Battle of San Domingo

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Part of the Napoleonic Wars

'Duckworth's Action off San Domingo, 6 February 1806' by Nicholas Pocock

Date	6 February 1806
Location	Off Santo Domingo, near Hispaniola
Result	British victory

Belligerents

United Kingdom

First French Empire

Commanders

Vice-Admiral Sir John Thomas Duckworth

Rear-Admiral Leissegues

Strength

Seven ships of the line and four others

Five ships of the line and three others

Casualties and losses

74 dead,
264 wounded

1,510 captured, killed or wounded
three ships captured,
two wrecked

The naval Battle of San Domingo was fought on 6 February 1806 near Santo Domingo, off the Caribbean island of Hispaniola, when a British squadron under Vice-Admiral Duckworth defeated a smaller French squadron under Rear-Admiral Leissegues.

The French squadron of five ships of the line had escaped the British blockade of Brest late the previous year and been chased to the West Indies by Duckworth.

The French ships, not quite ready to sail, and with part of their crews ashore (including Rear-Admiral Leissegues), weighed anchor after seeing the British ships approach. The British ships moved to cut them off and cross their "T". After forming line of battle, the British ships caught up and, after a tough fight lasting two hours, captured three of the French ships, while Impérial 130 and then Diomède 74 went aground and were wrecked, and then burnt about two days later. The three smaller French ships then escaped and weren't pursued. Agamemnon lagged behind for much of the battle, and the smaller British ships weren't involved.

Jupiter was taken into the Royal Navy and renamed Maida, while Brave sank on her way back to England. The British suffered 74 killed and 264 wounded, the French suffered perhaps 1,510 casualties.

Ships involved:

[edit] Britain (John Duckworth)

Windward line
Superb 74 (flag) - six killed, 56 wounded
Northumberland 74 - Damaged, 21 killed, 79 wounded
Spencer 74 - Damaged, 18 killed, 50 wounded
Agamemnon 64 - one killed, 13 wounded
Lee line (Canopus was abeam of Spencer)
Canopus 80 (Captain Francis William Austen) - eight killed, 22 wounded
Donegal 74 - Damaged, 12 killed, 33 wounded
Atlas 74 - Damaged, eight killed, 11 wounded
Line to windward
Acasta 40 (frigate)
Magicienne 36 (frigate)
Kingfisher 16 (ship-sloop)
Epervier 14 (brig)

[edit] France (Leissegues)

Line of battle
Alexandre 80 (Captain Pierre-Elie Garreau) - Captured
Impérial 130 (flag, captain Julien-Gabriel Bigot) - Wrecked, burnt
Diomède 74 - Wrecked, burnt
Jupiter 74 - Captured
Brave 74 - Captured
Inshore line
Félicité (frigate)
Cornelie (frigate)
Diligente (ship-corvette)