Action of 5 September 1782 facts for kids
The Action of 5 September 1782 was a naval battle during the American Revolutionary War. It happened between two French warships, the frigates Aigle and Gloire, and a single British warship, HMS Hector. The battle lasted two days. The French ships badly damaged Hector. They almost captured her, but more British ships showed up. The French then left. A few days later, Hector sank during a big hurricane.
Quick facts for kids Action of 5 September 1782 |
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| Part of the American Revolutionary War | |||||||
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| Belligerents | |||||||
 France |
 Great Britain |
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| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
| Latouche Vallongue |
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| Strength | |||||||
| 2 frigates: Aigle Gloire |
74-gun HMS Hector | ||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||
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nine men killed and 33 wounded | ||||||
Contents
Why This Battle Happened
During the American Revolutionary War, France and America were allies. France helped America a lot with naval operations. Both France and Britain wanted to control the shipping lanes. These lanes were important for sending supplies, troops, and money to their armies in America.
Sometimes, warships were used to carry these important items. They might not have all their guns ready if they were full of cargo.
In April 1782, a combined French and Spanish fleet tried to invade Jamaica. A British fleet stopped them in the Battle of the Saintes. The British captured several ships, including Hector. In early September, Hector was sailing to Halifax with a small crew of British sailors.
Meanwhile, two French frigates, the 40-gun Aigle and the 32-gun Gloire, left France. They were carrying money and important officials for the French army in America.
The Battle Begins
On the night of September 4, 1782, the French ships Aigle and Gloire were sailing east of Long Island. They saw a large ship. It was HMS Hector.
Gloire sailed closer to Hector. Hector called out to Gloire, asking who they were. Gloire was worried about showing its back to the unknown ship. So, it fired its guns first. Hector fired back right away. The ships kept shooting without knowing who the other was.
The captain of Aigle, Latouche, quickly moved his ship closer. By then, the firing had stopped. Gloire and Hector were trying to figure out each other's nationality. Once they knew, the fighting started again!
Around 4:15 AM, Aigle took Gloire's place next to Hector. Aigle had bigger guns (24-pounders) than Gloire (12-pounders). Latouche realized Hector was a very large warship, at least a 64-gun ship.
Intense Fighting
Hector had more powerful guns. Latouche decided he wanted to try and board Hector instead of just shooting at her. But Hector managed to avoid him. At one point, Aigle and Hector were so close that their gunners could hit each other through the gunports!
While this was happening, Gloire sailed around Hector. It fired at Hector's front and back, causing a lot of damage. The battle continued until morning. By then, Hector had lost all her masts and was very hard to control.
Latouche thought he was winning the battle. But then, his lookouts saw several more ships in the distance. At least one of them was clearly another large warship. Latouche decided it was too risky to continue. He broke off the fight and continued his mission.
What Happened Next
The ships Aigle and Gloire had spotted the rest of a British convoy. On September 17, a huge hurricane hit the British ships. Hector had already been badly damaged in the battle. The hurricane made things worse. On October 4, Hector sank. A privateer ship called Hawke rescued about 200 of her crew.
Latouche and the French ships continued their journey. They successfully delivered their passengers and money. However, Aigle was lost soon after. She ran aground in the Delaware River while trying to escape a British squadron. Latouche was captured. The British were able to fix Aigle and use her as HMS Aigle. Gloire managed to escape with another ship the French had captured.
See Also
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