 At 22 : 00 on 12 November Amazone and Elisa sailed from Le Havre to unite with the force at Cherbourg , hoping to evade the blockade in the darkness . They successfully passed the patrolling Diana and Niobe but were spotted sailing northwest at 00 : 30 by the British ships which gave chase , Niobe turning inshore in an attempt to cut off the French line of advance . With the wind in the northeast , the French frigates were unable to pass Cape Barfleur under pursuit , and Rosseau instead turned his squadron towards the Iles Saint @-@ Marcouf at 04 : 00 , using superior local knowledge to bypass the pursuing British ships . The heavily fortified islands had been under British control during the French Revolutionary Wars , but reverted to the French at the Peace of Amiens in 1802 . Diana and Niobe attempted to intercept the French frigates before they came under the shelter of the guns , but were only able to fire two long @-@ distance broadsides at the trailing Elisa . 
