Virginie retreated and the British squadron gave chase, joining with the French frigate around 23:00. Indefatigable closed in and exchanged broadsides, without succeeding in her attempts at raking Virginie. The gunnery exchange lasted for 4 hours, until the British frigates caught up. Bergeret then struck his colours in the face of an overwhelming opponent.[1][Note 1]
She was subsequently recommissioned in the Royal Navy as HMS Virginie.
^Britain returned Bergeret in exchange for Sir Sidney Smith, whom the French had captured. However, the Convention rejected the exchange, refusing to release Smith. Bergeret honoured his parole and returned to Plymouth on the cartelDisplai, which was returning the officers from Arab.[2]
^ abCampagnes, thriomphes, revers, désastres et guerres civiles des Français de 1792 à la paix de 1856, F. Ladimir et E. Moreau. Librairie Populaire des Villes et des Campagnes, 1856 Tome 5, pp. 42–43
Grocott, Terence (1997) Shipwrecks of the revolutionary & Napoleonic eras (Chatham). ISBN1-86176-030-2
Roche, Jean-Michel (2005). "Virginie". Dictionnaire des bâtiments de la flotte de guerre française de Colbert à nos jours 1 1671 - 1870. ISBN978-2-9525917-0-6. OCLC165892922.