Battle of Saint Lucia
American War of Independence (Caribbean theater) · Saint Lucia, West Indies
Summary
On 15 December 1778, Vice Admiral d'Estaing, superior in naval strength, cannonaded Barrington's Royal Navy at anchor off Saint Lucia from a distance without destroying it, then attempted a landing to retake the island recently occupied by the British; the land operation ended in bloody failure and British domination was maintained.
Historical context
In the Caribbean theater of the American War of Independence, France and Great Britain fought for control of strategic islands. The British seized Saint Lucia in November 1778 after taking Dominica; d'Estaing arrived to try to reconquer it but missed the chance to destroy the squadron surprised at anchor.
Tactics
d'Estaing, with a stronger squadron, contented himself with long-range cannon fire against British ships instead of close engagement, then prioritized landing troops to retake the island. British forces, well fortified and supported by maritime control, repelled the landing and held their positions.
Consequences
French defeat kept Saint Lucia as a British naval base in the Antilles. d'Estaing partly offset this loss by later taking Saint Vincent and Grenada, but the failure of December 1778 durably limited French control of the archipelago at that time.