Around 7 p.m., Bellona closed to about a quarter mile from Junon and opened fire, prompting Junon and Alceste to strike almost immediately. Perrée had tried to escape and waited for British fire before surrendering; the interpretation is that this satisfied naval honour before the court-martial he expected after capture. The French squadron had become widely separated, with Courageuse about a mile farther on and the brigs roughly four to seven miles ahead of Junon. Centaur continued after Courageuse, which tried to fight until Bellona joined and made the mismatch two 74s against one frigate. Emerald caught Salamine, while Captain crowded on sail to overtake Alerte, completing the captures around 11:30 p.m. The four-and-a-half-hour action consisted chiefly of successive pursuits and surrenders, following the much longer chase.
Chapter · 49:20-52:42
Five surrenders in four and a half hours
Junon and Alceste struck first, Courageuse yielded to two 74s, and the British frigate and ship of the line overhauled the fleeing brigs.