Action of 20 October 1778

Overview

The action of 20 October 1778 was an inconclusive engagement between the French ship-of-the-line Triton and British ship-of-the-line Jupiter with a frigate Medea that took place off Cape Finisterre in the Bay of Biscay. Darkness separated the combatants before any decisive result was obtained.

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

Significance

The action of 20 October 1778 produced no decisive result. The French ship-of-the-line Triton engaged the British ship-of-the-line Jupiter and frigate Medea off Cape Finisterre in the Bay of Biscay, but darkness intervened before either side could gain an advantage. The engagement thus settled nothing operationally, leaving the balance of forces in the area unchanged in the early months of the Anglo-French War of 1778–1783.

Tactics

Commanders (3)