in their efforts to monitor the french, cochrane's squadron had become divided, so that "neptune" and "pompee" were the only ships within reach of troude's squadron when they passed through the channel. neither ship was well placed to fight the larger french force and both were taken by surprise, only alerted to the french escape by the brig hms "hazard" under captain hugh cameron shortly before 22:00. "pompee" was closest to the french, and captain william charles fahie managed to fire two broadsides into the rearmost ship, "hautpoult" before troude's squadron pulled away from her. "neptune", "pompee" and the small brig hms "recruit" took up the chase, the fast "recruit" annoying the french with persistent minor attacks, while "neptune" came too close to "hautpoult" and was fired on, losing one man killed and four wounded. the french escape, while necessitated by the british battery, was actually a feint: the frigates "félicité" and "furieuse" had remained hidden off the saintes during the night and at 09:00 on 15 april, with the main combat continuing to the west, slipped away into basse-terre on guadeloupe, chased in vain by hms "intrepid" under captain warwick lake. french batteries drove off the british pursuit and the frigates were anchored in harbour and their stores successfully unloaded.