New Light on the Battle Off the Virginia Capes: Graves vs Hood

摘要

The traditional narrative goes like this: on 5 August 1781, Rear-Admiral Count Fran?ois Paul de Grasse sailed from Cap Fran?ois, St Domingue, in command of the French West Indies squadron of 28 ships of the line, headed north to Chesapeake Bay, where it was intended to co-operate with Continental and French troops in a campaign to isolate and capture a British army under Lieutenant General Charles, Earl Cornwallis, encamped at Yorktown, Virginia. Five days later, a Royal Navy squadron of 14 ships of the line, under the command of Rear-Admiral Sir Samuel Hood, who was unaware that the French squadron had already sailed, departed Antigua with orders from Admiral Sir George Rodney to look for the French squadron in Chesapeake Bay and then to proceed to New York.