Admiral Graves, taking command of the combined fleet, now nineteen ships, sails south, and arrives at the mouth of the Chesapeake on September 5.

His progress was slow; the poor condition of some of the West Indies ships (contrary to claims by Admiral Hood that his fleet was fit for a month of service) had necessitated repairs en route.

Graves is also concerned about some ships in his own fleet; Europe in particular has difficulty maneuvering.

French and British patrol frigates each spot the other's fleet around 9:30 am; both at first underestimate the size of the other fleet, leading each commander to believe the other fleet is the smaller fleet of Admiral de Barras.

When the true size of the fleets become apparent, Graves assumes that de Grasse and Barras have already joined forces, and prepares for battle; he directs his line toward the bay's mouth, assisted by winds from the north-northeast.

By 1:00 pm, the two fleets are roughly facing each other, but sailing on opposite tacks.

In order to engage, and to avoid some shoals (known as the Middle Ground) near the mouth of the bay, Graves around 2:00 pm orders his whole fleet to wear, a maneuver that reverses his line of battle, but enabled it to line up with the French fleet as its ships exit the bay.

This places the squadron of Hood, his most aggressive commander, at the rear of the line, and that of Admiral Francis Samuel Drake in the van.

At about 4:00 pm, over six hours since the two fleets first sight each other, the British—who have the weather gage, and therefore the initiative—open their attack.

The battle begins with HMS Intrepid opening fire against the Marseillais, its counterpart near the head of the line.

The action very quickly becomes general, with the van and center of each line fully engaged.

The French, in a practice they are known for, tend to aim at British masts and rigging, with the intent of crippling their opponent's mobility.

The effects of this tactic are apparent in the engagement: Shrewsbury and HMS Intrepid, at the head of the British line, become virtually impossible to manage, and eventually fall out of the line.

The rest of Admiral Drake's squadron also suffers heavy damage, but the casualties are not as severe as those taken on the first two ships.

The angle of approach of the British line also plays a role in the damage they sustain; ships in their van are exposed to raking fire when only their bow guns canbe brought to bear on the French.

The French van also takes a beating, although it is less severe.

Sunset brings an end to the firefight, with both fleets continuing on a roughly southeast tack, away from the bay.

Five ships of Graves' fleet sre either leaking or virtually crippled in their mobility.

Nonetheless, Graves will maintain a windward position through the night, so that he will have the choice of battle in the morning.

Ongoing repairs make it clear to Graves that he will be unable to attack the next day.