▁the ▁fr ig ates ▁E to ile ▁and ▁S ult ane , ▁fought ▁an ▁incon clus ive ▁eng agement ▁against ▁British ▁fr ig ate ▁HMS ▁Se vern ▁on ▁ 4 ▁January ▁in ▁the ▁mid - At l antic ▁and ▁a ▁fur ious ▁battle ▁against ▁HMS ▁Ast rea ▁and ▁HMS ▁Cre ole ▁on ▁ 2 3 ▁January ▁near ▁Ma io ▁in ▁the ▁Cape ▁Ver de ▁Islands . ▁ ▁Att empt ing ▁to ▁return ▁to ▁Saint ▁Mal o ▁in ▁March , ▁with ▁the ▁Al lied ▁arm ies ▁at ▁the ▁gates ▁of ▁Paris ▁and ▁the ▁war ▁coming ▁to ▁a ▁close , ▁the ▁French ▁squad ron ▁was ▁intercept ed ▁near ▁the ▁Î le ▁de ▁B atz ▁by ▁a ▁much ▁stronger ▁British ▁squad ron ▁including ▁the ▁ship ▁of ▁the ▁line ▁HMS ▁Hann ib al , ▁fr ig ate ▁HMS ▁Heb rus ▁and ▁brig ▁HMS ▁S par row . ▁S ult ane , ▁badly ▁dam aged ▁in ▁the ▁eng agement ▁with ▁Cre ole , ▁was ▁soon ▁ch ased ▁down ▁by ▁Hann ib al ▁and ▁surrender ed ▁without ▁a ▁fight ▁but ▁E to ile , ▁faced ▁with ▁only ▁the ▁Heb rus , ▁turned ▁away ▁in ▁an ▁attempt ▁to ▁escape . ▁Early ▁in ▁the ▁morning ▁of ▁ 2 7 ▁March , ▁Heb rus ▁succeeded ▁in ▁reaching ▁its ▁quar ry ▁off ▁Job ourg ▁in ▁Norm andy ▁and ▁the ▁fr ig ates ▁fought ▁a ▁fier ce ▁eng agement ▁close ▁in sh ore . ▁After ▁more ▁than ▁two ▁hours , ▁E to iles ▁colours ▁were ▁struck ▁and ▁she ▁surrender ed . ▁Cas ual ties