After landing on Saint Kitts, the French troops of the Marquis de Bouillé stormed and besieged the fortress of Brimstone Hill.

The British had already retired into their stronghold under Brigadier General Fraser, so the French landing forces disembarked without opposition and began to besiege them on 19 January.

De Grasse went out to intercept then, but by dawn the next day Hood had veered towards Montserrat, and contrary east-southeast winds impeded the French from reaching the British before they had circled north around Nevis and dropped anchor off Basseterre.

[10] Prescott's drive was eventually repelled, but otherwise French efforts continued to be hampered by the loss of their field artillery in a wreck while approaching Saint Kitts and the capture of an ammunition ship by one of Hood's frigates.

The next day, de Grasse ventured to Nevis to meet an arriving convoy of French victuallers (food supply ships), while Hood availed himself of the opportunity to escape in the opposite direction on the morning of 14 February.