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Early on 18-August seven ships of a French squadron. trying to go from Toulouse to Brest. were sighted off the Portuguese coast. The action began in the afternoon and the French Centaur (74) was taken and the Namur (90) damaged. The chase continued through the night and by 0400hrs when 2 French ships had escaped and four had taken shelter in Lagos Bay. While entering the bay the Ocean (80) ran aground while under full sail, resulting in all three masts going overboard, then she struck her colours, was set on fire and the crew fled ashore.

The remaining three ships anchored under the protection of Portuguese shore batteries. Using the principle of 'hot pursuit' the British continued into the bay and captured the Temeraire (74) and Modeste (64) with the Redoubtable (74) having been wrecked was set on fire by her crew.

Copyright © Ian M King, except where otherwise indicated.