Action of 15 September 1782 facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Action of 15 September 1782
Part of the American Revolutionary War
Date 15 September 1782 Location Delaware Bay Result British victory
Belligerents
Great Britain	France
Commanders and leaders
Captain George Elphinstone	Latouche Tréville (POW)
Strength
4 ships	3 ships
Casualties and losses
Light	1 ship captured, 600 prisoners

The Action of 15 September 1782 was a sea battle during the American Revolutionary War. It happened near the Delaware Bay. Four British Royal Navy ships, led by Captain George Elphinstone, chased and attacked three French warships. The French ships were led by Comte de la Touche Tréville. During the fight, the French frigate Aigle got stuck in the sand. It was captured by the British, along with its commander, Comte de la Touche.

What Happened Before

In early 1782, Captain Latouche-Tréville took command of the French ship Aigle. This ship, along with another frigate called Gloire, was carrying money and supplies. These supplies were for Admiral Vaudreil's fleet.

On September 5, 1782, Aigle and Gloire met a British ship named Hector. Hector was a former French ship that the British had captured. It had been badly damaged in an earlier battle. Hector managed to get away from the French ships. But it was damaged even more and later sank in a big hurricane.

A few days later, Aigle and Gloire chased a small British ship called HMS Bonetta. This chase lasted through the night of September 11. But Bonetta was able to escape. The next morning, the French ships saw another British ship, the brig HMS Racoon. Racoon did not realize the French ships were enemies until it was too late. After being attacked, Racoon had to surrender.

Latouche, the French commander, needed a local guide to help his ships. He asked for one, but no guide came. That night, the French ships dropped anchor. Gloire sent a small boat to Lewistown to find a guide, but the boat did not return.

On September 13, a small group of British ships spotted the French ships. This British group included HMS Vestal, HMS Bonetta, and a captured ship called Sophie. They were led by Captain George Elphinstone on his ship HMS Warwick. The British ships started to chase the French. Captain Elphinstone sent the smaller ships, Vestal, Bonetta, and Sophie, ahead. This was because they could sail in shallower water.

The Battle Begins

The British ships chased the French. Latouche tried to escape into shallow waters. He found out that the captured Racoon had a guide on board. Latouche offered the guide a lot of money to lead his ships to safety.

Aigle tried to enter a safe channel, but British ships blocked it. So, Aigle turned into a different channel. But this channel was blocked by a sandbank. The British ships stopped and waited for the tide to rise. Meanwhile, Gloire's boat finally returned with a guide. The guide told Latouche that his ships were in a bad spot. Latouche then started moving important people and money off the Aigle.

Around 10:00 AM on September 14, the British sent a message. They offered to trade prisoners. Latouche agreed and released the captain of Racoon. Soon after, British boats started moving closer. Latouche tried to move his ships deeper into the channel. He hoped to make them lighter so they could float over the sandbank.

Both Gloire and Aigle got stuck in the sand. But Gloire managed to get across. Aigle stayed stuck. Racoon crossed the sandbank easily.

Gloire got far enough up the river that the British could not attack it easily. The British ships had to sail through shallow areas without a guide. Captain Keats took charge of guiding the British ships through the shallow waters. They continued the chase for two days, slowly moving over sandbanks.

Aigle was still stuck. Most of Racoon's crew were now on Aigle. The British ships Vestal and Bonetta, which needed less water to float, got into good positions to attack Aigle. Vestal got stuck near the back of Aigle. Bonetta stopped about 200 yards away. Sophie stopped behind Aigle.

Latouche tried to make Aigle float again. He threw some of its cannons overboard and cut down its masts. But it didn't work. As the tide went down, Aigle tilted on its side. This made its remaining cannons useless. Latouche then started taking everyone off the ship. He also had holes made in the ship's hull to sink it. Finally, on September 15, he lowered the French flag, showing he surrendered.

Even though the French tried to sink Aigle, the British were able to make it float again. They took it into their own navy. Gloire and Racoon managed to escape.

After the Battle

The British captured Aigle and all of Racoon's crew. Some important French officers who were on Aigle managed to escape to shore. This included Comte de Rochambeau, who was the commander of the French army. The British also captured most of the money the ships were carrying.

The British added Aigle to their navy, keeping its name as HMS Aigle. Comte de La Touche, along with several French noblemen and about 600 sailors and soldiers, were captured. They were taken prisoner by the British Royal Navy crews, helped by some British soldiers who arrived late in the battle. Comte de La Touche-Tréville remained a prisoner for the rest of the war. Captain Elphinstone allowed Latouche to be reunited with his girlfriend. The ship Sophie was also taken into the navy, but it was sold two years later.