The action of 6 December 1782 was a naval encounter primarily fought between HMS Ruby and the French ship Solitaire off the coast of Martinique.

By the end of 1782 the Spanish and French had been on the defensive since the Battle of the Saintes, which signaled British domination of the seas in the Caribbean.

The 64-gun HMS Ruby, captained by John Collins, sailed towards the 1,521-ton French ship Solitaire of 64 guns, under the command of Jean-Charles de Borda.

[3] In the action the British also captured the French brig Speedy, which defended herself vigorously at the cost of heavy casualties, including the death of her captain.

Jean-Charles de Borda, although captured along with his entire crew, was shortly released and returned as an engineer in the French Navy.