Action of 18 June 1799
| Action of 18 June 1799 | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of the War of the Second Coalition | |||||||
| |||||||
| Belligerents | |||||||
| Great Britain | France | ||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
|
Lord Keith John Markham | Jean-Baptiste Perrée | ||||||
| Strength | |||||||
|
3 ships of the line 2 frigates |
3 frigates 2 brigs | ||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||
| Unknown |
3 frigates captured 2 brigs captured | ||||||
The action of 18 June 1799 was a naval engagement of the War of the Second Coalition fought off Toulon in the wake of the Mediterranean campaign of 1798. A frigate squadron under Counter-admiral Jean-Baptiste Perrée, returning to Toulon from Syria, met a 30-ship British fleet under Lord Keith. Three ships of the line and two frigates detached from the British squadron, and a 28-hour running battle ensued. When the British ships overhauled them, the French frigates and brigs had no choice but to surrender, given their opponents' overwhelming strength.