Action of 25 September 1806

25 September 1806, Off Rochefort, Bay of Biscay

British victory; four of the five French frigates taken

Commodore Soleil sailed from Rochefort on the evening of 24 September with five frigates and two corvettes, crammed with troops and stores for the French West Indies, hoping to slip past Sir Samuel Hood's blockading squadron in the dark. Monarch sighted them at 01:00 and Hood's six ships of the line gave chase. The heavily laden frigates could not get away in the strong wind and swell, and after five hours Monarch was close enough to fire. Soleil split his force: Thétis and the corvettes ran south and outsailed Windsor Castle, and Infatigable went north and was run down by Mars. The other three frigates turned together on Monarch, which could not open her lower ports in the swell, and cut up her rigging until Centaur arrived. Hood was hit in the right arm, which was amputated. Armide and Minerve struck at about noon; Gloire ran but was caught by Mars and struck at 15:00. All four frigates were new and were taken into the Royal Navy; Minerve became HMS Alceste.