Battle of Grand Port

20–27 August 1810, Grand Port, Mauritius (Île de France)

French victory; four British frigates lost

The French frigates based on Mauritius had been taking East Indiamen for years, and the British were preparing to invade. Captain Nesbit Willoughby in Néréide had seized the island at the entrance to Grand Port when Commodore Duperré's squadron came back with two captured Indiamen and slipped into the harbour. Captain Samuel Pym brought in Sirius, Magicienne and Iphigenia to attack, but the channel through the coral was narrow and twisting and none of them had a pilot. Sirius and Magicienne ran aground before they could get into action, and Néréide grounded within range of the French ships. Néréide was fought until almost every man aboard was killed or wounded and Willoughby had lost an eye; she struck on the morning of the 24th. Sirius and Magicienne were burned by their crews. Iphigenia warped out, only to find Hamelin's squadron waiting at the harbour mouth, and surrendered. It was the only French naval victory of the war and is carved on the Arc de Triomphe. Four months later a British army took Mauritius and every ship in it.