of the 24-gun French privateer Le Robuste. Elements of Anson's squadron returned to Plymouth by 19 July, with Actaeon remaining off Brest with a smaller flotilla under Admiral Charles Saunders. On 23 November she was close to the shore when her crew sighted a French fleet comprising five ships of the line, five frigates and around sixty merchant vessels, attempting to escape the blockade. Clements immediately made sail to alert Saunders, but the French vessels passed out of sight before the message was delivered. Saunders gave orders for a general chase in the direction the French had gone, but there was no sign. The British hunt was further delayed when Clements mistakenly signaled pursuit of a distant group of ships, which proved on close inspection to be from unaligned Spain. The British squadron returned to Brest, but the blockade was subsequently abandoned as several ships were in need of repair or resupply. Actaeon returned to England in company with the squadron, making port in December 1758. In early 1759 command of the frigate passed to Captain Maximilian Jacobs, and in November to Captain Paul Ourry. Actaeon was then joined to a squadron under the overall command of Admiral George Rodney, stationed in the English Channel. On 8 November, Actaeon succeeded in capturing two more prizes; the 12-gun privateer Le Phoenix in November, and the privateer La Grivois a month later. Notes References Bibliography External links Frigates of the Royal Navy 1757 ships Ships built in Chatham