The Americans captured six British ships at the Battle of Lake Erie. The naval battle took place on September 10, 1813, near Put-in-Bay, Ohio, during the War of 1812. The American squadron commanded by Oliver Hazard Perry defeated the British squadron led by Robert Heriot Barclay.
The British force consisted of six vessels: Detroit, Queen Charlotte, Lady Prevost, Hunter, Chippeway, and Little Belt. After several hours of heavy fighting, all six surrendered. Perry reported the victory in his famous message to General William Henry Harrison: “We have met the enemy, and they are ours.”
The victory gave the United States control of Lake Erie for the remainder of the war. That control allowed American forces to move troops and supplies, recover Detroit, and pursue the retreating British and Indigenous allies into Upper Canada. It helped set the stage for the Battle of the Thames, where Tecumseh was killed.
The number six refers specifically to the British vessels captured in the battle itself. It should not be confused with later losses or captures of smaller vessels elsewhere on the Great Lakes.