Action of 4 August 1800
Encyclopedia
The Action of 4 August 1800 was a highly unusual naval engagement that took place off the Brazil
ian coast during the French Revolutionary Wars
. A French frigate
force that had been raiding British commerce off West Africa
approached and attempted to attack a large convoy of valuable East Indiamen
, large and heavily armed merchant vessels sailing from Britain to British India and China
. The East Indiamen were escorted by the small British ship of the line
HMS Belliqueux
, but otherwise had to rely on their individual armament of 30 cannon
to protect them from attack. Due to their large size, the East Indiamen could be mistaken for ships of the line at a distance, and the French commander Commodore Jean-François Landolphe
was un-nerved when the convoy formed a line of battle
. Assuming his target to be a fleet of powerful warships he turned to escape and the British commander, Captain Rowley Bulteel immediately ordered a pursuit. To preserve the impression of warships he also ordered four of his most powerful East Indiamen to join the chase.
The larger British ship Belliqueux rapidly out ran Landolphe's flagship Concorde
, leaving Landolphe with no option but to surrender without any serious resistance. The rest of the French squadron continued to flee separately during the night, each pursued by two East Indiamen. After an hour and a half of pursuit, with darkness falling, the East Indiaman Exeter came alongside the French Médée
, giving the impression by use of lights that she was a large ship of the line. Believing himself outgunned, Captain Jean-Daniel Coudin surrendered, only discovering his assailant's true identity when he came aboard. Horrified, he demanded to be allowed to return to his ship to continue the fight, but Captain Henry Meriton on Exeter refused. The action is the only occasion during the war in which a large French warship was captured by a British merchant vessel.
s awaited French movements and whenever possible intercepted and destroyed French merchant vessels and warships. While British trading ships travelled in large, well-armed convoys, French ships were forced to slip between harbours to avoid the attentions of the British blockade
squadrons. To counter the British control of the seas, the French periodically despatched squadrons of ships to raid British trade lanes, particularly off West Africa and in the South Atlantic, where the stretched Royal Navy
maintained only minimal forces.
The large convoys of East Indiamen
were among the principal targets for any French raider. These huge ships, carrying up to 1200 long tons (1,219 MT), sailed from Britain with general cargo, often including military stores and troops, to India or other ports in the Indian Ocean
or the Pacific, including China
. There they would sell their cargoes and take on spices, tea, silk and other expensive trade goods before making the return journey to Britain. A round trip could take over a year and an East Indiaman sailing to Britain would routinely carry hundreds of thousands of pounds of trade goods: A convoy that sailed from Canton in January 1804 was worth over £8 million. Despite their great value, East Indiamen were well-protected, armed with up to 30 guns and rarely travelling outside large convoys in which the ships could provide one another with mutual protection and have the support of a Royal Navy escort, usually including a ship of the line.
On 6 March 1799, a French squadron had sailed from Rochefort
. Consisting of the frigates Concorde
under Commodore Jean-François Landolphe
, Médée
under Captain Jean-Daniel Coudin and Franchise
under Captain Pierre Jurien it was a powerful force, capable of inflicting significant damage on lightly defended merchant shipping. Eluding the blockade force off Rochefort, the squadron sailed southwards until it reached the coast of West Africa. There Landolphe's ships began an extended commerce raiding
operation, inflicting severe damage on the West African trade during the rest of the year. Eventually the strain of serving in tropical waters told on the ships and all three were forced to undergo an extensive refit in the nearest available allied shipyards, which were located in the Spanish-held River Plate
in South America. Repairs continued for six months, until Landolphe considered the squadron once again ready to sail in the early summer of 1800, and almost immediately captured an American schooner
which was fitted out as a tender
: France and the United States
had been engaged in the Quasi War for two years.
under Captain Rowley Bulteel.
With the French in full flight, Bulteel determined to continue the ruse that his convoy consisted of warships. Ordering Belliqueux to pursue Concorde, he signalled for his largest East Indiamen to follow the other French ships, to ensure that they did not return and counter attack the convoy while Belliqueux was engaged. Exeter under Captain Henry Meriton and Bombay Castle under Captain John Hamilton were to follow Médée while Coutts under Captain Robert Torin and Neptune under Captain Nathaniel Spens were to follow Franchise. All four vessels were over 1200 long tons (1,219 MT) and carried 30 guns, but none had more than 130 crew aboard and could not compete in accuracy or rate of fire with the 315 men aboard each of the French ships. Throughout the afternoon the chase continued, with Belliqueux steadily gaining on the French flagship while Franchise made rapid progress beyond the range of her pursuers, accompanied by the American schooner. At 17:20, Bulteel was within long range of Landolphe's ship, which returned fire when possible. During the exchange of gunfire neither side suffered damage or casualties, but the ship of the line was clearly gaining on the frigate and within ten minutes Landolphe surrendered rather than see his ship destroyed in an unequal combat.
By 19:00, Franchise had dumped her lifeboats and a large quantity of guns and supplies overboard, lightening the ship enough for it to far outstrip the pursuit. As night fell the French frigate made a full escape from the British force. Médée however had not escaped: although Bombay Castle was many miles behind, only distantly visible on the horizon, Exeter had been able to follow the frigate closely. Henry Meriton was aware of the disparity between the French warship and his own merchant vessel, but believed that as the frigate had made no effort to fight, her commander must believe Exeter to be a ship of the line. Enhancing this image in the rapidly approaching darkness, Meriton arranged lights behind every gunport, whether or not it contained a cannon, creating an effect described as "a fearsome, leering jack-o'-lantern". As his ship drew level with the French frigate, Meriton hailed to the enemy's deck, calling on them to surrender. Intimidated by this large and seemingly powerful enemy, Coudin decided that his only option was to strike his flag and come aboard the British ship to make a formal surrender. Arriving on board, he was astonished to see far fewer and smaller guns than would be normally carried on a warship. Asked by Coudin to whom he had surrendered, Meriton is said to have replied "To a merchantman". Appalled, Coudin demanded to be allowed to return to his ship and conduct a formal naval battle, but Meriton refused.
on 12 August to resupply before continuing on to Saint Helena
. The captured frigates were valuable prizes but were not bought by the Royal Navy, thus denying their captors a significant amount of prize money
: they been brought into port shortly before the Peace of Amiens and thus were deemed surplus to Navy requirements and not commissioned. The ships and the stores and equipment seized from them were sold privately, and the proceeds from the sale were paid in February 1803, in addition to the head-money, a financial award for each French sailor captured during the engagement. Bulteel and Meriton were commended, and the latter was to fight two more naval battles against the French, serving at the successful defence of the China Fleet at the Battle of Pulo Aura
in February 1804 and eventually being badly wounded and captured by a French frigate squadron after a fierce defence at the Action of 3 July 1810
.
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
ian coast during the French Revolutionary Wars
French Revolutionary Wars
The French Revolutionary Wars were a series of major conflicts, from 1792 until 1802, fought between the French Revolutionary government and several European states...
. A French frigate
Frigate
A frigate is any of several types of warship, the term having been used for ships of various sizes and roles over the last few centuries.In the 17th century, the term was used for any warship built for speed and maneuverability, the description often used being "frigate-built"...
force that had been raiding British commerce off West Africa
West Africa
West Africa or Western Africa is the westernmost region of the African continent. Geopolitically, the UN definition of Western Africa includes the following 16 countries and an area of approximately 5 million square km:-Flags of West Africa:...
approached and attempted to attack a large convoy of valuable East Indiamen
East Indiamen
An East Indiaman was a ship operating under charter or license to any of the East India Companies of the major European trading powers of the 17th through the 19th centuries...
, large and heavily armed merchant vessels sailing from Britain to British India and China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
. The East Indiamen were escorted by the small British ship of the line
Ship of the line
A ship of the line was a type of naval warship constructed from the 17th through the mid-19th century to take part in the naval tactic known as the line of battle, in which two columns of opposing warships would manoeuvre to bring the greatest weight of broadside guns to bear...
HMS Belliqueux
HMS Belliqueux (1780)
HMS Belliqueux was a 64-gun third rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy, launched on 5 June 1780 at Blackwall Yard, London. She was named after the French ship captured in 1758....
, but otherwise had to rely on their individual armament of 30 cannon
Cannon
A cannon is any piece of artillery that uses gunpowder or other usually explosive-based propellents to launch a projectile. Cannon vary in caliber, range, mobility, rate of fire, angle of fire, and firepower; different forms of cannon combine and balance these attributes in varying degrees,...
to protect them from attack. Due to their large size, the East Indiamen could be mistaken for ships of the line at a distance, and the French commander Commodore Jean-François Landolphe
Jean-François Landolphe
Jean-François Landolphe was a French naval commander.-Life:In 1786 he was sent to the coast of Africa to set up trading posts. He was defeated by a British force in the Action of 4 August 1800. He published his in 1823.-External links:*...
was un-nerved when the convoy formed a line of battle
Line of battle
In naval warfare, the line of battle is a tactic in which the ships of the fleet form a line end to end. A primitive form had been used by the Portuguese under Vasco Da Gama in 1502 near Malabar against a Muslim fleet.,Maarten Tromp used it in the Action of 18 September 1639 while its first use in...
. Assuming his target to be a fleet of powerful warships he turned to escape and the British commander, Captain Rowley Bulteel immediately ordered a pursuit. To preserve the impression of warships he also ordered four of his most powerful East Indiamen to join the chase.
The larger British ship Belliqueux rapidly out ran Landolphe's flagship Concorde
French frigate Concorde (1793)
The Concorde was a Nymphe-class 40-gun frigate of the French Navy.On 27 May 1793, Concorde captured the 24-gun HMS Hyæna. She took part in the Expédition d'Irlande, and on 12 October 1798, in aftermath of the Battle of Tory Island....
, leaving Landolphe with no option but to surrender without any serious resistance. The rest of the French squadron continued to flee separately during the night, each pursued by two East Indiamen. After an hour and a half of pursuit, with darkness falling, the East Indiaman Exeter came alongside the French Médée
French frigate Médée (1779)
Médée was an Iphigénie-class 32-gun frigate of the French Navy.She took part in the Battle of Tory Island.She was captured off Rio de Janeiro at the Action of 4 August 1800 by East Indiamen Exeter and Bombay.-References:...
, giving the impression by use of lights that she was a large ship of the line. Believing himself outgunned, Captain Jean-Daniel Coudin surrendered, only discovering his assailant's true identity when he came aboard. Horrified, he demanded to be allowed to return to his ship to continue the fight, but Captain Henry Meriton on Exeter refused. The action is the only occasion during the war in which a large French warship was captured by a British merchant vessel.
Background
By 1800, the British and French had been at war for seven years and the British dominated the sea, following a number of significant victories over the French, Dutch and Spanish fleets. Off every French port, large squadrons of British ships of the line and frigateFrigate
A frigate is any of several types of warship, the term having been used for ships of various sizes and roles over the last few centuries.In the 17th century, the term was used for any warship built for speed and maneuverability, the description often used being "frigate-built"...
s awaited French movements and whenever possible intercepted and destroyed French merchant vessels and warships. While British trading ships travelled in large, well-armed convoys, French ships were forced to slip between harbours to avoid the attentions of the British blockade
Blockade
A blockade is an effort to cut off food, supplies, war material or communications from a particular area by force, either in part or totally. A blockade should not be confused with an embargo or sanctions, which are legal barriers to trade, and is distinct from a siege in that a blockade is usually...
squadrons. To counter the British control of the seas, the French periodically despatched squadrons of ships to raid British trade lanes, particularly off West Africa and in the South Atlantic, where the stretched Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
maintained only minimal forces.
The large convoys of East Indiamen
East Indiamen
An East Indiaman was a ship operating under charter or license to any of the East India Companies of the major European trading powers of the 17th through the 19th centuries...
were among the principal targets for any French raider. These huge ships, carrying up to 1200 long tons (1,219 MT), sailed from Britain with general cargo, often including military stores and troops, to India or other ports in the Indian Ocean
Indian Ocean
The Indian Ocean is the third largest of the world's oceanic divisions, covering approximately 20% of the water on the Earth's surface. It is bounded on the north by the Indian Subcontinent and Arabian Peninsula ; on the west by eastern Africa; on the east by Indochina, the Sunda Islands, and...
or the Pacific, including China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
. There they would sell their cargoes and take on spices, tea, silk and other expensive trade goods before making the return journey to Britain. A round trip could take over a year and an East Indiaman sailing to Britain would routinely carry hundreds of thousands of pounds of trade goods: A convoy that sailed from Canton in January 1804 was worth over £8 million. Despite their great value, East Indiamen were well-protected, armed with up to 30 guns and rarely travelling outside large convoys in which the ships could provide one another with mutual protection and have the support of a Royal Navy escort, usually including a ship of the line.
On 6 March 1799, a French squadron had sailed from Rochefort
Rochefort, Charente-Maritime
Rochefort is a commune in southwestern France, a port on the Charente estuary. It is a sub-prefecture of the Charente-Maritime department.-History:...
. Consisting of the frigates Concorde
French frigate Concorde (1793)
The Concorde was a Nymphe-class 40-gun frigate of the French Navy.On 27 May 1793, Concorde captured the 24-gun HMS Hyæna. She took part in the Expédition d'Irlande, and on 12 October 1798, in aftermath of the Battle of Tory Island....
under Commodore Jean-François Landolphe
Jean-François Landolphe
Jean-François Landolphe was a French naval commander.-Life:In 1786 he was sent to the coast of Africa to set up trading posts. He was defeated by a British force in the Action of 4 August 1800. He published his in 1823.-External links:*...
, Médée
French frigate Médée (1779)
Médée was an Iphigénie-class 32-gun frigate of the French Navy.She took part in the Battle of Tory Island.She was captured off Rio de Janeiro at the Action of 4 August 1800 by East Indiamen Exeter and Bombay.-References:...
under Captain Jean-Daniel Coudin and Franchise
French frigate Franchise (1798)
The Franchise was a 40-gun Coquille class frigate of the French Navy.In 1800, she sailed to South Atlantic to act as a commerce raider, along with the Concorde and Médée...
under Captain Pierre Jurien it was a powerful force, capable of inflicting significant damage on lightly defended merchant shipping. Eluding the blockade force off Rochefort, the squadron sailed southwards until it reached the coast of West Africa. There Landolphe's ships began an extended commerce raiding
Commerce raiding
Commerce raiding or guerre de course is a form of naval warfare used to destroy or disrupt the logistics of an enemy on the open sea by attacking its merchant shipping, rather than engaging the combatants themselves or enforcing a blockade against them.Commerce raiding was heavily criticised by...
operation, inflicting severe damage on the West African trade during the rest of the year. Eventually the strain of serving in tropical waters told on the ships and all three were forced to undergo an extensive refit in the nearest available allied shipyards, which were located in the Spanish-held River Plate
Río de la Plata
The Río de la Plata —sometimes rendered River Plate in British English and the Commonwealth, and occasionally rendered [La] Plata River in other English-speaking countries—is the river and estuary formed by the confluence of the Uruguay River and the Paraná River on the border between Argentina and...
in South America. Repairs continued for six months, until Landolphe considered the squadron once again ready to sail in the early summer of 1800, and almost immediately captured an American schooner
Schooner
A schooner is a type of sailing vessel characterized by the use of fore-and-aft sails on two or more masts with the forward mast being no taller than the rear masts....
which was fitted out as a tender
Ship's tender
A ship's tender, usually referred to as a tender, is a boat, or a larger ship used to service a ship, generally by transporting people and/or supplies to and from shore or another ship...
: France and the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
had been engaged in the Quasi War for two years.
Battle
At 07:00 on 4 August, Landolphe's lookouts sighted sails on the horizon while cruising off the Brazilian coast. Uncertain of the identity of the strange ships, the French squadron gradually closed the distance during the morning: Landolphe could see that there were seven large vessels and three smaller ships, all unmistakably British. He was unable however to tell whether they were naval ships of the line or mercantile East Indiamen. Initially he thought they might be merchant ships, but at noon he sighted double rows of gunports along the side of each ship and called off the attack, turning away and signalling for his squadron to split up, assuming the enemy to be large warships capable of destroying his small force with ease. Captain Jurien protested Landolphe's order, insisting that the convoy was composed of merchant ships and not warships, but his protests were overruled. In fact, Jurien was correct – only one of the vessels posed a serious threat to his force: the seven ships were a convoy of six large East Indiamen sailing from Britain to India, escorted by the 64–gun ship of the line HMS BelliqueuxHMS Belliqueux (1780)
HMS Belliqueux was a 64-gun third rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy, launched on 5 June 1780 at Blackwall Yard, London. She was named after the French ship captured in 1758....
under Captain Rowley Bulteel.
With the French in full flight, Bulteel determined to continue the ruse that his convoy consisted of warships. Ordering Belliqueux to pursue Concorde, he signalled for his largest East Indiamen to follow the other French ships, to ensure that they did not return and counter attack the convoy while Belliqueux was engaged. Exeter under Captain Henry Meriton and Bombay Castle under Captain John Hamilton were to follow Médée while Coutts under Captain Robert Torin and Neptune under Captain Nathaniel Spens were to follow Franchise. All four vessels were over 1200 long tons (1,219 MT) and carried 30 guns, but none had more than 130 crew aboard and could not compete in accuracy or rate of fire with the 315 men aboard each of the French ships. Throughout the afternoon the chase continued, with Belliqueux steadily gaining on the French flagship while Franchise made rapid progress beyond the range of her pursuers, accompanied by the American schooner. At 17:20, Bulteel was within long range of Landolphe's ship, which returned fire when possible. During the exchange of gunfire neither side suffered damage or casualties, but the ship of the line was clearly gaining on the frigate and within ten minutes Landolphe surrendered rather than see his ship destroyed in an unequal combat.
By 19:00, Franchise had dumped her lifeboats and a large quantity of guns and supplies overboard, lightening the ship enough for it to far outstrip the pursuit. As night fell the French frigate made a full escape from the British force. Médée however had not escaped: although Bombay Castle was many miles behind, only distantly visible on the horizon, Exeter had been able to follow the frigate closely. Henry Meriton was aware of the disparity between the French warship and his own merchant vessel, but believed that as the frigate had made no effort to fight, her commander must believe Exeter to be a ship of the line. Enhancing this image in the rapidly approaching darkness, Meriton arranged lights behind every gunport, whether or not it contained a cannon, creating an effect described as "a fearsome, leering jack-o'-lantern". As his ship drew level with the French frigate, Meriton hailed to the enemy's deck, calling on them to surrender. Intimidated by this large and seemingly powerful enemy, Coudin decided that his only option was to strike his flag and come aboard the British ship to make a formal surrender. Arriving on board, he was astonished to see far fewer and smaller guns than would be normally carried on a warship. Asked by Coudin to whom he had surrendered, Meriton is said to have replied "To a merchantman". Appalled, Coudin demanded to be allowed to return to his ship and conduct a formal naval battle, but Meriton refused.
Aftermath
The engagement on 4 August 1800 had cost neither side a single man killed or wounded, but still inflicted a severe naval defeat on a powerful French frigate force, ending its cruise: Franchise, the only French survivor, had lost many guns and much of her supplies to decrease the ship's weight and, although Captain Jurien spent another three weeks off the Brazilian coast before returning to France, he did not see another sail. Bulteel's convoy continued on its journey to India, pausing at Rio de JaneiroRio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro , commonly referred to simply as Rio, is the capital city of the State of Rio de Janeiro, the second largest city of Brazil, and the third largest metropolitan area and agglomeration in South America, boasting approximately 6.3 million people within the city proper, making it the 6th...
on 12 August to resupply before continuing on to Saint Helena
Saint Helena
Saint Helena , named after St Helena of Constantinople, is an island of volcanic origin in the South Atlantic Ocean. It is part of the British overseas territory of Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha which also includes Ascension Island and the islands of Tristan da Cunha...
. The captured frigates were valuable prizes but were not bought by the Royal Navy, thus denying their captors a significant amount of prize money
Prize money
Prize money has a distinct meaning in warfare, especially naval warfare, where it was a monetary reward paid out to the crew of a ship for capturing an enemy vessel...
: they been brought into port shortly before the Peace of Amiens and thus were deemed surplus to Navy requirements and not commissioned. The ships and the stores and equipment seized from them were sold privately, and the proceeds from the sale were paid in February 1803, in addition to the head-money, a financial award for each French sailor captured during the engagement. Bulteel and Meriton were commended, and the latter was to fight two more naval battles against the French, serving at the successful defence of the China Fleet at the Battle of Pulo Aura
Battle of Pulo Aura
The Battle of Pulo Aura was a minor naval engagement of the Napoleonic Wars, fought on 14 February 1804, in which a large squadron of Honourable East India Company East Indiamen, powerful and well armed merchant ships, intimidated, drove off and chased a powerful French naval squadron...
in February 1804 and eventually being badly wounded and captured by a French frigate squadron after a fierce defence at the Action of 3 July 1810
Action of 3 July 1810
The Action of 3 July 1810 was a minor naval engagement of the Napoleonic Wars, in which a French frigate squadron under Guy-Victor Duperré attacked and defeated a convoy of Honourable East India Company East Indiamen near the Comoros Islands...
.