An
item dated Cherbourg
the 17th reported that a day earlier at 09.00 o’clock the gunboat la
Chofonne and a flotilla of 16 flat-bottomed vessels left for Havre de Grace. In
the afternoon passing Barfleur were two British corvettes sighted and to avoid
these was sailed towards the shore to seek refuge under the gun batteries of
Catteville. Despite the British fired more as 200 gun shots none of the French
ships were damaged in contrary to the British. The latter were forced to
retreat despite a frigate came to support them. At 17.30 o’clock were the
British ships already on a distance of 3 miles and the flotilla continued her voyage. According
to the newspaper endured the complete ‘battle’ just three minutes.
