Action of 1695-01-18
Notes on Action
Description of the Action taken from "Battles of the British Navy"
On the 27th of January, a squadron of six frigates, commanded by Commodore James Killegrew, in the 60-gun ship Plymouth, being between Cape Bona, on the Barbary coast, and Pantellaria, discovered two large French ships, Which proved to be the Content, of sixty guns, Captain the Marquis du Chalard, and the Trident, fifty-two guns. Captain Count d'Aulnoy. The French, mistaking the frigates for merchant-ships, made sail towards them: but discovering their error, hauled to the wind and endeavoured to escape. Commodore Killegrew chased, and the Plymouth outsailing the other ships of the squadron, at 4h. p.m. got within gun-shot of the French ships, upon which she gallantly opened fire. For more than an hour this ship, unsupported, maintained a conflict with two powerful ships the wind being so light as to preclude the other ships from closing â€" during which time the brave commodore was killed by a cannonball The Falmouth, Captain Caleb Grantham, next got into action, but she also was alone for an hour. As soon as the four remaining frigates â€" Carlisle (Captain John Norris), Newcastle, Southampton (Captain Richard Kirby), and Adventure had arrived up, the French ships separated, but were pursued â€" the Content, by the Carlisle and Newcastle; and the Trident, by the Falmouth and Adventure. The French fought their ships well, and maintained a running fight throughout the night; but in the forenoon of the following day both surrendered, having lost many men, and being much disabled. The Trident, being leaky, was sent into Gorcjonti, and the Content was carried to Messina. The Plymouth suffered the most severely, having, in addition to the commodore, fourteen men killed and thirty wounded; besides being greatly damaged, and with the loss of her fore-topmast. The other five ships lost together about double that number. Commodore Killegrew was buried at Messina with military honours.
Sources
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