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Great Britain - Naval Sailor Service 1744-1787 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| British warships | |||
| Ship Name | Commander | Notes | |
| Name : Romney (50)
1762-1804 British 50 Gun 4th Rate Ship of the Line | Roddam HomeBritish Naval Sailor Service 1772-1896 | Fleet Flagship | |
| Name : Hero (74)
1759-1810 British 74 Gun 3rd Rate Ship of the Line 1800 Renamed "Rochester" | James HawkerBritish Naval Sailor Service 1744-1784 | ||
| Name : Monmouth (64)
1772-1818 British 64 Gun 3rd Rate Ship of the Line 1796 Renamed "Captivity" | James AlmsBritish Naval Sailor Service 1739-1784 | ||
| Name : Isis (50)
1774-1810 British 50 Gun 4th Rate Ship of the Line | Evelyn SuttonBritish Naval Sailor Service 1765-1802 | ||
| Name : Jupiter (50)
1778-1808 British 50 Gun 4th Rate Ship of the Line | Thomas PasleyBritish Naval Sailor Service 1751-1805 | ||
| Name : Diana (32)
1757-1793 British 32 Gun 5th Rate Frigate | Sir William Chaloner Burnaby (2nd Baronet Burnaby of Broughton Hall)British Naval Sailor Service 1757-1782 | ||
| Name : Jason (28)
1763-1785 British 28 Gun 5th Rate Frigate | James PigotBritish Naval Sailor Service 1761-1810 | ||
| Name : Active (32)
1780-1796 British 32 Gun 5th Rate Frigate | Thomas MackenzieBritish Naval Sailor Service 1765-1810 | ||
| Name : Apollo (32)
1763-1786 British 32 Gun 5th Rate Frigate 1774 Renamed "Apollo" | |||
| Name : | Philip d'AuvergneBritish Naval Sailor Service 1769-1814 | ||
| Name : Terror (8)
1779-1812 British 8 Gun Unrated Bomb Vessel | Charles WoodBritish , Naval Sailor Service 1748-1782 John WickeyBritish Naval Sailor Service 1778-1831 | ||
| Name : Infernal (8)
1778-1783 British 8 Gun Unrated Fireship | Henry d'Esterre DarbyBritish Naval Sailor Service 1776-1819 | ||
| British East-Indiamen | |||
13 Vessels in total: Asia, Chapman, Essex, Fortitude, Hastings, Hinchinbrook, Latham, Locko, Lord North, Osterley, Queen, Southampton., Valentine | |||
| Ship Name | Commander | Notes | |
| Name : Asia (Unknown)
1780-1802 British Unknown Gun Merchant East Indiaman | Robert MawBritish Merchant Sailor Service 1777-1783 | ||
| Name : Chapman (Unknown)
1781-1793 British Unknown Gun Merchant East Indiaman | Thomas WalkerBritish Merchant Sailor Service 1780-1783 | ||
| Name : Fortitude (Unknown)
1780-1782 British Unknown Gun Merchant East Indiaman | Charles GregorieBritish Merchant Sailor Service 1780-1782 | Captured but retaken by her crew | |
| Name : Osterley (26)
1781-1800 British 26 Gun Merchant East Indiaman | |||
| Name : Locko (26)
1781-1788 British 26 Gun Merchant East Indiaman | |||
| Store ships | |||
8 storeships were supposed to be present | |||
| Ship Name | Commander | Notes | |
| Armed transports | |||
7 armed cruisers and 4 transports | |||
| Ship Name | Commander | Notes | |
| Name : Raikes (10)
1780-1782 British 10 Gun Unrated Armed Troopship | Norris ThompsonBritish Naval Sailor Service 1762-1782 | ||
Royaume de France - Naval Sailor Service 1743-1788 | |||
| Ship in advance | |||
The Artesien was first assigned to Vice-Admiral d'Estaing fleet, planed to sail to West Indies. She then being lately assigned to Suffren's squadron. This is the reason why she was obliged to call in cabo verde islands in order to replenish her water store. The Artesien was the one who discovered the british fleet anchored in porto Praya and advised le Bailli de Suffen of it. | |||
| Ship Name | Commander | Notes | |
| Name : L'Artesien (64)
1765-1786 French 64 Gun 3rd Rate Ship of the Line | CardaillacyFrench , Naval Sailor Pas de Beaulieu French Naval Sailor Service 1781 | CO Cardaillacy killed in the beginning | |
| French battle line, Pierre-Andre de Suffren de Saint TropezFrench Naval Sailor Service 1743-1788 | |||
| Ship Name | Commander | Notes | |
| Name : L'Annibal (74)
1778-1794 French 74 Gun 3rd Rate Ship of the Line 1786 Renamed "Achille" | Barthélémy de TrémignonFrench †Naval Sailor Merchant Sailor Service 1757-1763 | CO Killed | |
| Name : Le Héros (74)
1778-1793 French 74 Gun 3rd Rate Ship of the Line | Fleet Flagship | ||
| Name : Le Vengeur (64)
1765-1785 French 64 Gun 3rd Rate Ship of the Line | |||
| Name : Le Sphinx (64)
1775-1802 French 64 Gun 3rd Rate Ship of the Line | |||
| Group of 3 French frigates | |||
| Ship Name | Commander | Notes | |
| Name : La Bellone (32)
1778-1798 French 32 Gun 5th Rate Frigate | Presence in this battle to be confirmed | ||
| Name : La Fine (32)
1779-1794 French 32 Gun 5th Rate Frigate | Armand Philippe Germain de Cajarc de Saint-Félix (Marquis de Maurémont)French Naval Sailor Service 1755-1810 | Presence in this battle to be confirmed | |
| Name : La Cléopâtre (32)
1781-1793 French 32 Gun 5th Rate Frigate | François Étienne de Rosily de Mesros (Comte de Mesros)French Naval Sailor Service 1778-1832 | Presence in this battle to be confirmed | |
| Convoyed Vessels | |||
7 merchantmen, 1 Swedish chartered vessel and initially 4 small vessels bound for Senegal. | |||
| Ship Name | Commander | Notes | |
| Ship Name | Commander | Notes | |
| Name : La Fortune (16)
1780-1789 French 16 Gun Unrated Corvette | |||
The Battle of Porto Praya was a naval battle that took place during the American Revolutionary War on 16 April 1781 between a British squadron under Commodore George Johnstone and a French squadron under the Bailli de Suffren.
Both squadrons were en route to the Cape of Good Hope, the British to take it from the Dutch, the French aiming to help defend it and French possessions in the Indian Ocean. The British convoy and its escorting squadron had anchored at Porto Praya (now Praia) in the Cape Verde Islands to take on water, when the French squadron arrived and attacked them at anchor.
Due to the unexpected nature of the encounter, neither fleet was prepared to do battle, and in the inconclusive battle the French fleet sustained more damage than the British, though no ships were lost. Johnstone tried to pursue the French, but was forced to call it off in order to repair the damage his ships had taken.
The French gained a strategic victory, because Suffren beat Johnstone to the Cape and reinforced the Dutch garrison before continuing on his journey to the Ile de France (now Mauritius).