A single-ship action is a naval engagement fought between two warships of opposing sides, excluding submarine engagements; it is called so because there is a single ship on each side. The following is a list of notable single-ship actions.
Single-ship actions
Anglo-Spanish War
1579, March 1 – Golden Hind captures the Spanish galleon Nuestra Señora de la Concepción.
Third Anglo-Dutch War
1674, February 13 – HMS Tyger captures Schaeckerloo (part of the Dutch fleet that conducted the Dutch Raid on North America) outside Cadiz.
Golden Age of Piracy
1720, October 20 – British sloop Snow-Tyger under Jonathan Barnet captures the pirate sloop William and its owner Calico Jack.
War of the Austrian Succession
1743, June 20 – captures the Spanish treasure galleon Nuestra Señora de la Covadonga 1746, 21 January – captures the French privateer Marianne
Seven Years War
1761, 1 January – captures the French merchant frigate Bien Aimé.
American Revolutionary War
1776, July 27 – and have an inconclusive engagement
1777, 12 July – British merchantman Pole repulses the privateer American Tartar
1778, April 24 – captures (details) 1778, December – the Bristol privateer has an inconclusive engagement with a French frigate 1779, March – the Bristol privateer has an inconclusive engagement with an American privateer 1779, May 7 – captures 1779, September 7 – Molly repels an American privateer 1779, September 10 – defeats HMS West Florida in the Battle of Lake Pontchartrain. 1779, September 14 – defeats the Spanish frigate Santa Mónica. (details) 1779, October 29 – the West Indiaman exchanges fire with a French frigate; the frigate withdraws 1779, November 11 – HMS Tartar captures the Spanish frigate Santa Margarita. (details) 1780, June 1 – USS Trumbull engages the British privateer Watt; both ships withdraw 1780, August 10 – HMS Flora defeats the French ship Nymphe in the first engagement thought to involve the carronade.(details) 1780, September 9 – has an inconclusive, three-hour engagement with 1781, January 9 – The sloop captures the letter-of-marque 1781, March 7 – Liverpool privateer captures French merchantman Sartine 1781, March 23 – British privateer , of 14 guns, captures American letter of marque Tom Lee, of 12 guns. 1781, May 1 – captures the Spanish frigate Santa Leocadia. (details) 1781, September 6 – American privateer Congress captures the British sloop . (details) 1781, October 10 – the British privateer Goodrich has an inconclusive engagement with the American letter of marque St James 1781, late December – French privateer Terror of England captures and releases the letter of marque 1782, February 28 – captures 1782, April 6 – American privateer Tartar captures 1782, April 8 – Pennsylvania privateer Hyder Ally captures HMS General Monk. (details) 1782, 9 August – HMS Duc de Chartres captures the French brig Aigle 1782, August 12 – Frigate inconclusively engages the French frigate Bellone 1782, October 7 – The American privateer Buccaneer captures the British merchant ship 1782, December 6 – defeats the . (details) 1783, January 20 – captures the Dutch privateer Flushinger 1783, January 22 – HMS Hussar captures the French frigate Sybille. (details)