Action of 11 September 1779 facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Action of 11 September 1779 |
|||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of the War of the American Independence | |||||||
|
|||||||
| Belligerents | |||||||
 France |
 Great Britain |
||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
| unknown | Thomas Mackenzie | ||||||
| Strength | |||||||
| Frigate Amazone (36 guns) | Post ship Ariel (24 guns) | ||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||
| light | Ariel captured | ||||||
The action of 11 September 1779 was a small but important naval battle. It happened near Charles Town, South Carolina. This event was part of the War of American Independence. The battle was fought between the French Navy and the Royal Navy of Great Britain. It ended with the French capturing a British ship.
Contents
The Battle Begins
On September 11, 1779, the British ship Ariel was sailing near Charles Town. Captain Thomas Mackenzie was in charge of the Ariel. He saw another ship and decided to get closer to see what it was.
Captain Mackenzie did not know that a French fleet was in the area. This fleet was led by Admiral d'Estaing. The French ships had just arrived from the West Indies.
A Surprising Discovery
As Captain Mackenzie got closer, he realized something important. The ship he saw was a large French frigate. It was also sailing with two smaller ships called brigs and a schooner. The French ships did not respond to his signals.
Mackenzie knew he was in trouble. He tried to escape towards the shore of Georgia. But the French frigate was faster. It slowly caught up to the Ariel.
Forced to Fight
Captain Mackenzie had no choice but to fight. The enemy ship was the French frigate Amazone. It had 36 guns, which was more than the Ariel's 24 guns.
The battle lasted for about 90 minutes. The Ariel was badly damaged. It lost its mizzen-mast, which is a mast at the back of the ship. All its ropes and sails were also damaged. Four of Mackenzie's men were killed, and 20 more were hurt.
Ariel is Captured
Because of the heavy damage and many injuries, Captain Mackenzie surrendered. The French captured the Ariel. Admiral d'Estaing quickly exchanged the captured British sailors for French prisoners. These British sailors then went to serve on other British ships.
The French Navy took the captured Ariel into their own service. They kept the name Ariel for the ship.
Ariel's Later Service
After the battle, the Ariel needed many repairs. It was fixed and refitted in a place called Lorient between March and October 1780.
In October 1780, the French lent the Ariel to the American Continental Navy. It served for a short time as USS Ariel. During this time, it was commanded by the famous American naval officer John Paul Jones.
