Ozanne Sketches, 1778-9

[Sam Willis]

I am having difficulty translating/explaining what is going on in a number of sketches made by Ozanne during the American War of Independence. Can anyone help with these ones? The battle of Grenada and the British at St Kitts. I know what happened in general strategic terms, I am just having difficulty making out Ozanne’s writing and the ‘key’ to the images.

Thanks
Sam Willis

http://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/2004670069/

and here

http://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/2004670073/

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[Tony Beales]

In the sketch of the battle itself – “L’armée françoise combattant l’armée Angloise à bord opposé – troisieme position” (The French fleet fighting the English fleet on the opposite tack), I think the key is as follows:

A L’armée Françoise – French fleet exiting anchorage to left on starboard tack (beyond frigates)
B Fregates repetiteurs – repeating frigates (bottom of picture)
E Fort & Ville St George
C L’armée Angloise – English fleet advancing along coast to right on port tack (beyond French fleet)
G Convoi de l’armée Angloise – English convoy (far top left)
H? Vaisseaux detaches du convoy et joignant leur armee – vessels detached from English convoy joining their fleet (advancing from top left).

As usual, the fleets seem much more ordered than accounts suggest.

I hope this is of some help.

[Aldo Antonicelli]

Plate IV is titled: The French and English fleets fighting each other on opposed cousers; subtitled: 3° position.
The key says:
A The French fleet (the author use the word Armée, which literally means Army, but he means fleet)
B Repeater frigates
C The English fleet
E Fort of St George town
G Convoy of the English Army (again the author use the world Armée, but in thi case I suppose it is correct to translate it as Army, as they were the transport for the army)
D Ships detached from the convoy to ????? their fleet.

Plate 15 is titled: The French fleet at anchor in the Molenieu Bight in the island of Grenada disembarking the army on July, 2, 1779.
The key says:
A The Molenieu bight
B Black Bight Point
C Fort of St George town
D Hospital Hill

Best regards, Aldo Antonicelli

[Author]

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