Which battle gave France control of Chesapeake Bay before the Siege of Yorktown?

The Battle of the Chesapeake gave France control of Chesapeake Bay before the Siege of Yorktown.

Also called the Battle of the Virginia Capes, the naval engagement took place on September 5, 1781. A French fleet commanded by the Comte de Grasse fought a British fleet led by Rear Admiral Thomas Graves near the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay.

The French victory was strategically decisive even though the fleets did not destroy one another. British ships withdrew toward New York, leaving the French in control of the sea lanes around the bay. That prevented the Royal Navy from reinforcing or evacuating Cornwallis’s army at Yorktown.

French naval control also allowed allied forces to receive troops, artillery, and supplies. Washington and Rochambeau then completed the land encirclement that produced Cornwallis’s surrender on October 19. The battle is therefore a key link between international support and the American victory.