Atlas of Battles

naval engagement, early modern

Action of 4 February 1781

Action of 4 February 1781 was a naval engagement fought in 1781 at Sombrero, in what is now Anguilla. Its exact site is not recorded; the atlas places it at Sombrero. It was part of the Fourth Anglo-Dutch War, which ran from 1780 to 1784. The recorded result: British victory. Recorded strength: 2 ships of the line; 1 frigate against 1 ship of the line; 30 merchant ships.

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Fought1781
WhereSombrero, Anguilla18.589N, 63.425W, placed at the location, approximate
OutcomeBritish victory
BelligerentsGreat BritainagainstDutch Republic
Casualties and losses3 woundedand7 wounded; 8 killed; 1 ship of the line captured; 30 merchant ships captured
Part ofFourth Anglo-Dutch War1780 to 1784

Where it sits in the Fourth Anglo-Dutch War

Action of 4 February 1781, 1781Dutch West Indies campaign, 1781Battle of Elmina, 1781Battle of Saldanha Bay, 1781Battle of Dogger Bank, 1781Siege of Negapatam, 1781Capture of Trincomalee, 178217811782Action of 4 February 1781, 1781
7 placed engagements of the Fourth Anglo-Dutch War in time order; taller ticks are more widely documented. Each tick is a link.

Record

Date1781 (year precision)
PlaceSombrero, Anguilla
18.589N, 63.425W
KindNaval engagement, early modern
Strength2 ships of the line; 1 frigate1 ship of the line; 30 merchant ships
Casualties and losses3 wounded7 wounded; 8 killed; 1 ship of the line captured; 30 merchant ships captured
Commanders
  • Francis Reynolds-Moreton, 3rd Baron Ducie
  • Willem Krul
Action of 4 February 1781Action of 4 February 1781Battle of AnguillaAttack on Saint MartinCapture of Sint EustatiusBattle of West KayBattle of AnguillaAttack on Saint MartinCapture of Sint EustatiusChristiansted100 km18.589N, 63.425W
Placed at Sombrero; the exact site is not recorded. with the nearest other engagements in the atlas. Present-day coastlines, rivers and borders; towns from Natural Earth.

Nearest engagements

In the same war

Elsewhere in 1781

Action of 4 February 1781 is one of 2,009 engagements of the 18th century in the atlas and one of 2 in present-day Anguilla.

Sources

Identity, coordinates, dates and the war from Wikidata Q30594956, released under CC0. Result, belligerents, commanders, strength and casualties from the infobox of the English Wikipedia article Action of 4 February 1781, revision 1370426678, read 2026-11-14, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0; the article's text is not reproduced here. Present-day country and state from Natural Earth. Dates before 1582 follow the Julian calendar as recorded.