Action of 18 October 1782
Action of 18 October 1782
The action of 18 October 1782 was a small naval battle during the American Revolutionary War, fought off the coast of Hispaniola in the Caribbean. The French ship Scipion, a 74-gun ship of the line, accompanied by the 40-gun frigate Sibylle, was chased by two British ships of the line, HMS London (98 guns) and HMS Torbay (74 guns).
On 17 October, off the coast near Santo Domingo, the British squadron spotted Scipion and Sibylle and gave chase. London and Scipion began a running fight, mostly with chase guns and occasional broadsides. Sibylle moved to help Scipion and attacked London’s bow, causing damage. As the evening wore on, Scipion maneuvered to get the better position and started raking London, firing along the length of the British ship and severely damaging her rigging. Torbay then came into action against Scipion, while London became entangled with Torbay.
Around 10:20 p.m., Scipion stopped firing and Sibylle escaped. London hoped to seize Scipion, but the British ship’s rigging was too damaged to close effectively. Scipion managed to gain wind and pull away. The chase continued through the night, with some firing back and forth, but by the morning of 18 October Torbay was still behind Scipion, now about a mile and a half.
Scipion headed for Samaná Bay in what is now the Dominican Republic and tried to anchor there. In the process she struck a rock and sank. Sibylle escaped the pursuit. The French crew survived largely intact.
Grimouard, the French captain who had been wounded, was later made a count by Louis XVI for his actions. Kempthorne, the British captain, faced a court martial for not bringing Scipion to battle, but was acquitted.
The engagement is considered inconclusive: Scipion was lost, but London and Torbay failed to capture or decisively defeat her.
This page was last edited on 3 February 2026, at 10:51 (CET).