Battle of the Chesapeake

Uncommon card · No. 172626

The Battle of the Chesapeake, also known as the Battle of the Virginia Capes or simply the Battle of the Capes, was a fleet action which took place near the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay on 5 September 1781 during the American Revolutionary War. It was fought between a British fleet led by Rear-Admiral of the Red Sir Thomas Graves and a French fleet under Lieutenant général des armées navales François Joseph Paul de Grasse. The strategically decisive battle prevented the Royal Navy from reinforcing or evacuating the besieged British army of Lieutenant-general Lord Cornwallis at Yorktown, Virginia. With its victory, the French navy was able to gain control over local sea lanes and provided the Franco-American besiegers with siege artillery and troops reinforcements. These proved decisive in securing Cornwallis' surrender, which led to British acknowledgement of American independence. De Grasse had the option to attack British forces in either New York or Virginia; he opted for Virginia, arriving...

Read on Wikipedia · Image V. Zveg (US Navy employee), Public domain