Action of 1778/10/20, 20th October 1778

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Action of 1778-10-20

20th October 1778
Part of : The American War of Independence (1775/04/19 - 1784/01/14)
Previous action : Capture of the Raleigh 27.9.1778
Next action : Battle of St. Lucia 14.12.1778 - 15.12.1778
 

Great Britain

 
Ship NameCommanderNotes
Jupiter (50) 1778-1808
British 50 Gun
4th Rate Ship of the Line
Lord Francis ReynoldsBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1752-1787
3 killed, 7 wounded
Medea (28) 1778-1805
British 28 Gun
6th Rate Frigate
James MontaguBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1771-1794
1 killed, 3 wounded
 

Royaume de France

 
Ship NameCommanderNotes
Le Triton (64) 1747-1794
French 64 Gun
3rd Rate Ship of the Line
Ligondes (Comte de Ligondes)French
Naval Sailor
,
de RoquartFrench
Naval Sailor
13 killed, about 20 wounded
 

Notes on Action


DescriptionTRN4
On October 20th 1778, the Jupiter, 50, Captain Francis Reynolds, and the Medea, 28, Captain James Montagu, whilst cruising off Finisterre, fell in with the French line-of-battle ship, Triton, 64, Captain Comte de Ligondes. The Jupiter ranged up on one board, the Medea on the other, about nightfall, and cannonaded the Triton hotly. The French captain succeeded in turning the same broadside to both his assailants, but after about an hour's fighting was wounded in either arm and had to hand over the command to Lieut, de Roquart. The engagement lasted two hours, before a squall of wind and rain, and the impenetrable darkness of the night separated the combatants. The Triton had thirteen killed and about twenty wounded: she had fifty shot in her hull or masts: and her sails and rigging were much cut up. According to Captain Reynolds she stood off and abandoned the battle, though the Medea had been struck by a 36-pound shot on the bows below the water-line and was virtually out of action after the first half-hour. The Jupiters loss was three killed and seven wounded; the Medea's loss was one killed and three wounded.
Previous comments on this page

Posted by Tony Pratt on Friday 3rd of January 2025 11:46

The Captain's log of the Medea gives the name of the crewman killed and details of Medea's damage - 'Our loss in the Action was one Man killed & three wounded. (AM Buried James Lockington, found one of the Chain Plates shot away, Carpenter fixing a new one & stopping the hole in the Water.' [ADM 51/573 Part II ‘Journal of the Proceedings of His Majesty’s ship the Medea between the 25th July 1778 & the 31st of July 1779 by James Montagu Comm’]

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