A single-ship action is a naval engagement fought between two warships of opposing sides, excluding submarine engagements; it is called so because there is a single ship on each side. The following is a list of notable single-ship actions.
Single-ship actions
Anglo-Spanish War 1579, March 1 – Golden Hind captures the Spanish galleon Nuestra Señora de la Concepción.
Third Anglo-Dutch War 1674, February 13 – HMS Tyger captures Schaeckerloo (part of the Dutch fleet that conducted the Dutch Raid on North America) outside Cádiz.
Golden Age of Piracy 1720, October 22 – A British merchant sloop commanded by former privateer Jonathan Barnet captures the pirate sloop William and its owner John Rackham.
War of the Austrian Succession 1743, June 20 – captures the Spanish treasure galleon Nuestra Señora de la Covadonga 1746, 21 January – captures the French privateer Marianne
Seven Years War 1761, 1 January – captures the French merchant frigate Bien Aimé.
American Revolutionary War 1776, July 27 – and have an inconclusive engagement 1777, 12 July – British merchantman Pole repulses the privateer American Tartar 1778, April 24 – captures (details) 1778, December – the Bristol privateer has an inconclusive engagement with a French frigate 1779, March – the Bristol privateer has an inconclusive engagement with an American privateer 1779, May 7 – captures 1779, September 7 – Molly repels an American privateer 1779, September 10 – defeats HMS West Florida in the Battle of Lake Pontchartrain. 1779, September 14 – defeats the Spanish frigate Santa Mónica. (details) 1779, October 29 – the West Indiaman exchanges fire with a French frigate; the frigate withdraws 1779, November 11 – HMS Tartar captures the Spanish frigate Santa Margarita. (details) 1780, June 1 – USS Trumbull engages the British privateer Watt; both ships withdraw 1780, August 10 – HMS Flora defeats the French ship Nymphe in the first engagement thought to involve the carronade.(details) 1780, September 9 – has an inconclusive, three-hour engagement with 1781, January 9 – The sloop captures the letter-of-marque 1781, March 7 – Liverpool privateer captures French merchantman Sartine 1781, March 23 – British privateer , of 14 guns, captures American letter of marque Tom Lee, of 12 guns. 1781, May 1 – captures the Spanish frigate Santa Leocadia. (details) 1781, September 6 – American privateer Congress captures the British sloop . (details) 1781, October 10 – the British privateer Goodrich has an inconclusive engagement with the American letter of marque St James 1781, late December – French privateer Terror of England captures and releases the letter of marque 1782, February 28 – captures 1782, April 6 – American privateer Tartar captures 1782, April 8 – Pennsylvania privateer Hyder Ally captures HMS General Monk. (details) 1782, 9 August – HMS Duc de Chartres captures the French brig Aigle 1782, August 12 – Frigate inconclusively engages the French frigate Bellone 1782, October 7 – The American privateer Buccaneer captures the British merchant ship 1782, December 6 – defeats the . (details) 1783, January 20 – captures the Dutch privateer Flushinger 1783, January 22 – HMS Hussar captures the French frigate Sybille. (details)
French Revolutionary Wars 1793, May 13 – and Citoyenne Française conduct an inconclusive but sanguinary engagement 1793, June 18 – captures the (details) 1793, September 3 – French frigate Citoyen captures and ransoms the Guineaman Courier. 1793, December 1 – The British packet ship Antelope captures the French privateer Atlante. 1794, May 29 – recaptures (details) 1794, July 28 – French privateer Guillotine captures merchant vessel 1794, September 5 – Merchantmen repulses Républicaine 1794, September 25 – Merchantman repulses a French privateer 1794, September – Enslaving ship repels attack by French privateer Pervie 1795 – The enslaving ship repels an attack by a French privateer 1795, January 4 – captures Pique 1795, March 13 – captures the French frigate Tourterelle 1795, October 30 – The enslaving ship Lord Stanley repels an attack by a French 12-gun schooner privateer 1796, January – A French privateer captures the enslaving ship 1796, September – The enslaving ship repels an attack by a French privateer 1796, November 20 – Merchantman engages a French privateer that blows up during the engagement 1796, May 25 – HMS Suffisante captures the privateer Revanche 1796, June 6 – captures French frigate Tribune 1796, October 8 & 9 – Merchant ship repels attack by French privateer 1796, November 28 – The enslaving ship repels two different French privateers on the same day, each engagement representing a single-ship action 1797, 29 January – French privateer Jeune Emilie captures the British merchant vessel 1797, March 13 – HMS Viper captures Nuestra Señora de la Piedad. 1797, June 1 – The French privateer captures the British slave ship 1797, August 15 – captures French privateer Coq 1797, August 29 – A French privateer captures the merchantman 1797, October – captures French privateer Epicharis 1797, October – Merchant ship repels attack by French privateer 1797, December 19 – Slave ship blows up while engaging a French privateer 1797, December 22 – captures the French frigate Néréide 1797, December 27 – captures the Spanish ship St Raphael 1798, January – 11 captures the French privateer Policrate 1798, April 2 – HMS Mars captures the French ship Hercule 1798, April 17 – HMS Recovery captures the French privateer Revanche 1798, July 4 – French brig Lodi in an inconclusive engagement with the English privateer brig Acquila (probably Eagle) 1798, June 21 – His Majesty's packet ship Princess Royal repels the French privateer Avanture.(details) 1798, August 7 – captures the Genoese pirate Liguria 1798, September 18 – A French privateer captures the West Indiaman 1798, September 27 – The French privateer President Parker captures the Guineaman 1798, October 20 – HMS Racoon captures the French privateer Vigilante 1798, December 12 – HMS Perdrix captures the French privateer L'Armée d' Italie 1798, February 24 – French frigate Forte captures the East Indiaman Osterley, but then allows her to proceed. 1798, March 1 – HMS Sybille captures French frigate Forte. 1799, February 25 – French privateer Democrat captures merchantman 1799, March 18 – HM hired brig Telegraph captures French privateer Hirondelle 1799, April 13 – HMS Amaranthe captures the French letter of marque Vengeur. 1799, November 23 – Hired cutter Courier captures French privateer Guerrier 1799, November 26 – Merchant ship repels attack by a French privateer 1799, December 2 – HMS Racoon captures French privateer Intrepide 1799, December 2 – the British merchantman captures the French privateer corvette Entreprenante 1799, December 26 – HMS Viper captures the French privateer Furet 1800, March 5 – captures the privateer Heureux 1800, March 31 – French privateer Minerve captures the United States letter of marque Minerva 1800, August 20 – captures the French ship Vengeance 1800, October 7 – French privateer Confiance captures British East Indiaman Kent 1800, October 8 – captures the French privateer Quidproquo 1800, October – American merchant ship Rebecca repels French privateer Malartic 1800, November 11 – East Indiaman Phoenix captures French privateer Malartic. 1800, November 13 – defeats and drives off the French privateer Bellone 1800, November 13 – captures the privateer brig 1800, November 22 - repels a French privateer off Muscat 1801, January 17 – The French privateer captures the Guineaman 1801, February 19 – captures the (details) 1801, March 5 – French privateer Gironde captures the merchantman 1801, March 23 – captures the French privateer 1801, April – British merchantman Union Island repels a Spanish privateer 1801, May – French privateer captures the British merchantman 1801, May 6 – captures Spanish xebec frigate El Gamo (Details)* 1801, June 14 – Liverpool privateer repels French privateer Mouche 1801, August 18 – captures Spanish letter of marque Theresa 1801, September 25 – has an inconclusive engagement with a privateer flying the Spanish colors off Hispaniola. 1801, November 20 – A Spanish frigate of 44 guns captures the Liverpool privateer General Keppel
Quasi-War 1799, February 9 – USS Constellation captures the French frigate L'Insurgente (details) 1799, October 24 – Merchantman Washington drives off the French privateer frigate Bellone 1800, February 1 – USS Constellation defeats the French frigate La Vengeance (details) 1800, July 4 - USS Enterprise captures French privateer L'Aigle 1800, October 12 – USS Boston captures the French corvette Berceau (details) 1800, October 25 – USS Enterprise captures French privateer Flambeau (details)
First Barbary War 1801, August 1 – United States Navy warship USS Enterprise captures Tripolitanian corsair Tripoli near Malta. (details)
Napoleonic Wars 1803, May 18 – captures the on the first day of the war. 1803, July 7 – French privateer captures the British privateer 1803, July 16 – captures French brig-corvette Lodi. 1803, August 13 – French privateer Bellone captures the East Indiaman Lord Nelson 1803, August 17 – HMS Racoon destroys French naval brig Mutine. 1803, August 27 – recaptures the East Indiaman Lord Nelson 1803, October 15 – The British slave ship captures the French slave ship Braave 1803 – Guineaman repels an attack by a French privateer 1804, January 24 – repels an attack by a French privateer 1804, February 5 – engages the 22-gun French privateer Grande Decide. 1804, March 21 – French privateer Blonde captures and sinks HMS Wolverine. 1804, March 9 – French privateer Grande Decide captures British merchantman 1804, March 25 or 28 – captures French privateer Egyptienne 1804, April – A French privateer captures the slave ship and takes her and her cargo of slaves into Guadeloupe 1804, May 12 – A French privateer captures the slave ship 1804, June 21 – unsuccessfully engages the Guadeloupe privateer Buonaparte. 1804, July 15 – French privateer Dame Ambert captures HMS Lilly 1804, July 31 – captures French privateer Hirondelle 1804, August 4 – French privateer captures the West Indiaman 1804, August 14 – captures English merchantman 1804, August 5 – Merchantman repels attack by French privateer General Ernouf 1804, January 26 – Merchantman Scarborough repels attack by a French privateer 1804, September 12 – captures Dutch merchantman Swift 1804, December 27 – Slave ship repels an attack by a French privateer 1804, late – Slave ship repels an attack by a French privateer 1805, February – the whaler unsuccessfully attacks a Batavian vessel 1805, February 2 – Slave ship repels an attack by a French privateer 1805, February 8 – captures French privateer Dame Ernouf 1805, February 13 – captures French frigate Psyche 1805, March 10 – Private ship of war captures the Spanish private ship of war Felicity/Felicidad 1805, March 20 – French privateer Général Ernouf explodes during an engagement with 1805, May 16 – The French privateer Hirondelle captures 1805, July 19 – captures 1805, August 10 – captures 1805, August 16 – vs the 1805, October 13 – Spanish merchantman Nuestra Senora de Isiar (alias Joaquina), captures British privateer 1805, October 20 – British privateer fails to capture a Spanish privateer brig 1805, November – vs 1805, November 4 – French privateer Creole captures slaver and merchantman 1805, November 28 – Inconclusive engagement between the French privateer Bellone and the East Indiaman 1805, November 30 – a French privateer captures the slave ship 1806, January 23 – French privateer captures and sinks 1806, February 15 – captures the French letter of marque Princess Murat 1806, February – French privateer Hebe captures British merchantman