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{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2017}}

{{Short description|Battle during the American Revolutionary War}}
{{Infobox military conflict
| conflict          = Battle of Porto Praya
| partof            = the [[American Revolutionary War]]
| image             = Battle of Porto Praya.jpg
| image_size        = 300
| caption           = ''Combat de la baie de la Praia dans l'île de Santiago au Cap Vert, le 16 avril 1781'', by [[Pierre-Julien Gilbert]] (1783–1860)
| date              = 16 April 1781
| place             = [[Praia]], [[Portuguese Cape Verde|Portuguese Colony of Cape Verde]]
| coordinates       = {{coord|14|54|26.27|N|23|30|17.66|W|type:country_scale:10000000_region:CV|display=inline}}
| casus             = 
| territory         = 
| result            = See [[#Aftermath|aftermath]]
| combatant1        = {{flagcountry|Kingdom of Great Britain}}
| combatant2        = {{flagcountry|Kingdom of France}}
| commander1        = [[George Johnstone (royal navy)|George Johnstone]]
| commander2        = [[Pierre Andre de Suffren Saint Tropez|Bailli de Suffren]]
| strength1         = 5 [[ships of the line]]
| strength2         = 5 [[ships of the line]]
| casualties1       = 36 killed<br>147 wounded
| casualties2       = 93 killed<br />217 wounded{{sfnp|Caron|1996|p=165}}
| campaignbox       = {{Campaignbox American War of Independence: European Waters}}
}}

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 (Royal Navy)|Commodore]] [[George Johnstone (Royal Navy officer)|George Johnstone]] and a French squadron under the [[Pierre Andre de Suffren Saint Tropez|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 Portuguese [[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 [[Isle of France (Mauritius)|Île de France]] (now [[Mauritius]]).

==Background==
France had entered the [[American Revolutionary War]] in 1778, and Britain declared war on the [[Dutch Republic]] in late 1780, when the Dutch refused to stop trading with the French and the Americans. Johnstone was ordered to lead an expedition to capture the Dutch colony at the Cape of Good Hope.

On 13 March 1781 Johnstone sailed from [[Spithead]] with a fleet of 37 ships, including five [[ships of the line]], three [[frigates]], and a large number of troop convoy ships.  In early April the fleet anchored in the neutral harbour of Porto Praya in the [[Portugal|Portuguese]]-controlled Cape Verde Islands to take on water and supplies.

Suffren had been dispatched on a mission to provide military assistance to French and Dutch colonies in [[India]], leading a fleet of five ships of the line, seven transports, and a corvette to escort the transports. On 22 March he had sailed in the company of a fleet destined for North America under [[François Joseph Paul de Grasse|Admiral de Grasse]], with word of Johnstone's mission and an objective to reach the Cape first.

One of Suffren's ships, ''[[French ship Artésien|Artésien]]'', had originally been destined for America, and was in need of water, so the French fleet paused when it approached [[Santiago, Cape Verde|Santiago]] on 16 April, and Suffren ordered the ''Artésien'' to the harbour.

==Battle==

When the ''Artésien'' reached the [[Praia Harbour|mouth of the harbour]], she spotted the British fleet at anchor, and signalled Suffren that the enemy was in sight. Suffren, assuming (correctly) that the fleet had men ashore and would be in some disarray, immediately gave orders to attack, leading the way with his flagship, the ''[[French ship Héros (1778)|Héros]]''. Johnstone, who was in the process of ordering ship manoeuvres to separate ships that had drifted too close to one another when the French squadron was spotted, had to scramble to prepare the fleet for battle.

Suffren's orders were for his line to anchor before the British fleet and open fire. This he did with ''Héros'', taking on {{HMS|Hero|1759|2}} and {{HMS|Monmouth|1772|2}}, the two largest British ships. ''[[French ship Annibal (1779)|Annibal]]'' soon came to his aid, and eventually drew most of the fire. ''Artésien'', whose captain was killed early in the engagement, captured the East Indiaman {{ship||Hinchinbrooke|1780 ship|2}} in the confusion,<ref>Demerliac (1996), p.147, #1228.</ref> and then a breeze blew her away from the action. The ''[[French ship Vengeur (1765)|Vengeur]]'' passed along the anchored British fleet exchanging broadsides but never anchored herself and passed out of the action, while the ''[[French ship Sphinx|Sphinx]]'' also failed to anchor, and only contributed minimally to the action.

Suffren, with the advantage of surprise, maintained the action with the two anchored ships for ninety minutes until damage (''Annibal'' lost two of three masts) led him to signal a retreat while maintaining fire. ''Annibal'' lost her third mast on her way out of the harbour, and was slow to follow ''Héros''.

The French captured the [[East Indiaman|East Indiamen]] ''Hinchinbrook'' and [[Fortitude (1780 EIC ship)|''Fortitude'']], the fireship ''Infernal'' and the victualer ''Edward''. The British however recaptured them all over the next few days.<ref name=Theal/>

{{Gallery
 |title=
 |align=center
 |File:Plan de la bataille de Porto Praya le 16 avril 1781.jpg|A map of the battle with the major ship movements
 |File:Combat de la Praya 16 04 1781.jpg|Post-war depiction by [[Auguste-Louis de Rossel de Cercy|Rossel de Cercy]]
}}

==Aftermath==
Suffren gathered his fleet together outside the harbour to assess damage and make repairs. ''Terror'' and ''Infernal'' had got out to sea and the French fired on them. Despite being set on fire, ''Terror'' escaped and her crew extinguished the flames. The French captured ''Infernal'',<ref>Demerliac (1996), p.147, #1229.</ref> and took out Captain [[Henry D'Esterre Darby|Henry Darby]] and some sailors and soldiers.<ref name=Hepper/>

Johnstone got his squadron ready and came out of the harbour in pursuit about three hours later. Suffren adopted an aggressive line, and Johnstone, some of whose ships — especially {{HMS|Isis|1774|2}} — had suffered significant damage, chose not to renew the battle, and returned to the harbour to effect repairs. However, before he returned, he succeeded in recovering ''Infernal''.<ref name=Hepper>Hepper (1994), p.62.</ref> Her remaining crew had recaptured her while the prize crew were off their guard.<ref name=Theal>Theal (1897), p.181.</ref> Alternatively, her prize crew abandoned her at the approach of the British squadron.<ref>Marshall (1823), Vol. 1, pp.268-9.</ref> Their prize crews also abandoned {{ship||Hinchinbrook|1780 ship|2}} and ''Edward'', and the British recovered the vessels a few days later.<ref name=Theal/>

Suffren's squadron reached the Cape of Good Hope on 21 June, with the troop convoys arriving nine days later. After spending a month there for repair and refit, he left 500 men for the defence of the Dutch colony and proceeded on to Ile de France. Johnstone, however, still headed for the Cape and arrived in July and at [[Saldanha Bay]] [[Battle of Saldanha Bay (1781)|took five Dutch East Indies vessels as prizes]]. He then made his way back to England.

== Order of battle ==
{| class="wikitable" width=100%
|-valign="top"
!colspan="8" bgcolor="white"|Captain Suffren's squadron {{sfnp|Cunat|1852|p=52}}
|- valign="top"
! width=20%; align= center rowspan=2 | Ship
! width=5%; align= center rowspan=2 | Guns
! width=25%; align= center rowspan=2 | Commander
! width=17%; align= center colspan=3 | Casualties
! width=33%; align= center rowspan=2 | Notes
|-valign="top"
! width=6%; align= center | Killed
! width=6%; align= center | Wounded
! width=6%; align= center | Total
|- valign="center"
| align= left    | ''[[French ship Héros (1778)|Héros]]''
| align= center  | 74
| align= left    | Captain '''[[Pierre André de Suffren]]''' <br />Captain [[Félix d'Hesmivy de Moissac]]
| align= right   | 23
| align= right   | 87
| align= right   | 110 {{sfnp|Caron|1996|p=165}}
| align= left    | Damaged
|- style="vertical-align:top;"
<!--Third Division-->
| align= left    | ''[[French ship Annibal (1779)|Annibal]]''
| align= center  | 74
| align= left    | Captain [[Achille de Trémigon]]{{KIA}}
| align= right   | 70
| align= right   | 130
| align= right   | 200 {{sfnp|Caron|1996|p=165}}
| align= left    | Damaged and dismasted. First officer [[Justin Bonaventure Morard de Galles|Morard de Galles]] and Lieutenant [[Jean-Marie Huon de Kermadec|Huon de Kermadec]] wounded.
|- style="vertical-align:top;"
<!--Third Division-->
| align= left    | ''[[French ship Artésien|Artésien]]''
| align= center  | 64
| align= left    | Captain [[Paul de Cardaillac de Lomné]]{{KIA}}
| align= right   |
| align= right   |
| align= right   |
| align= left    |
|- style="vertical-align:top;"
<!--Third Division-->
| align= left    | ''[[French ship Vengeur (1765)|Vengeur]]''
| align= center  | 64
| align= left    | Captain [[Charles Gaspard Hyacinthe de Forbin La Barben]]
| align= right   |
| align= right   |
| align= right   |
| align= left    |
|- style="vertical-align:top;"
<!--Third Division-->
| align= left    | [[French ship Sphinx (1776)|''Sphinx'']]
| align= center  | 64
| align= left    | Captain [[Charles Louis du Chilleau de La Roche]]
| align= right   |
| align= right   |
| align= right   |
| align= left    |
|- style="vertical-align:top;"
!colspan="11" bgcolor="white"|Casualties: 93 killed, 217 wounded, 310 total {{sfnp|Caron|1996|p=165}}
|}

Three frigates, the corvette [[HMS Fortune (1778)|''Fortune'']],<ref>{{in lang|fr}} [http://www.mandragore2.net/dico/lexique2/lexique2.php?page=vaisseau Un raid à La Praya]</ref> and numerous transports did not engage.

{| class="wikitable" border="1" style="width:100%;"
|- style="vertical-align:top;"
!colspan="11" bgcolor="white"|British squadron
|- valign="top"|- style="vertical-align:top;"
! width=20%; align= center rowspan=2 | Ship
! width=5%; align= center rowspan=2 | Guns
! width=25%; align= center rowspan=2 | Commander
! width=17%; align= center colspan=3 | Casualties
! width=33%; align= center rowspan=2 | Notes
|-valign="top"
! width=6%; align= center | Killed
! width=6%; align= center | Wounded
! width=6%; align= center | Total
|- style="vertical-align:top;"
| align= left    | {{HMS|Hero|1759|6}}
| align= center  | 74
| align= left    | Captain [[James Hawker (Royal Navy officer)|James Hawker]]
| align= right   |
| align= right   |
| align= right   |
| align= left    |
|- style="vertical-align:top;"
| align= left    | {{HMS|Monmouth|1772|6}}
| align= center  | 64
| align= left    | Captain [[James Alms]]
| align= right   |
| align= right   |
| align= right   |
| align= left    |
|- style="vertical-align:top;"
| align= left    | {{HMS|Isis|1774|6}}
| align= center  | 50
| align= left    | Captain [[Evelyn Sutton]]
| align= right   |
| align= right   |
| align= right   |
| align= left    |
|- style="vertical-align:top;"
| align= left    | {{HMS|Jupiter|1778|6}}
| align= center  | 50
| align= left    | Captain [[Sir Thomas Pasley, 1st Baronet|Thomas Pasley]]
| align= right   |
| align= right   |
| align= right   |
| align= left    |
|- style="vertical-align:top;"
| align= left    | {{HMS|Romney|1762|6}}
| align= center  | 50
| align= left    | Commodore '''[[George Johnstone (Royal Navy officer)|George Johnstone]]'''<br />Captain [[Roddam Home]]
| align= right   |
| align= right   |
| align= right   |
| align= left    |
|- style="vertical-align:top;"
| align= left    | {{HMS|Jason|1763|6}}
| align= center  | 32
| align= left    | Captain [[James Pigott (Royal Navy officer)|James Pigott]]
| align= right   |
| align= right   |
| align= right   |
| align= left    |
|- style="vertical-align:top;"
| align= left    | {{HMS|Active|1780|6}}
| align= center  | 32
| align= left    | Captain [[Thomas Mackenzie (Royal Navy officer)|Thomas Mackenzie]]
| align= right   |
| align= right   |
| align= right   |
| align= left    |
|- style="vertical-align:top;"
| align= left    | {{HMS|Diana|1757|6}}
| align= center  | 32
| align= left    | Captain [[Sir William Chaloner Burnaby, 2nd Baronet|Sir William Burnaby]]
| align= right   |
| align= right   |
| align= right   |
| align= left    |
|- style="vertical-align:top;"
| align= left    | {{HMS|Lark|1779|6}}
| align= center  | 14
| align= left    | Lieutenant [[Philippe d'Auvergne]]
| align= right   |
| align= right   |
| align= right   |
| align= left    |
|- style="vertical-align:top;"
| align= left    | {{HMS|Infernal|1778|6}}
| align= center  | 8
| align= left    | Commander [[Henry D'Esterre Darby]]
| align= right   |
| align= right   |
| align= right   |
| align= left    |
|- style="vertical-align:top;"
| align= left    | {{HMS|Terror|1779|6}}
| align= center  | 8
| align= left    | Commander [[Charles Wood (Royal Navy officer)|Charles Wood]]
| align= right   |
| align= right   |
| align= right   |
| align= left    |
|- style="vertical-align:top;"
| align= left    | {{HMS|Rattlesnake|1777|6}}
| align= center  | 14
| align= left    | Commander [[Peter Clements (Royal Navy officer)|Peter Clements]]
| align= right   |
| align= right   |
| align= right   |
| align= left    |
|- style="vertical-align:top;"
| align= left    | {{HMS|Porto|1780|6}}
| align= center  | 16
| align= left    | Commander [[Thomas Charles Lumley]]
| align= right   |
| align= right   |
| align= right   |
| align= left    |
|- style="vertical-align:top;"
| align= left    | [[HM armed ship San Carlos|''San Carlos'']]
| align= center  | 20
| align= left    | Commander [[John Boyle (Royal Navy officer)|John Boyle]]
| align= right   |
| align= right   |
| align= right   |
| align= left    | Armed ship
|- style="vertical-align:top;"
| align= left    | [[HM armed transport Pondicherry|''Pondicherry'']]
| align= center  | 20
| align= left    | Lieutenant [[Thomas Saunders Grove]]
| align= right   |
| align= right   |
| align= right   |
| align= left    | Armed transport
|- style="vertical-align:top;"
| align= left    | [[HM hired armed ship Royal Charlotte|''Royal Charlotte'']]
| align= center  | 20
| align= left    | Commander [[Thomas Stanhope Bennett]]
| align= right   |
| align= right   |
| align= right   |
| align= left    | Hired armed ship
|}

===Armed transports===
* ''Lord Townsend''
* ''Manilla''
* ''Porpoise''
<ref name=LL1250>[http://hdl.handle.net/2027/mdp.39015004281559?urlappend=%3Bseq=55 ''Lloyd's List'' no. 1250 - accessed 2 August 2015]</ref>

===East Indiamen===
* {{ship||Asia|1780 EIC ship|2}}
* {{ship||Chapman|1777 ship|2}}
* {{ship||Essex|1780 EIC ship|2}}
* {{ship||Fortitude|1780 EIC ship|2}} (Captain Grigory) <ref name=cunat54>Cunat, p. 54</ref>
* ''Hastings''
* ''Hinchinbrook''
* ''Latham''
* {{ship||Locko|1780 EIC ship|2}}
* ''Lord North''
* {{ship||Osterley|1780 EIC ship|2}}
* {{ship||Queen|1767|2}}
* ''Southampton''
* {{ship||Valentine|1780 EIC ship|2}}
<ref name=LL1250/>

== Legacy ==
The [[Agosta-class submarine|''Agosta''-class submarine]] ''La Praya'' (S 622) was named in honour of the battle.<ref>{{cite web |title=Sous-marin La Praya |url=http://www.netmarine.net/bat/smarins/lapraya/index.htm |website=Net-Marine |access-date=26 April 2020}}</ref>

==Notes==
{{Reflist|group=Note}}

==Citations==
{{Reflist|30em}}

==References==
* {{cite book |last1=Caron |first1=François |author-link1=François Caron (French Navy officer)|title=Le Mythe Suffren |date=1996 |publisher=Service historique de la Marine |location=Vincennes}}
* {{cite book |last1=Cunat |first1=Charles |author-link1=Charles Cunat|title=Histoire du Bailli de Suffren |date=1852 |publisher=A. Marteville et Lefas |location=Rennes |pages=[https://archive.org/details/histoiredubaill00torpgoog/page/n437 447] |url=https://archive.org/details/histoiredubaill00torpgoog}}
* Demerliac, Alain (1996) ''La Marine De Louis XVI: Nomenclature Des Navires Français De 1774 À 1792''. (Nice: Éditions OMEGA). {{ISBN|2-906381-23-3}}
* {{cite book|last=Hepper|first=David J.|year=1994|title=British Warship Losses in the Age of Sail, 1650-1859|publisher=Jean Boudriot|location=Rotherfield|isbn=0-948864-30-3}}
* {{cite book |last1=Lacour-Gayet |first1=G.|title=La marine militaire de la France sous le règne de Louis XV |date=1910 |publisher=Honoré Champion |location=Paris |url=https://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/bpt6k1181278.texteImage}}
* Theal, George McCall (1897) ''History of South Africa under the administration of the Dutch East India Company, 1652 to 1795''. (S. Sonnenschein & co., Ptd.).
* [https://archive.org/details/finalfrenchstru02mallgoog <!-- quote=Malleson final french struggles. --> Final French Struggles in India and on the Indian Seas]

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:1782 in Africa]]
[[Category:18th century in Cape Verde]]
[[Category:Conflicts in 1782]]
[[Category:History of Santiago, Cape Verde]]
[[Category:Naval battles of the American Revolutionary War involving France]]
[[Category:Naval battles of the American Revolutionary War involving Great Britain]]
[[Category:Naval battles of the Anglo-French War (1778–1783)]]
[[Category:Naval battles of the East Indies Campaign]]