Willoughby's Nemesis - Grand Port 1810 - Commissioned oil on canvas by Geoff Hunt RSMA.

The Battle of Grand Port was a particularly bad defeat for the Royal Navy, and was the basis for the main action in Patrick O'Brian's novel "The Mauritius Command". 

The conclusion of the action:

Bellone is coming in under sail at 1440 on 20th August and passes HMS Nereide.  Captain Willoughby (O'Brian's Captain Clonfert) is close under Ile de la Passe and exchanges broadsides. Broad daylight, one ship under sail, the other at anchor.

Here is the scene at about 2 40 in the afternoon, after the explosion on the battery of the Ile de la Passe. The battery was still able to fire one or two shots.

The final French ship, the frigate Bellone, is hastening in to the harbour under topsails and topgallants,  and exchanges broadside with Nereide. The latter sustains quite a lot of damage to rigging and spars, probably because a gust of wind caught Bellone, heeling her over at the moment when she fired. Cloud of smoke rises up from the battery explosion at left.

Commissioned for a UK client, completed in 2020.

Canvas size 24 x 32 inches.