Action of 30 May 1798

Action of 30 May 1798
Part of the French Revolutionary Wars
Capture of La Confiante, May 31st 1798 Thomas Whitcombe, 1816. NMM.
Date 30–31 May 1798 Location 49°19′10″N 0°6′50″W / 49.31944°N 0.11389°W / 49.31944; -0.11389 near the mouth of the river Dives, Normandy, France Result British victory
Belligerents
Great Britain	France
Commanders and leaders
Captain Sir Francis Laforey	Captain Etienne Pévrieu
Strength
Frigate HMS Hydra, bomb vessel HMS Vesuvius and cutter HMS Trial	corvette Confiante, corvette Vésuve, and an unnamed cutter
Casualties and losses
None	Heavy casualties, Confiante destroyed

The action of 30 May 1798 was a minor naval engagement between a small British squadron and a small French squadron off the coast of Normandy, France during the French Revolutionary Wars. A British blockading force, which had been conducting patrols in the region in the aftermath of the battle of St Marcou earlier in the month, encountered two French vessels attempting to sail unnoticed between Le Havre and Cherbourg-en-Cotentin. Closing with the French, the British commander Sir Francis Laforey sought to bring the French ships to battle as they attempted to turn back to Le Havre before the British squadron could attack. The French were unable to escape, and Laforey's ship, the fifth rate HMS Hydra, engaged the French corvette Confiante, while two smaller British ships chased the Vésuve.

After a brief exchange of fire, their crews ran both French ships onshore close to the mouth of the river Dives, where several of the landing barges that had survived the attack on the British-held Îles Saint-Marcouf were sheltering. Confiante was badly damaged and boarding parties from Hydra and the other ships were able to board and burn her the following morning. Vésuve had suffered less than the Confiante and troops onshore were able to protect her from further attack until her crew could bring her into the nearby harbour of Sallenelles. There she was repaired and eventually she returned to Le Havre.