Battle of Grand Port
Grand Port bay, south-east Mauritius
What happened
A French squadron under Captain Guy-Victor Duperré fought four British frigates under Captain Samuel Pym and Captain Nesbit Willoughby. French warships based on the island then called Île de France were raiding British trade in the Indian Ocean. A French squadron took shelter in the harbour of Grand Port, and British frigates sailed in to attack. Several British ships ran aground in the narrow channel between the coral reefs, and all four were destroyed or captured.
Why it matters
Why it matters: It was one of the worst Royal Navy defeats of the Napoleonic Wars.
What came next
A larger British force invaded the island at the end of November 1810, and the French surrendered in early December. Britain renamed it Mauritius and ruled it until independence in 1968.
Did you know?
Willoughby flew a French flag and used captured French signals to trick the French into thinking his ship was friendly.
Timeline
- 1809The British campaign against Île de France begins.
- 20-27 August 1810The French win at Grand Port.
- 29 November 1810The British invasion fleet lands at Grand Baie.
- 3 December 1810The French governor surrenders.
- 1968Mauritius becomes independent.