Battle of the Chesapeake
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The Battle of the Chesapeake, also known as the Battle of the Virginia Capes or Battle of the Capes, was a naval battle in the final stages of the American Revolutionary War.
Battle[edit | edit source]
The battle took place near Chesapeake Bay on 5 September 1781, and saw the combined forces of the Assassin vessel Aquila and the French Navy under François-Joseph Paul de Grasse fight against a British fleet under Sir Thomas Graves. Prior to the Battle of Chesapeake Bay, the Marquis de Lafayette had requested the Aquila to give support to the French fleet and ensure its victory. The Admiral de Grasse believed that he would receive a large fleet and experienced captains, but instead he received only the Aquila and her captain, the Colonial Assassin Connor.[1]
While irritated at the concept, de Grasse nonetheless gave Connor two frigates for assistance, the Marsellois and the Saint-Esprit, and asked them to engage the encroaching fleet while he and the main armada of French ships led by the Man O' War, Ville de Paris, attacked the bulk of the British force. During the battle, the trio of ships sank several gunboats and at least four English frigates, before the Marsellois was destroyed by an English vessel midway through the battle.[1]
Once all the English frigates had been destroyed, HMS Barfleur sailed into the battle and sank the Saint Espirit, before she managed to disable the Aquila's guns. Due to lacking any other means of attack, Connor decided to destroy HMS Barfleur by ramming her, getting on board in hand-to-hand combat, and killing her captain. Ultimately proving successful, the battle ended with the French as the victors.[1]
Aftermath[edit | edit source]
Often considered the war's most decisive battle, it not only broke the British blockade of the Colonies, but also reversed Cornwallis' plan to trap George Washington and Lafayette at Yorktown. His reinforcements never arrived due to the French victory in the Chesapeake, and as such, Washington was victorious at Yorktown, capturing Cornwallis and effectively winning the American Revolutionary War,[2] which saw no more major conflicts until the Treaty of Paris.[3]
The battle also acted as a huge bolster to French naval pride, leading to a brief string of decisive French naval victories during the French Revolutionary Wars.[4]
Appearances[edit | edit source]
References[edit | edit source]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Assassin's Creed III — Battle of the Chesapeake
- ↑ Assassin's Creed III — Database: Battle of Yorktown
- ↑ Assassin's Creed III — Database: Treaty of Paris
- ↑
Battle of the Chesapeake on Wikipedia
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