battle battle known battle virginia simply battle crucial naval battle american war independence took place near mouth chesapeake_bay september british fleet led rear admiral sir french fleet led rear admiral battle strategically decisive prevented royal_navy reinforcing evacuating forces lieutenant general lord virginia french able achieve control sea lanes british result reinforcement franco american army siege artillery french reinforcements proved decisive siege effectively securing independence presented july options attacking british forces new_york virginia admiral opted arriving end august learning sailed west_indies north_america french admiral sailed newport rhode_island admiral graves concluded going join forces sailing south new_york ships line graves arrived mouth early september fleet anchor bay hastily prepared fleet ships line battle sailed meet graves hour engagement took place hours lines fleets completely meet forward center sections lines fully engaging battle consequently fairly evenly matched british suffered casualties ship damage battle broke sun set british tactics battle subject contemporary historical debate days fleets sailed view preferring lure british away bay expected arrive carrying vital siege equipment september broke away british returned arrived graves returned new_york organize larger relief effort sail october days surrendered background early months pro british forces began concentrating virginia state previously experienced naval raids british forces led general charles arrived late southern army command june marched received confusing series orders general sir culminated directive establish fortified deep water port allow resupply sea response orders moved late july army began building fortifications presence british troops coupled general clinton desire port control chesapeake_bay essential naval objective sides generals george_washington respectively commanders continental_army met discuss potential operations british loyalists considered assault siege principal british base new_york_city operations british forces virginia options require assistance french fleet west_indies ship dispatched meet french rear admiral expected known haiti outlining possibilities requesting assistance private note indicated preference operation virginia generals moved forces white plains new_york study new_york defenses await news arrival fleets arrived august immediately dispatched response taking troops sailed entire fleet ships line sailing outside normal shipping lanes avoid notice arrived mouth chesapeake_bay august disembarked troops assist land blockade british frigates supposed patrol outside bay trapped inside bay arrival prevented british new_york learning strength fleet late british admiral tracking west_indies alerted departure uncertain french admiral destination believing return portion fleet europe detached rear admiral sir ships line orders find destination north_america ill sailed europe rest fleet order recover refit fleet avoid atlantic hurricane season sailing directly hood fleet arrived entrance august finding french ships sailed new_york colleague commander new_york fleet rear admiral sir spent weeks trying intercept convoy organized bring needed supplies hard currency france boston hood arrived new_york found graves port having failed intercept convoy ships line ready battle notified counterpart newport intentions planned arrival date sailed newport august ships line frigates transports carrying french armaments siege equipment deliberately sailed route order minimize possibility encounter british sail new_york pursuit washington meantime crossed hudson august leaving troops ruse delay potential general clinton assistance news departure led british realize probable target french fleets august graves moved ships line new_york harbor meet hood force taking command combined fleet ships graves sailed south arrived mouth september progress slow poor condition west_indies ships contrary claims admiral hood fleet fit month service necessitated repairs route graves concerned ships fleet europe particular difficulty battle lines form french british patrol frigates spotted fleet size fleet leading commander believe fleet smaller fleet admiral true size fleets apparent graves assumed joined forces prepared battle directed line bay mouth assisted winds north northeast detached ships blockade york farther bay ships anchor missing officers men boats british fleet sighted faced difficult proposition organizing line battle sailing incoming tide winds land features require opposite british fleet ships french fleet cut anchor lines began sailing bay noon tide leaving shore contingents ships boats ships seriously missing men guns manned ordered ships form line exited bay order speed regard normal sailing order admiral ships squadron ships ended ahead rest french line gap large british cut squadron rest french fleet fleets roughly facing sailing opposite order engage avoid known near mouth bay graves ordered fleet wear manoeuvre reversed line battle enabled line french fleet ships exited bay placed squadron hood aggressive commander rear line admiral van point fleets sailing generally east away bay winds north northeast lines approaching angle leading ships lines range ships rear far apart engage french firing advantage wind conditions meant open lower gun ports british leave theirs closed avoid water washing lower decks french fleet better state repair british fleet outnumbered british number ships total guns heavier guns capable throwing weight british fleet ships west_indies squadron heavily engaged poor condition graves point press potential advantage separated french van french centre rear closed distance british line closed distance van british observer wrote fleet french center permitted bear support van need lines actually reach parallel lines fully engage led graves conflicting signals interpreted critically differently admiral hood directing rear squadron graves intended options closing angle lines presented favourable option british commander manoeuvre bring ships closer limit firing ability bow guns potentially expose decks fire enemy ships graves hoisted signals line ahead ships slowly close gap line parallel enemy close action normally indicated ships turn directly approach enemy line turning appropriate distance reached combination signals resulted arrival ships range battle admiral hood interpreted instruction maintain line battle precedence signal close action consequence squadron close rapidly significantly engaged action battle hours fleets sighted british weather initiative opened attack battle began opening fire counterpart near head line action quickly general van center line fully engaged french practice known tended aim british masts rigging intent opponent mobility effects tactic apparent engagement head british line virtually impossible manage eventually fell line rest admiral drake squadron suffered heavy damage casualties severe taken ships angle approach british line played role damage sustained ships van exposed fire bow guns brought bear french french van took beating severe captain killed opening broadside admiral drake ships french van according french observer engaged seven vessels close quarters according french officer utterly unable battle having thirty pounders eighteen pounders fit use badly shot rescued timely intervention saint point close french admiral considered boarding action drake managed pull away gave chance target terrible foremast bad shape battle struck french pumps attempt afloat badly damaged shots wind water wind began shift british disadvantage gave signals van ahead french fleet engage fully engaged british van musket range want risk severe handling french presented stern finally begin pulling away british leaders interpreted retreat french van suffered obliged bear away follow british hung continuing fire long range prompted french officer write british engaged far simply order able fought sunset brought end fleets continuing roughly southeast away bay center lines engaged level damage casualties suffered noticeably ships rear squadrons entirely admiral hood reported ships fired shots ongoing conflicting signals left graves hood records signals given led immediate written debate eventual formal inquiry evening graves damage assessment noted french appearance near damage sustained fleet leaking virtually crippled mobility wrote perceived sailing english suffered greatly nonetheless graves maintained position night choice battle morning ongoing repairs clear graves unable attack day night september held council hood drake meeting hood graves supposedly exchanged words concerning conflicting signals hood proposed turning fleet graves rejected plan fleets continued drift eastward away september french fleet times gained advantage wind briefly threatened british renewed action french scouts fleet september turned fleet chesapeake_bay night arriving september found arrived days earlier graves ordered terrible scuttled september condition notified september french fleet learn line included fleet frigate captain making report counted ships council held day british decided attacking french truly state brought graves turned battered fleet new_york arriving september aftermath british fleet arrival new_york set panic loyalist population news defeat received london king wrote learning surrender knowledge defeat fleet nearly think empire ruined french success left firmly control chesapeake_bay completing addition capturing number smaller british vessels assigned smaller vessels assist transport washington forces head september graves clinton learned french fleet numbered ships news came dispatch september accompanied plea help relieve soon prepared hear worst repairs new_york admiral graves sailed new_york october ships line transports carrying troops relieve days surrendered general washington acknowledged importance role victory observed efforts land armies navy casting vote present contest eventual surrender led peace years later british recognition independent united_states_of_america admiral returned fleet west_indies major engagement ended franco spanish plans capture jamaica defeated taken prisoner battle flagship paris lost sea storm conducted england fleet commanded admiral graves graves despite controversy conduct battle continued serve rising admiral receiving irish analysis aspects battle subject contemporary historical debate beginning right battle september admiral graves issued memorandum use conflicting signals indicating signal line battle ahead time signal battle understood signal shall rendered strict adherence hood commentary written reverse copy observed eliminated possibility engaging enemy require british line instead maintained british fleet compact possible order critical moment advantage opening hood aid chief lesser officer court engage enemy contemporary writer critical terrible wrote water battle able officer head fleet terrible destroyed admiral critical graves tactics writing contracting line brought nineteen enemy fourteen disabled received gained complete victory defending behaviour sending fleet north_america wrote admiral america met sir near surrender prevented united_states_navy historian believed thwarted british fleet simply staying fleet size sufficient attempt graves force passage position points exposed clinton new_york blockade french graves successfully entered bay graves carrying siege equipment outnumbered graves sail support memorial cape henry memorial located virginia monument commemorating contribution sailors cause american independence memorial monument maintained national_park_service order battle sources consulted including memoir works dedicated battle containing detailed orders battle like list ship casualties french fleet reports french suffered casualties recorded killed wounded aboard exact order french lined exited bay uncertain notes observers wrote different sequences line finally formed recorded different configurations
Battle of the Chesapeake