Attack upon the Island of St. Kitts by de Grasse and de Bouillé 197
Hood sails for its Relief from Barbados 197
His Plan of procedure 198
Balked by an Accident 199
He Succeeds in dislodging de Grasse and taking the Anchorage left by the French 200
Unsuccessful Attempt by de Grasse to shake Hood's position 203
St. Kitts nevertheless compelled to Surrender owing to having insufficient Land Force 205
Hood Extricates himself from de Grasse's Superior Force and Retires 205
Rodney arrives from England and joins Hood 205
Project of French and Spaniards against Jamaica 206
De Grasse sails from Martinique with his whole Fleet and a large Convoy 207
Rodney's Pursuit 208
Partial Actions of April 9, 1782 209
British Pursuit continues 211
It is favored by the Lagging of two Ships in the French Fleet, April 11 211
An Accident that night induces de Grasse to bear down, and enables Rodney to force Action 212
The Battle of April 12 begins 214
A Shift of Wind enables the British to Break the French Order in three places 217
Consequences of this Movement 218
Resultant Advantages to the British 219
Practices of the opposing Navies in regard to the Aims of Firing 219
Consequences Illustrated in the Injuries received respectively 220
Inadequate Use made by Rodney of the Advantage gained by his Fleet 220
Hood's Criticisms 220
Hood's Opinion shared by Sir Charles Douglas, Rodney's Chief-of-Staff 222
Rodney's own Reasons for his Course after the Battle 222
His Assumptions not accordant with the Facts 223
Actual Prolonged Dispersion of the French Fleet 224
Hood, Detached in Pursuit, Captures a small French Squadron 224
Rodney Superseded in Command before the news of the victory reached England 225
The general War Approaches its End 226
CHAPTER XIII
HOWE AGAIN GOES AFLOAT. THE FINAL RELIEF OF GIBRALTAR
1782
Howe appointed to Command Channel Fleet 227
Cruises first in North Sea and in Channel 228
The Allied Fleets in much superior force take Position in the Chops of the Channel, but are successfully evaded by Howe 229
The British Jamaica Convoy also escapes them 229
Howe ordered to Relieve Gibraltar 229
Loss of the Royal George, with Kempenfelt 229
Howe Sails 229
Slow but Successful Progress 230
Great Allied Fleet in Bay of Gibraltar 230
Howe's Success in Introducing the Supplies 231
Negligent Mismanagement of the Allies 231
Partial Engagement when Howe leaves Gibraltar 232
Estimate of Howe's Conduct, and of his Professional Character 232
French Eulogies 232
CHAPTER XIV
THE NAVAL OPERATIONS IN THE EAST INDIES, 1778–1783. THE CAREER OF THE BAILLI DE SUFFREN
Isolation characteristic of Military and Naval Operations in India 234
Occurrences in 1778 234
Sir Edward Hughes sent to India with a Fleet, 1779 235
The Years prior to 1781 Uneventful 235
A British Squadron under Commodore Johnstone sent in 1781 to seize Cape of Good Hope 236
A Week Later, a French Squadron under Suffren sails for India 236
Suffren finds Johnstone Anchored in Porto Praya, and attacks at once 237
The immediate Result Indecisive, but the Cape of Good Hope is saved by Suffren arriving first 238
Suffren reaches Mauritius, and the French Squadron sails for India under Comte d'Orves 239
D'Orves dies, leaving Suffren in Command 240
Trincomalee, in Ceylon, captured by Hughes 240
First Engagement between Hughes and Suffren, February 17, 1782 240
Second Engagement, April 12 242
Third Engagement, July 6 244
Suffren captures Trincomalee 247
Hughes arrives, but too late to save the place 247
Fourth Engagement between Hughes and Suffren, September 3 248
Having lost Trincomalee, Hughes on the change of monsoon is compelled to go to Bombay 251
Reinforced there by Bickerton 251
Suffren winters in Sumatra, but regains Trincomalee before Hughes returns. Also receives Reinforcements 251
The British Besiege Cuddalore 252
Suffren Relieves the Place 253
Fifth Engagement between Hughes and Suffren, June 20, 1783 253
Comparison between Hughes and Suffren 254
News of the Peace being received, June 29, Hostilities in India cease 255
Glossary of Nautical and Naval Terms used in this Book 257
Index 267
LIST OF MAPS
Lake Champlain and Connected Waters 8
New York and New Jersey: to illustrate Operations of 1776, 1777, and 1778 40
Narragansett Bay 70
Leeward Islands (West Indies) Station 99
Island of Santa Lucia 101
Island of Martinique 164
Peninsula of India, and Ceylon 234
North Atlantic Ocean. General Map to illustrate Operations in the War of American Independence 280
LIST OF BATTLE-PLANS
D'Orvilliers