Action of 13 January 1797

Overview

The action of 13 January 1797 was a minor naval battle fought between a French ship of the line and two British frigates off the coast of Brittany during the French Revolutionary Wars. During the action the frigates outmanoeuvred the much larger French vessel and drove it onto shore in heavy seas, resulting in the deaths of between 400 and 1,000 of the 1,300 persons aboard. One of the British frigates was also lost in the engagement with six sailors drowned after running onto a sandbank while failing to escape a lee shore.

Overview adapted from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Significance

The action of 13 January 1797 was a minor engagement off Brittany in which two British frigates neutralized a French ship of the line by driving it ashore in heavy seas. The loss of a French vessel of the line, along with between 400 and 1,000 of the approximately 1,300 persons aboard, represented a disproportionate blow given the small British force involved. The engagement also cost the British one frigate and six sailors, lost on a sandbank while attempting to clear a lee shore, illustrating the hazard that coastal waters and heavy weather posed to both sides regardless of tactical success.

Tactics

Forces & casualties

Commanders (4)