Despite Porter's complaints to the US Navy on several occasions, "Essex" was armed almost entirely with powerful but short-range 32-pounder carronades that gave "Phoebe", armed with long 18-pounders, a decisive advantage at long range. For hours, "Phoebe" and "Cherub" bombarded "Essex" from long range, where "Essex" could only resist with her few long 12-pounders. Fires twice erupted aboard "Essex", at which point about fifty men abandoned the ship and swam for shore, only half of them landing; the British saved sixteen. Eventually, the hopeless situation forced Porter to surrender. "Essex" had suffered 58 dead and 31 missing of her crew of 214. The British lost four men dead and seven wounded on "Phoebe", and one dead and three wounded on "Cherub".