ships in a line so close that the French could not get between them. De Grasse attacked three times over two days and was beaten off each time. But the fortress on Brimstone Hill surrendered on 13 February, and the next night Hood cut his cables and slipped away in the dark. It was thought one of the finest pieces of seamanship of the century.

Royal Navy

31 ships, none lost

Ship	Type	Outcome
HMS St Albans	Ship of the line Third rate, 64 guns	Survived
HMS Alcide	Ship of the line Third rate, 74 guns	Survived
HMS Intrepid	Ship of the line Third rate, 64 guns	Survived
HMS Torbay	Ship of the line Third rate, 74 guns	Survived
HMS Princessa Also known as Princesa As HMS Princessa, Drake's flagship	Ship of the line Third rate, 70 guns	Survived
HMS Prince George	Ship of the line Second rate, 98 guns	Survived
HMS Ajax	Ship of the line Third rate, 74 guns	Survived
HMS Prince William	Ship of the line Third rate, 64 guns	Survived
HMS Shrewsbury	Ship of the line Third rate, 74 guns	Survived
HMS Invincible	Ship of the line Third rate, 74 guns	Survived
HMS Barfleur Hood's flagship	Ship of the line Second rate, 90 guns	Survived
HMS Monarch	Ship of the line Third rate, 74 guns	Survived
HMS Belliqueux	Ship of the line Third rate, 64 guns	Survived
HMS Centaur	Ship of the line Third rate, 74 guns	Survived
HMS Alfred	Ship of the line Third rate, 74 guns	Survived
HMS Russell	Ship of the line Third rate, 74 guns	Survived
HMS Resolution	Ship of the line Third rate, 74 guns	Survived
HMS Bedford Affleck's flagship	Ship of the line Third rate, 74 guns	Survived
HMS Canada	Ship of the line Third rate, 74 guns	Survived
HMS Prudent 54 casualties, the most in the British line	Ship of the line Third rate, 64 guns	Damaged
HMS Montagu	Ship of the line Third rate, 74 guns	Survived
HMS America	Ship of the line Third rate, 64 guns	Survived

Flotillas and other craft	Number	Lost
Frigates Eurydice, Pegasus, Fortunee, Lizard, Champion, Convert, Triton, Sibyl and Solebay.	9	0

Flotillas and other craft

Number

Lost

Frigates

Eurydice, Pegasus, Fortunee, Lizard, Champion, Convert, Triton, Sibyl and Solebay.

French Navy

26 ships, none lost

Ship	Type	Outcome
Souverain	Ship of the line Third rate, 74 guns	Survived
Hercule	Ship of the line Third rate, 74 guns	Survived
Languedoc	Ship of the line Third rate, 80 guns	Survived
Duc de Bourgogne De Barras's flagship	Ship of the line Third rate, 80 guns	Survived
Marseillais	Ship of the line Third rate, 74 guns	Survived
Jason	Ship of the line Third rate, 64 guns	Survived
Magnanime	Ship of the line Third rate, 74 guns	Survived
Zélé	Ship of the line Third rate, 74 guns	Survived
Éveillé	Ship of the line Third rate, 64 guns	Survived
Saint-Esprit	Ship of the line Third rate, 80 guns	Survived
Sceptre	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
César	Ship of the line Third rate, 74 guns	Survived
Northumberland	Ship of the line Third rate, 74 guns	Survived
Diadème	Ship of the line Third rate, 74 guns	Survived
Glorieux	Ship of the line Third rate, 74 guns	Survived
Citoyen	Ship of the line Third rate, 74 guns	Survived
Scipion	Ship of the line Third rate, 74 guns	Survived
Ardent	Ship of the line Third rate, 64 guns	Survived
Neptune	Ship of the line Third rate, 74 guns	Survived
Auguste Bougainville's flagship	Ship of the line Third rate, 80 guns	Survived
Bourgogne	Ship of the line Third rate, 74 guns	Survived
Pluton	Ship of the line Third rate, 74 guns	Survived
Caton	Ship of the line Third rate, 64 guns	Survived
Sagittaire	Ship of the line Fourth rate, 50 guns	Survived
Experiment Captured from the British in 1779	Ship of the line Fourth rate, 50 guns	Survived

Map

Hood sails to relieve St Kitts 23–25 January 1782