Capture On 7 June 1777
Fox was cruising off the
Grand Banks of Newfoundland when she sighted a strange vessel.
Fox sailed towards the stranger until she sighted yet another strange vessel. Suspecting that these were both American frigates,
Fox attempted to escape. However, , the first of the two, caught up with
Fox and an engagement started that lasted for about a half-hour before was able to join the combat.
Fox again attempted to sail away, but
Hancock caught up and opened fire. After
Boston came up too and was able to shoot away
Foxs mainmast and wheel, Fotheringham
struck.
Fox had lost four men killed and eight wounded.
Recapture One month later, on 7–8 July,
Hancock,
Boston, and
Fox were in company when they encountered , under the command of Captain Sir
George Collier, and .
Rainbow had left
Halifax in the morning of 6 July and in the afternoon sighted three sail. She gave chase, during which
HMS Flora came up independently and proceeded to engage one of the unknown vessels. The next day
Rainbow and
Flora exchanged quarry, with
Rainbow pursuing the largest enemy vessel, accepting that one of the three American vessels would necessarily escape. The brig
Victor was a poor sailer and essentially played no role in the engagement. Fotheringham then sailed
Fox back to England. There he was tried for the loss of his ship, and acquitted.
And capture again The French frigate captured
Fox on 11 September 1778.
Fox, now under the command of Captain the Honourable Thomas Windsor, was off
Brest when she sighted a ship and sloop.
Fox gave chase, but the weather made visibility poor and obscured
Junons approach. When
Fox finally sighted
Junon,
Fox prepared to engage. The two vessels maneuvered against each other until finally they gave up and simply exchanged broadsides.
Junon, unusually for a French vessel, fired at
Foxs hull rather than her rigging, with the result that
Junons heavier guns were able to inflict heavy casualties on
Fox, and shoot away her three masts. Windsor was forced to strike, having lost 14 men killed and 32 wounded. ==Fate==