Virginiacapes 1781

Admiral de Grasse had the option to attack British forces
in either New York or Virginia; he opted for Virginia,
arriving at the Chesapeake at the end of August. Admiral Graves
learned that de Grasse had sailed from the West Indies
for North America and that French Admiral de Barras
had also sailed from Newport, Rhode Island, and he concluded
that they were going to join forces at the Chesapeake.
He sailed south from New York with 19 ships of the line and
arrived at the mouth of the Chesapeake early on 5 September
to see de Grasse's fleet at anchor in the bay.
De Grasse hastily prepared most of his fleet for battle—24 ships
of the line—and sailed out to meet him, and the 2-hour
engagement took place after hours of maneuvering.
The lines of the two fleets did not completely meet; only the forward
and center sections fully engaged. The battle was consequently
fairly evenly matched, although the British suffered more
casualties and ship damage, and it broke off when the sun set.
The British tactics have been a subject of debate ever since.
Battle of the Chesapeake. Wikipedia
The Free Encyclopedia. September 5, 2022

The Battle of the Chesapeake, also known as the Battle
of the Virginia Capes or simply the Battle of the Capes,
was a crucial naval battle in the American Revolutionary War
that took place near the mouth of Chesapeake Bay
on 5 September 1781. The combatants were a British fleet
led by Rear Admiral Sir Thomas Graves and a French fleet
led by Rear Admiral Francois Joseph Paul, the Comte
de Grasse. The battle was strategically decisive

Strength: 24 French ships of the line with 1,542 guns
VS 19 english ships of the line with 1,410 guns
Casualties and losses:220 French sailors killed or wounded 2 ships damaged
90 english sailors killed 246 wounded 5 ships damaged1 ship scuttled