Battle off Fairhaven

Battle off Fairhaven
Part of the American Revolutionary War
1st Naval Battle American Revolution Fort Phoenix, Fairhaven
Date 14 May 1775 Location Fairhaven, Massachusetts 41°32′N 70°50′W / 41.54°N 70.83°W / 41.54; -70.83 Result Patriot forces retrieve two patriot vessels from HMS Falcon
Belligerents
Great Britain	Massachusetts Bay
Commanders and leaders
John Linzee (Lindsey)	Daniel Egery Nathaniel Pope
Strength
HMS Falcon about 110 Royal Navy seamen	Private sloop Success 30 militia men (Massachusetts militia)
Casualties and losses
1 killed 2 wounded 13 prisoners	none

The Battle off Fairhaven was the first naval engagement of the American Revolutionary War. It took place on May 14, 1775, in Buzzards Bay off Fairhaven, Massachusetts (formerly known as Dartmouth, Massachusetts) and resulted in Patriot militia retrieving two vessels that had been captured by HMS Falcon. The patriots also captured the 13 man crew of the Royal Navy, the first naval prisoners of the war.^[1]