The Battle of Tory Island was a naval action fought on 12 October 1798 off the north coast of Ireland. The battle contested an attempted French invasion of Donegal in support of the Irish Rebellion of 1798, with a French squadron under Jean-Baptiste-François Bompart facing a hastily assembled Royal Navy blockade squadron under Sir John Borlase Warren. Bompart's force had been dispatched from Brest the month before with orders to reinforce a French army under Jean Humbert which had landed two months earlier.Henderson, p. 76

Unbeknown to Bompart's force, Humbert's army and the rebellion as a whole had been defeated by British troops a week before Bompart departed France. Bompart's squadron too was woefully understrength consisting of only a single ship of the line and eight frigates carrying 3,000 men.Brooks, p. 625 This small force faced a large proportion of the British Channel Fleet, which was prepared for a second invasion attempt after Humbert's army had landed unopposed in August. As a result, Bompart's force was spotted just a few hours after he left Brest and he was then chased into the Atlantic Ocean by several British frigates which followed him for a week until he was able to lose them in heavy weather. This weather persisted throughout the campaign, causing significant damage to both sides in a series of storms.James, p. 126

The delay caused by the pursuit of Bompart by the frigates under George Countess allowed the British to dispatch a more substantial squadron under Warren to the Donegal coast. Thus when Bompart arrived in the lee of Tory Island, he soon found himself threatened on all sides by a superior British force. Despite the damage his ships had suffered in the heavy weather conditions, Bompart attempted to escape but was swiftly run down and defeated in battle, his flagship and three frigates being captured and towed into Lough Swilly.Gardiner, p. 114 Among the prisoners seized on board the flagship was Theobald Wolfe Tone, leader of the United Irishmen, whose capture and subsequent death signified the end of the rebellion.Elliott, ODNB Over the next week, the scattered French survivors desperately attempted to reach the safety of French harbours in the face of dozens of British warships cruising along their homeward route. Only two made it, three others being hunted down and captured, one just a few miles from the entrance to Brest.James, p. 135 The French never again attempted an invasion of Ireland.

Action of 12 October 1798

Commodore Warren's squadron Ship Rate Guns Commander Casualties Notes Killed Wounded Total HMS Robust Third rate 74 Captain Edward Thornbrough 11 38 49 Badly damaged. HMS Magnanime Fifth rate 44 Captain Michael de Courcy 0 7 7 Damaged. HMS Ethalion Fifth rate 38Captain George Countess 1 4 5 HMS Amelia Fifth rate 38 Captain Charles Herbert 0 0 0 HMS Melampus Fifth rate 36 Captain Graham Moore 0 1 1 HMS Canada Third rate 74 Commodore Sir John Borlase Warren 1 0 1 HMS Foudroyant Third rate 80 Captain Sir Thomas Byard 0 9 9 HMS Anson Fifth rate 44 Captain Philip Charles Durham 2 13 15 Badly damaged by weather conditions.Total casualties: 15 killed, 72 wounded, 87 totalCommodore Bompart's Squadron Sémillante Fifth rate 36 Captain Martin-Antoine Lacouture 0 0 0 Returned to Brest. Romaine Fifth rate 40Captain Mathieu-Charles Bergevin 0 3 3 Returned to Brest. Bellone Fifth rate 36 Captain Louis Léon Jacob 20 45 65 Badly damaged and captured. Purchased for the Royal Navy as HMS Proserpine but never saw active service. Immortalité Fifth rate 40 Captain Jean-François Legrand 0 0 0 Escaped, captured on 20 October. Loire Fifth rate 40 Captain Adrien-Joseph Segond 10 24 34 Escaped, captured on 18 October. Hoche Third rate 74 Commodore Jean-Baptiste-François BompartCaptain Desiré-Marie Maistral 270 Badly damaged and captured. Commissioned in the Royal Navy as HMS Donegal. Coquille Fifth rate 36 Captain Léonore Deperonne 18 31 49 Captured. Accidentally exploded at Hamoaze claiming 13 lives. Embuscade Fifth rate 36 Captain Nicolas Clément de la Roncière 15 26 41 Captured. Commissioned in the Royal Navy as HMS Ambuscade. Résolue Fifth rate 36Captain Jean-Pierre Bargeau 0 5 5 Escaped, captured on 14 October. Biche Schooner 8 Lieutenant Jean-Marie-Pierre Labastard 0 0 0 Detached from the battleline and not engaged in the action. Returned to Brest undamaged.Total casualties: 460As the casualties from Hoste were not broken down to distinguish between killed and wounded in the dispatches immediately following the battle, only an overall casualty total is available for the French squadron.Source: James, pp. 124–132, Clowes pp. 344–351

Action of 13 October 1798

Ship Rate Guns Commander Casualties Notes Killed Wounded Total HMS Melampus Fifth rate 36 Captain Graham Moore 0 0 0 Résolue Fifth rate 36Captain Jean-Pierre Bargeau 10 Several - Captured. Purchased for the Royal Navy as HMS Resolue but never saw active service.Source: James, pp. 135–136, Clowes pp. 344–351

Flight of Loire, 15–18 October 1798

Ship Rate Guns Commander Casualties Notes Killed Wounded Total HMS Mermaid Fifth rate 32 Captain James Newman Newman 4 13 17 Badly damaged. HMS Kangaroo Brig 18 Commander Edward Brace 0 0 0 HMS Anson Fifth rate 44 Captain Philip Charles Durham 2 13 15Total casualties: 6 killed, 26 wounded, 32 total Loire Fifth rate 40Captain Adrien-Joseph Segond 46 71 117 Badly damaged and captured. Commissioned in the Royal Navy as HMS Loire.Total casualties: 46 killed, 71 wounded, 117 totalSource: James, pp. 137–141, Clowes pp. 344–351

Action of 20 October 1798

Ship Rate Guns Commander Casualties Notes Killed Wounded Total HMS Fisgard Fifth rate 38 Captain Thomas Byam Martin 10 26 36 Badly damaged. Immortalité Fifth rate 36Captain Jean-François Legrand 54 61 115 Badly damaged and captured. Commissioned in the Royal Navy as HMS Immortalite.Sources: James, pp. 142–143; Henderson, p. 77, Clowes pp. 344–351

Savary's retreat, 28–30 October 1798

Captain Saumarez's squadron Ship Rate Guns Commander Casualties Notes Killed Wounded Total HMS Caesar Third rate 80 Captain Sir James Saumarez 0 0 0 Damaged by weather conditions, retired from the chase on 28 October. HMS Terrible Third rate 74 Captain Sir Richard Bickerton 0 0 0 HMS Melpomene Fifth rate 38Captain Sir Charles Hamilton 0 0 0Commodore Savary's Squadron Concorde Frigate 40 Commodore Daniel SavaryCaptain André Papin 0 0 0 Franchise Frigate 44Captain Jean-Louis Guillotin-Gonthière 0 0 0 Médée Frigate 32 Captain Jean-Daniel Coudin 0 0 0 Vénus Corvette 28 Captain André Senez 0 0 0Source: James, pp. 145–147

References

Key A † symbol indicates that the officer was killed during the action or subsequently died of wounds received. The ships are ordered in the sequence in which they formed up for battle.

Specific

General