Action of 28 June 1803

Last updated
Action of 28 June 1803
Part of the Blockade of Saint-Domingue
Fight of the Poursuivante mp3h9427.jpg
Detail from the Fight of the Poursuivante against the British ship Hercules, 28 June 1803: Poursuivante delivers her decisive raking broadside. Louis-Philippe Crépin, 1819, Musée national de la Marine
Date28 June 1803
Location
Off Môle-Saint-Nicolas, Haiti
Result

Successful defence of Poursuivante

Capture of Mignonne
Belligerents
Flag of France.svg France Union flag 1606 (Kings Colors).svg  Great Britain
Commanders and leaders
Captain Jean-Baptiste Willaumez
Commander Jean-Pierre Bargeau		 Captain Henry William Bayntun
Captain Charles Brisbane
Acting captain John B. Hills [1]
Strength

1 frigate

1 corvette 		3 74-gun ships of the line
Casualties and losses
1 corvette captured
10 men killed & 15 wounded		 A few wounded

The action of 28 June 1803 marked the opening shots [2] of the Blockade of Saint-Domingue after the collapse of the Treaty of Amiens and the outbreak of the War of the Third Coalition in May 1803.

Contents

A French heavy frigate and a corvette, both partially armed en flûte and unaware of the recently begun war, [3] met three British 74-gun ships of the line. The corvette was overhauled and captured, but the frigate, sailing close to shore, managed to out-manoeuver her opponent and deliver a devastating raking broadside that put her out of action.

The feat of a frigate managing to escape a ship of the line yielded high praise for Willaumez, who had commanded the frigate. A large painting by Louis-Philippe Crépin was commissioned in 1819 to commemorate the event.

Background

France had been in peace with Great Britain since the Treaty of Amiens in 1801, allowing her to consolidate her grasp on her colonies overseas. This was particularly sensitive in Saint-Domingue, where the Haitian Revolution had raged since 1791. First Consul Bonaparte ordered the Saint-Domingue expedition, under General Leclerc, to curtail the separatist tendencies of General Toussaint Louverture. Meanwhile, the Treaty of Amiens proved to be an unsuitable settlement of Franco-British differences; its application by both parties became erratic and tensions grew. In May 1803, Britain declared war on France, setting the War of the Third Coalition into motion. [4] In late June, this news had yet to reach the French station of Saint-Domingue. On 27 June 1803, the 40-gun frigate Poursuivante, under Willaumez, departed Les Cayes, bound for Cap-Haïtien, [5] in the company of the 16-gun corvette Mignonne , [6] under Commander [7] Jean-Pierre Bargeau. [1]

Neither of the ships was fully armed or manned: [1] Poursuivante, pierced to mount twenty-four 24-pounder long guns on her battery and sixteen 8-pounders on her castles, [8] carried only 22 and 12 respectively and, more critically, had only 25 shots for each gun and a crew of only 150 men; [9] Mignonne, nominally carrying sixteen 18-pounder long guns, [10] [11] was equipped only with twelve 12-pounders and an 80-man complement. [1] A 50-ship British convoy [3] [5] was sailing off Môle-Saint-Nicolas under escort of three 74-gun ships of the line: they were the 74-gun HMS Hercule, Cumberland and Goliath, under Captain Henry William Bayntun, Captain Charles Brisbane and acting captain John B. Hills respectively. [1] In the early morning of 28 June 1803, the two formations came in view of one another. [6]

Detail from the Fight of the Poursuivante against the British ship Hercules, 28 June 1803: the 74-gun HMS Hercules. Louis-Philippe Crepin, 1819, Musee national de la Marine. Fight of the Poursuivante mp3h9426.jpg
Detail from the Fight of the Poursuivante against the British ship Hercules, 28 June 1803: the 74-gun HMS Hercules. Louis-Philippe Crépin, 1819, Musée national de la Marine.

Battle

Detail from the Fight of the Poursuivante against the British ship Hercules, 28 June 1803: Onlookers cheering Poursuivante. Louis-Philippe Crepin, 1819, Musee national de la Marine. Fight of the Poursuivante mp3h9424.jpg
Detail from the Fight of the Poursuivante against the British ship Hercules, 28 June 1803: Onlookers cheering Poursuivante. Louis-Philippe Crépin, 1819, Musée national de la Marine.

Spotting two strange sails in-shore, the British escort detached to investigate [1] and Willaumez soon identified the three 74s as British. [5] Unaware of the outbreak of the war [3] [12] but suspicious of the intentions of the British, Willaumez prepared a defence in case of attack. [5] At eight, the 74-gun HMS Hercule came in range; after signaling the other ships in her division, she hoisted the British flag, prompting Poursuivante to hoist the French colours. [9] Meanwhile, Goliath chased Mignonne and taking advantage of the sea wind whereas the corvette was becalmed, quickly overhauled her; after a few token shots, Mignonne struck her colours to her overwhelming opponent. [1]

At nine, Hercule fired a ball shot at Poursuivante, initiating the battle. [9] As Hercule closed to the shore to engage, she had less and less water under her keel and came into lighter and erratic winds; [1] although these advantaged the shallower and more maneuverable frigate, Poursuivante lacked the ammunition to energetically answer Hercule's fire, [9] and her diminished crew could not simultaneously man her batteries and handle her sails. [13] On the other hand, because she had to ration her fire, Poursuivante aimed careful shots that soon caused significant damage to Hercule's rigging. [14] [15]

After two hours of mutual cannonade, at eleven, [9] the wind fell and both ships almost came to a sudden halt, [9] their main sailing resource now the gusts of wind from the shore. [14] Taking advantage of this change in the weather, Willaumez ordered his gunners to cease fire and help manoeuver his frigate, [13] quickly coming in position to rake Hercule, only then firing a devastating broadside at her stern. [9] [13] The damage and confusion on Hercule were such that, probably fearing to run aground, [2] [16] she effectively dropped out of action. [9] This allowed Poursuivante to reach the safety of Môle-Saint-Nicolas, [15] cheered by the crowd and saluted by the artillery of the forts. [13]

Aftermath

Engraving of Crepin's painting. Fight of the Poursuivante.jpg
Engraving of Crépin's painting.

Hercule's rigging had suffered considerably, but she only had a few wounded. [15] Hills was forced to retire with his ship to Jamaica for repairs; HMS Vanguard replaced Hercule in Bayntun's squadron. [15] Though Mignonne served briefly in the Royal Navy, there is no record of her actually being commissioned; she grounded and was condemned in 1804. Poursuivante had ten men killed and fifteen wounded, [9] her hull had sustained several shots and her rigging was much damaged. [9] As Cap-Haïtien lacked the resources to repair the frigate, Willaumez had to sail her back to France. [17]

After Willaumez departed and sailed around the south of Cuba, a violent gust of wind dismasted Poursuivante, forcing Willaumez to make a port call in Baltimore to repair his frigate. [17] When ready, he departed the Chesapeake, avoided the British blockade and crossed the Atlantic, reaching Rochefort on 28 May 1804. [17] There, he was intercepted by a British ship of the line, which he battled for 30 minutes before breaking off and finding shelter at Île-d'Aix. [17] Poursuivante hardly sailed again, and became a hulk in June 1806. [8] Willaumez had been made a Knight in the Order of the Legion of Honour in February. He was promoted to Officer in June, and congratulated by Navy minister Decrès. [17] A large painting by Louis-Philippe Crépin was commissioned in 1819 to commemorate the event; [18] it long decorated the office of the Minister of the Navy, [18] and is now in display at the Musée national de la Marine in Paris. [19]

Notes

    Related Research Articles

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Louis Thomas Villaret de Joyeuse</span> French admiral

    Louis-Thomas Villaret de Joyeuse was a French admiral.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Jean-Baptiste Perrée</span> 18th-century French naval officer (1761–1800)

    Jean-Baptiste Perrée was a French Navy officer and Rear-admiral.

    French ship <i>Redoutable</i> (1791) Ship of the line of the French Navy

    The Redoutable was a Téméraire-class 74-gun ship of the line of the French Navy. She took part in the battles of the French Revolutionary Wars in the Brest squadron, served in the Caribbean in 1803, and duelled with HMS Victory during the Battle of Trafalgar, killing Vice Admiral Horatio Nelson during the action. She sank in the storm that followed the battle.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Louis-René Levassor de Latouche Tréville</span> French vice-admiral (1745-1804)

    Louis-René Madelaine Le Vassor, comte de La Touche-Tréville was a French vice-admiral. He fought in the American War of Independence and became a prominent figure of the French Revolutionary Wars and of the Napoleonic wars.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Charles-Alexandre Léon Durand Linois</span> French admiral (1761–1848)

    Charles-Alexandre Léon Durand, Comte de Linois was a French admiral who served in the French Navy during the reign of Napoleon Bonaparte. He commanded the combined Franco-Spanish fleet during the Algeciras Campaign in 1801, winning the First Battle of Algeciras before losing the Second Battle of Algeciras. He then led an unsuccessful campaign against British trade in the Indian Ocean and South China Sea in 1803, being defeated by a harmless fleet of the East India Company during the Battle of Pulo Aura and ending his cruise and career being bested in battle by John Warren in the action of 13 March 1806.

    HMS <i>Hercule</i> (1798) Téméraire class ship of the line

    HMS Hercule was a 74-gun third rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy. She was previously Hercule, a Téméraire class ship of the line of the French Navy, but was captured on her maiden voyage in 1798, and spent the rest of her career as a British ship. She was broken up in 1810.

    French frigate <i>Poursuivante</i> (1796)

    Poursuivante ("chaser") was a Romaine-class frigate of the French Navy.

    Mignonne was an 18-gun Etna-class corvette of the French Navy, launched in 1795. She served until 1803 when the British captured her. Though she served briefly, there is no record of her actually being commissioned into the Royal Navy; she grounded and was condemned in 1804.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Jean-Baptiste Philibert Willaumez</span>

    Jean-Baptiste Philibert Willaumez was a French sailor, Navy officer, and admiral of the First French Empire.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Pierre Jean Van Stabel</span>

    Pierre Jean Van Stabel was a French naval officer and rear-admiral, famous for his role in the Glorious First of June.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Blockade of Saint-Domingue</span> Part of the Napoleonic Wars

    The Blockade of Saint-Domingue was a naval campaign fought during the first months of the Napoleonic Wars in which a series of British Royal Navy squadrons blockaded the French-held ports of Cap Français and Môle-Saint-Nicolas on the northern coast of the French colony of Saint-Domingue, soon to become Haiti, after the conclusion of the Haitian Revolution on 1 January 1804. In the summer of 1803, when war broke out between the United Kingdom and the French Consulate, Saint-Domingue had been almost completely overrun by Haitian forces commanded by Jean-Jacques Dessalines. In the north of the country, the French forces were isolated in the two large ports of Cap Français and Môle-Saint-Nicolas and a few smaller settlements, all supplied by a French naval force based primarily at Cap Français.

    Allemand's escape from Lorient was an episode of the naval operations of the French Navy in 1812. A number of French, warships trapped in Lorient by the British blockade, managed to take to the sea under Zacharie Allemand and sail to Brest. British squadrons sailed in pursuit, but were unable to force the French fleet into action.

    Créole was a 40-gun frigate of the French Navy, a one-off design by Jacques-Augustin Lamothe. The French Navy loaned her to a privateer in 1797. Later, she served in the Brest squadron, took part in Ganteaume's expeditions of 1801 to Egypt, and was involved in the French acquisition of Santo Domingo and briefly detained Toussaint Louverture before he was brought to France. The 74-gun ships HMS Vanguard and HMS Cumberland captured her Santo Domingo on 30 June 1803. The Royal Navy took her into service but she foundered soon afterwards during an attempt to sail to Britain; her crew were rescued.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Louis-Jean-Nicolas Lejoille</span>

    Louis-Jean-Nicolas Lejoille was a French Navy officer and captain.

    Pierre-Louis Lhermite was a French sea captain and rear admiral.

    French frigate <i>Vertu</i> (1794)

    Vertu was a 40-gun French frigate designed by engineer Segondat. She served in Sercey's squadron in the Indian Ocean, and in Saint-Domingue. She was captured by the Royal Navy at the end of the Blockade of Saint-Domingue when the island surrendered to the British. After her capture the Navy sailed her to Britain but never commissioned her, and finally sold her in 1810.

    Amand Leduc was a French sailor and Navy officer of the First French Empire.

    The action of 7 June 1780 took place during the American War of Independence between the frigates Hermione and HMS Iris. The ships exchanged fire for one hour and a half before parting. The battle resumed in written form when Hawker published his account of the battle in a newspaper, which Latouche contested heatedly.

    The action of 18 June 1799 was a naval engagement of the French Revolutionary Wars fought off Toulon in the wake of the Mediterranean campaign of 1798. A frigate squadron under Rear-admiral Perrée, returning to Toulon from Syria, met a 30-ship British fleet under Lord Keith. Three ships of the line and two frigates detached from the British squadron, and a 28-hour running battle ensued. When the British ships overhauled them, the French frigates and brigs had no choice but to surrender, given their opponents' overwhelming strength.

    Théobald-René, Comte de Kergariou-Locmaria was a French Navy officer and Royalist émigré.

    References

    1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 James, p.187
    2. 1 2 Troude, vol.3, p.287
    3. 1 2 3 Guérin, p.304
    4. ↑ Guérin, p.300
    5. 1 2 3 4 Hennequin, p.242
    6. 1 2 Troude, vol.3, p.286
    7. ↑ Fonds Marine, p.286
    8. 1 2 Roche, p.359
    9. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Hennequin, p.243
    10. ↑ Roche, p.185
    11. ↑ Roche, p.309
    12. ↑ Levot, p.555
    13. 1 2 3 4 Guérin, p.306
    14. 1 2 Guérin, p.305
    15. 1 2 3 4 James, p.188
    16. ↑ James, p.
    17. 1 2 3 4 5 Hennequin, p.245
    18. 1 2 Hennequin, p.244
    19. ↑ "Musée de la Marine de Paris". www.patrimoine-histoire.fr.

    Bibliography

    This page is based on this Wikipedia article
    Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
    Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.