Action of 6 April 1809
Encyclopedia
The Action of 6 May 1809 was a small naval battle fought between the French frigate
and several British frigates, principally , as part of the blockade of Brest, France
during the Napoleonic Wars
. During the Wars, a central part of British strategy was to isolate French ports from international trade in an attempt to both restrict French imports of food and military supplies and simultaneously to damage the French economy. To achieve this, British warships maintained a constant vigil off the French coastline, attacking ships that attempted to enter or leave French ports. Despite the threat that their ships faced, communication and the transfer of supplies between France and her colonies was vital to the French war effort, and the French Navy made constant attempts to evade the patrolling British squadrons. In late 1808, a significant French squadron was deployed to Île de France
to disrupt British trade in the Indian Ocean
. This force required reinforcement and supply from France, and periodic attempts were made to reach the isolated convoy with new frigates, the first of which was Niémen.
Niémen was a new and fast ship, carrying 40 guns and a large quantity of much needed naval supplies. However, in order to leave her home port of Brest, it was necessary to avoid contact with the British frigates that constantly watched the entrance to the harbour in search of enemy movement. In April 1809, these ships were HMS Amethyst and , loosely supported by other patrolling ships and tasked specifically with the capture of Niémen, acting on intelligence passed on by the Admiralty
. When Niémen emerged on 5 April, she was immediately spotted and chased. Amethyst retained contact throughout the night and brought the French ship to action on the morning of 6 April. The ensuing battle was fiercely contested and both ships suffered severe damage and heavy casualties.
While the outcome of the battle was still undecided, a second British frigate——arrived. Outnumbered, the French captain saw no alternative and surrendered his ship. The late arrival of Arethusa—under Captain Robert Mends
, who claimed the victory for himself—sparked a furious argument that developed into a lasting animosity between Mends and Captain Michael Seymour
of Amethyst. The failure of Niémen to reach Île de France also had serious repercussions for the French squadron there. With naval supplies severely limited, their ability to operate at sea for long periods of time was hampered and by late 1810 few of their vessels were still seaworthy.
, as with the French Revolutionary Wars
that preceded them, the British Royal Navy
enjoyed almost complete dominance at sea. By 1809, their superiority was so entrenched that few French ships even left port, because to do so meant breaking through a system of blockading warships off every major French harbour. The biggest port in France at the time was Brest
in Brittany
, and thus it was there that the greatest concentration of British warships off the French coast was concentrated. The main squadron was formed from large ships of the line, often dubbed the "Offshore Squadron" due to their position up to a hundred miles from the coast, to avoid the risks posed by the rocky Biscay shore. This was complemented by the "Inshore Squadron", formed primarily from frigates and brig
s, which was tasked with watching the myriad entry points to Brest and other Biscay ports. These frigates often sailed independently or in small squadrons, maintaining contact with each other and with the Offshore Squadron via signals and despatch boats.
Despite their inferiority at sea, both in numbers and experience, frigates of the French Navy were still required to leave port regularly on raiding missions against British commerce and to convoy supplies and reinforcements to overseas regions of the French Empire
. These colonies formed bases for French commerce raiders, and in 1808 a determined effort was made to develop a raiding squadron on the French Indian Ocean
territories of Île de France and Île Bonaparte. These ships—led by Commodore Jacques Hamelin—required regular resupply from France as they were unable to repair damage and replenish ammunition and food from the reserves on the Indian Ocean islands alone. In early 1809, therefore, it was decided to reinforce and resupply the squadron by despatching the newly-built frigate from Brest under Captain Jean Dupotet
.
In January 1809, John Tremayne Rodd
—captain of the frigate , then part of the Inshore Squadron—obtained information that Niémen was preparing to sail from Brest. Rodd passed this information to the Admiralty
, who took immediate steps to intercept the French ship. For this purpose, they selected Captains Michael Seymour
of and Frederick Lewis Maitland
of HMS Emerald. These captains had extensive experience serving with the Inshore Squadron off Brest and Seymour, who had lost an arm at the Glorious First of June
, was much in favour for his recent capture of the French frigate at the Action of 10 November 1808
. Seymour and Maitland—during their patrols in 1808 that led to the capture of Thétis—had entered into a verbal agreement that any prize money
they earned would be shared equally over both crews. This agreement continued on their new commission, which was jealously guarded from other captains: when Seymour discovered hunting in the same area in March, he was furious and ordered her away.
and reaching the open Atlantic
. At 11:00 on 5 April, however, Dupotet spotted two sails to the northwest. Assuming them to be British, Dupotet turned southwards in the hope of outrunning them. The sails—which belonged to Amethyst and Emerald—immediately gave chase. Throughout the day, the three ships sailed southward, Amethyst slightly gaining on Niémen but leaving Emerald far behind, Maitland's ship disappearing from view at 19:20 as darkness fell.
Dupotet attempted to throw off Amethysts pursuit during the night by turning westwards once more, but Seymour anticipated this manoeuvre and turned his ship westwards as well, discovering Niémen only a few miles ahead at 21:40. Rapidly gaining on the French ship, Seymour began firing his bow-chasers, small guns situated in the bows of the frigate, in an attempt to damage her rigging so that he could bring his broadsides to bear. Dupotet responded with his stern-chasers, but by 01:00 on 6 April it was clear that Amethyst was going to catch the French frigate. The pursuit had been exhausting: since first sighting the British ships, Niémen had travelled over 140 nmi (161.1 mi; 259.3 km) and was just 12 nmi (13.8 mi; 22.2 km) from the Spanish coast when she was caught. At 01:15, Amethyst opened fire, Niémen immediately responding and turning to the northeast in an attempt to shake off the British ship. Seymour followed his opponent and at 01:45 was again close enough to engage, the frigates firing upon one another from close range for over an hour.
At 02:45, Amethyst was able to pull across the bows of Niémen, inflicting a devastating raking fire
on the French ship which caused terrible damage. Niémen surged forward into Amethyst, but the collision caused little damage and at 03:00 Amethyst again raked her opponent, this time from the east. The frigates were so close that shot from Amethyst started fires among Niémens hammock netting, placed along the decks to deter boarding actions. At 03:15, Niémens mizenmast and main topmast collapsed and another fire broke out in the main top, but Amethyst was also severely damaged and at 03:30 her mainmast fell onto the deck from a combination of shot damage and stress in high winds. Niémens mainmast also collapsed a few minutes later. Both frigates had stopped firing at 03:25, as the confusion on their decks was brought under control.
Although Niémen was very badly damaged, Amethyst was almost uncontrollable and despite Seymour's best efforts, he was unable to close with Niémen to ensure her surrender. Dupotet meanwhile was overseeing hasty repairs in the hope of getting away before Amethyst could recover. At 03:45, however, a new ship emerged from the darkness, soon revealed to be the British frigate HMS Arethusa. Arethusa was deployed as part of the force blockading the ports of Northern Spain and her commander, Captain Robert Mends
, was a successful officer who had been commended just two weeks earlier for raiding the French-held port of Lekeitio
. Mends immediately pulled alongside Niémen and Dupotet fired a single shot each at Amethyst and Arethusa. The shot at Amethyst missed its target, but the one at Arethusa struck the ship and threw up splinters. Mends was struck on the forehead and badly wounded, the only man to be hit. Both Amethyst and Arethusa then opened fire, Niémen surrendering immediately.
' s surgeon, who had gone aboard Amethyst to assist with the wounded, so that Mends could be ready to leave without notice. Seymour, who was still effecting hasty repairs and dealing with his casualties, responded angrily, forcing Mends to back down and return the stores. Seymour was also annoyed by Mends' late arrival, which meant that Arethusa was entitled to half the prize money from the captured frigate without having done any of the fighting. Repairs were completed on 7 April, and Amethyst and Niémen limped back to Plymouth
, arriving on 13 April.
On arrival in Britain, Seymour was celebrated and rewarded with a baronet
cy for his second victory in less than six months while all of his officers were promoted. Niémen was purchased into the Navy for the sum of £29,979-2-10d, which was split between the government, the crew and a number of other parties. The share that went to the captors came under dispute: Mends had no intention of abiding by Seymour's agreement with Maitland and refused to allow Emerald to share in the prize money. Seymour and Maitland took Mends to court and the ensuing legal battle lasted years, Mends deliberately exaggerating his role in the capture of Niémen in public (although privately admitting that the victory was entirely Seymour's). Seymour and Mends became bitter enemies and their animosity continued throughout their lives, although both remained in the Navy and had successful careers. Forty years later, the battle was among the actions recognised by a clasp attached to the Naval General Service Medal, awarded upon application to all British participants still living in 1847.
In France, the action was infamous for a despatch supposedly sent by Dupotet and subsequently printed in edited form in the newspaper Le Moniteur Universel
. The report, which was later used by Mends in his dispute with Seymour, claimed that Niémen had not only been largely undamaged before Arethusa' s arrival, but that Seymour had actually surrendered to the French captain before Mends arrived. This story, almost totally invented, was widely believed in France at the time. The effect on the Mauritius campaign
of the defeat of Niémen was not immediately apparent, Hamelin's squadron remaining a menace to British shipping well into 1810. However, in the aftermath of the destructive Battle of Grand Port
, the French, although the victors, were unable to repair their ships due to lack of naval stores and their effectiveness declined until they were unable to resist the Invasion of Île de France
in November 1810. This inability was directly related to the failure of all but one of the French frigates sent to reinforce and resupply the island to reach it, the others either captured or driven back en route.
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"...
and several British frigates, principally , as part of the blockade of Brest, France
Brest, France
Brest is a city in the Finistère department in Brittany in northwestern France. Located in a sheltered position not far from the western tip of the Breton peninsula, and the western extremity of metropolitan France, Brest is an important harbour and the second French military port after Toulon...
during the Napoleonic Wars
Napoleonic Wars
The Napoleonic Wars were a series of wars declared against Napoleon's French Empire by opposing coalitions that ran from 1803 to 1815. As a continuation of the wars sparked by the French Revolution of 1789, they revolutionised European armies and played out on an unprecedented scale, mainly due to...
. During the Wars, a central part of British strategy was to isolate French ports from international trade in an attempt to both restrict French imports of food and military supplies and simultaneously to damage the French economy. To achieve this, British warships maintained a constant vigil off the French coastline, attacking ships that attempted to enter or leave French ports. Despite the threat that their ships faced, communication and the transfer of supplies between France and her colonies was vital to the French war effort, and the French Navy made constant attempts to evade the patrolling British squadrons. In late 1808, a significant French squadron was deployed to Île de France
Mauritius
Mauritius , officially the Republic of Mauritius is an island nation off the southeast coast of the African continent in the southwest Indian Ocean, about east of Madagascar...
to disrupt British trade 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...
. This force required reinforcement and supply from France, and periodic attempts were made to reach the isolated convoy with new frigates, the first of which was Niémen.
Niémen was a new and fast ship, carrying 40 guns and a large quantity of much needed naval supplies. However, in order to leave her home port of Brest, it was necessary to avoid contact with the British frigates that constantly watched the entrance to the harbour in search of enemy movement. In April 1809, these ships were HMS Amethyst and , loosely supported by other patrolling ships and tasked specifically with the capture of Niémen, acting on intelligence passed on by the Admiralty
Admiralty
The Admiralty was formerly the authority in the Kingdom of England, and later in the United Kingdom, responsible for the command of the Royal Navy...
. When Niémen emerged on 5 April, she was immediately spotted and chased. Amethyst retained contact throughout the night and brought the French ship to action on the morning of 6 April. The ensuing battle was fiercely contested and both ships suffered severe damage and heavy casualties.
While the outcome of the battle was still undecided, a second British frigate——arrived. Outnumbered, the French captain saw no alternative and surrendered his ship. The late arrival of Arethusa—under Captain Robert Mends
Robert Mends
Captain Sir Robert Mends was a prominent British Royal Navy officer of the late eighteenth and early nineteenth century, who lost an arm in the American War of Independence, caught in an explosion at the Battle of Groix in 1795 and wounded again at the Action of 6 April 1809...
, who claimed the victory for himself—sparked a furious argument that developed into a lasting animosity between Mends and Captain Michael Seymour
Sir Michael Seymour, 1st Baronet
Sir Michael Seymour, 1st Baronet KCB was an officer of the Royal Navy. He served during the French Revolutionary and the Napoleonic Wars, eventually rising to the rank of Rear-Admiral.-Family and early life:...
of Amethyst. The failure of Niémen to reach Île de France also had serious repercussions for the French squadron there. With naval supplies severely limited, their ability to operate at sea for long periods of time was hampered and by late 1810 few of their vessels were still seaworthy.
Background
During the Napoleonic WarsNapoleonic Wars
The Napoleonic Wars were a series of wars declared against Napoleon's French Empire by opposing coalitions that ran from 1803 to 1815. As a continuation of the wars sparked by the French Revolution of 1789, they revolutionised European armies and played out on an unprecedented scale, mainly due to...
, as with 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...
that preceded them, the British 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...
enjoyed almost complete dominance at sea. By 1809, their superiority was so entrenched that few French ships even left port, because to do so meant breaking through a system of blockading warships off every major French harbour. The biggest port in France at the time was Brest
Brest, France
Brest is a city in the Finistère department in Brittany in northwestern France. Located in a sheltered position not far from the western tip of the Breton peninsula, and the western extremity of metropolitan France, Brest is an important harbour and the second French military port after Toulon...
in Brittany
Brittany
Brittany is a cultural and administrative region in the north-west of France. Previously a kingdom and then a duchy, Brittany was united to the Kingdom of France in 1532 as a province. Brittany has also been referred to as Less, Lesser or Little Britain...
, and thus it was there that the greatest concentration of British warships off the French coast was concentrated. The main squadron was formed from large ships of the line, often dubbed the "Offshore Squadron" due to their position up to a hundred miles from the coast, to avoid the risks posed by the rocky Biscay shore. This was complemented by the "Inshore Squadron", formed primarily from frigates and brig
Brig
A brig is a sailing vessel with two square-rigged masts. During the Age of Sail, brigs were seen as fast and manoeuvrable and were used as both naval warships and merchant vessels. They were especially popular in the 18th and early 19th centuries...
s, which was tasked with watching the myriad entry points to Brest and other Biscay ports. These frigates often sailed independently or in small squadrons, maintaining contact with each other and with the Offshore Squadron via signals and despatch boats.
Despite their inferiority at sea, both in numbers and experience, frigates of the French Navy were still required to leave port regularly on raiding missions against British commerce and to convoy supplies and reinforcements to overseas regions of the French Empire
First French Empire
The First French Empire , also known as the Greater French Empire or Napoleonic Empire, was the empire of Napoleon I of France...
. These colonies formed bases for French commerce raiders, and in 1808 a determined effort was made to develop a raiding squadron on the French 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...
territories of Île de France and Île Bonaparte. These ships—led by Commodore Jacques Hamelin—required regular resupply from France as they were unable to repair damage and replenish ammunition and food from the reserves on the Indian Ocean islands alone. In early 1809, therefore, it was decided to reinforce and resupply the squadron by despatching the newly-built frigate from Brest under Captain Jean Dupotet
Jean Dupotet
Jean Henri Joseph Dupotet Dupotet was born the first son of a 10-child family. He joined the Navy as a sailor at 16. From May 1795, he served aboard the 32-gun Alceste. Dupotent distinguished himself on 7 August 1795, when the squadron of Alceste attacked and captured the 74-gun HMS Berwick...
.
In January 1809, John Tremayne Rodd
John Tremayne Rodd
Vice-Admiral Sir John Tremayne Rodd, KCB was an officer of the Royal Navy noted for his services during the Napoleonic Wars. Rodd served in a number of ships, including under Admiral Sir Charles Cotton and during the Battle of the Basque Roads...
—captain of the frigate , then part of the Inshore Squadron—obtained information that Niémen was preparing to sail from Brest. Rodd passed this information to the Admiralty
Admiralty
The Admiralty was formerly the authority in the Kingdom of England, and later in the United Kingdom, responsible for the command of the Royal Navy...
, who took immediate steps to intercept the French ship. For this purpose, they selected Captains Michael Seymour
Sir Michael Seymour, 1st Baronet
Sir Michael Seymour, 1st Baronet KCB was an officer of the Royal Navy. He served during the French Revolutionary and the Napoleonic Wars, eventually rising to the rank of Rear-Admiral.-Family and early life:...
of and Frederick Lewis Maitland
Frederick Lewis Maitland (Rear Admiral)
Rear Admiral Sir Frederick Lewis Maitland, KCB was an officer in the Royal Navy during the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars. He rose to the rank of rear admiral and held a number of commands...
of HMS Emerald. These captains had extensive experience serving with the Inshore Squadron off Brest and Seymour, who had lost an arm at the Glorious First of June
Glorious First of June
The Glorious First of June [Note A] of 1794 was the first and largest fleet action of the naval conflict between the Kingdom of Great Britain and the First French Republic during the French Revolutionary Wars...
, was much in favour for his recent capture of the French frigate at the Action of 10 November 1808
Action of 10 November 1808
The Action of 10 November 1808 was a minor naval engagement of the Napoleonic Wars, in which a British frigate defeated and captured a French frigate in the Bay of Biscay...
. Seymour and Maitland—during their patrols in 1808 that led to the capture of Thétis—had entered into a verbal agreement that any 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 earned would be shared equally over both crews. This agreement continued on their new commission, which was jealously guarded from other captains: when Seymour discovered hunting in the same area in March, he was furious and ordered her away.
Battle
On 3 April 1809, Niémen—laden with provisions and naval stores for Île de France—sailed from Brest, passing through the rocky passages that sheltered the port during the night and thus avoiding discovery by the regular Inshore Squadron. Steering westwards, Dupotet made good time, travelling nearly 100 nmi (115.1 mi; 185.2 km) over the next two days with the intention of escaping the British patrols in the Bay of BiscayBay of Biscay
The Bay of Biscay is a gulf of the northeast Atlantic Ocean located south of the Celtic Sea. It lies along the western coast of France from Brest south to the Spanish border, and the northern coast of Spain west to Cape Ortegal, and is named in English after the province of Biscay, in the Spanish...
and reaching the open Atlantic
Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...
. At 11:00 on 5 April, however, Dupotet spotted two sails to the northwest. Assuming them to be British, Dupotet turned southwards in the hope of outrunning them. The sails—which belonged to Amethyst and Emerald—immediately gave chase. Throughout the day, the three ships sailed southward, Amethyst slightly gaining on Niémen but leaving Emerald far behind, Maitland's ship disappearing from view at 19:20 as darkness fell.
Dupotet attempted to throw off Amethysts pursuit during the night by turning westwards once more, but Seymour anticipated this manoeuvre and turned his ship westwards as well, discovering Niémen only a few miles ahead at 21:40. Rapidly gaining on the French ship, Seymour began firing his bow-chasers, small guns situated in the bows of the frigate, in an attempt to damage her rigging so that he could bring his broadsides to bear. Dupotet responded with his stern-chasers, but by 01:00 on 6 April it was clear that Amethyst was going to catch the French frigate. The pursuit had been exhausting: since first sighting the British ships, Niémen had travelled over 140 nmi (161.1 mi; 259.3 km) and was just 12 nmi (13.8 mi; 22.2 km) from the Spanish coast when she was caught. At 01:15, Amethyst opened fire, Niémen immediately responding and turning to the northeast in an attempt to shake off the British ship. Seymour followed his opponent and at 01:45 was again close enough to engage, the frigates firing upon one another from close range for over an hour.
At 02:45, Amethyst was able to pull across the bows of Niémen, inflicting a devastating raking fire
Raking fire
In naval warfare, raking fire is fire directed parallel to the long axis of an enemy ship. Although each shot is directed against a smaller target profile than by shooting broadside and thus more likely to miss the target ship to one side or the other, an individual cannon shot that hits will pass...
on the French ship which caused terrible damage. Niémen surged forward into Amethyst, but the collision caused little damage and at 03:00 Amethyst again raked her opponent, this time from the east. The frigates were so close that shot from Amethyst started fires among Niémens hammock netting, placed along the decks to deter boarding actions. At 03:15, Niémens mizenmast and main topmast collapsed and another fire broke out in the main top, but Amethyst was also severely damaged and at 03:30 her mainmast fell onto the deck from a combination of shot damage and stress in high winds. Niémens mainmast also collapsed a few minutes later. Both frigates had stopped firing at 03:25, as the confusion on their decks was brought under control.
Although Niémen was very badly damaged, Amethyst was almost uncontrollable and despite Seymour's best efforts, he was unable to close with Niémen to ensure her surrender. Dupotet meanwhile was overseeing hasty repairs in the hope of getting away before Amethyst could recover. At 03:45, however, a new ship emerged from the darkness, soon revealed to be the British frigate HMS Arethusa. Arethusa was deployed as part of the force blockading the ports of Northern Spain and her commander, Captain Robert Mends
Robert Mends
Captain Sir Robert Mends was a prominent British Royal Navy officer of the late eighteenth and early nineteenth century, who lost an arm in the American War of Independence, caught in an explosion at the Battle of Groix in 1795 and wounded again at the Action of 6 April 1809...
, was a successful officer who had been commended just two weeks earlier for raiding the French-held port of Lekeitio
Lekeitio
Lekeitio is a town and municipality located in the province of Biscay, in the Spanish Autonomous Community of Basque Country, 53 km northeast from Bilbao. The municipality has 7,293 inhabitants and is one of the most important fishing ports of the Basque coast...
. Mends immediately pulled alongside Niémen and Dupotet fired a single shot each at Amethyst and Arethusa. The shot at Amethyst missed its target, but the one at Arethusa struck the ship and threw up splinters. Mends was struck on the forehead and badly wounded, the only man to be hit. Both Amethyst and Arethusa then opened fire, Niémen surrendering immediately.
Aftermath
Aside from Captain Mends on Arethusa, casualties were severe on both sides. Amethyst had eight killed and 37 wounded from a crew of 222, while the French ship lost 47 killed and 73 wounded from a crew of 339. Recriminations among the British officers began within minutes of the French surrender: Mends took possession of Niémen and sent a note to Seymour informing him that he had seized the valuable French nautical charts and the French captain's personal stores. The note also requested that Seymour send back ArethusaPlymouth
Plymouth is a city and unitary authority area on the coast of Devon, England, about south-west of London. It is built between the mouths of the rivers Plym to the east and Tamar to the west, where they join Plymouth Sound...
, arriving on 13 April.
On arrival in Britain, Seymour was celebrated and rewarded with a baronet
Baronet
A baronet or the rare female equivalent, a baronetess , is the holder of a hereditary baronetcy awarded by the British Crown...
cy for his second victory in less than six months while all of his officers were promoted. Niémen was purchased into the Navy for the sum of £29,979-2-10d, which was split between the government, the crew and a number of other parties. The share that went to the captors came under dispute: Mends had no intention of abiding by Seymour's agreement with Maitland and refused to allow Emerald to share in the prize money. Seymour and Maitland took Mends to court and the ensuing legal battle lasted years, Mends deliberately exaggerating his role in the capture of Niémen in public (although privately admitting that the victory was entirely Seymour's). Seymour and Mends became bitter enemies and their animosity continued throughout their lives, although both remained in the Navy and had successful careers. Forty years later, the battle was among the actions recognised by a clasp attached to the Naval General Service Medal, awarded upon application to all British participants still living in 1847.
In France, the action was infamous for a despatch supposedly sent by Dupotet and subsequently printed in edited form in the newspaper Le Moniteur Universel
Le Moniteur Universel
Le Moniteur Universel was a French newspaper founded in Paris on November 24, 1789 under the title Gazette Nationale ou Le Moniteur Universal by Charles-Joseph Panckoucke, and which ceased publication on June 30, 1901...
. The report, which was later used by Mends in his dispute with Seymour, claimed that Niémen had not only been largely undamaged before Arethusa
Mauritius campaign of 1809–1811
The Mauritius campaign of 1809–1811 was a series of amphibious operations and naval actions fought to determine possession of the French Indian Ocean territories of Île de France and Île Bonaparte during the Napoleonic Wars...
of the defeat of Niémen was not immediately apparent, Hamelin's squadron remaining a menace to British shipping well into 1810. However, in the aftermath of the destructive Battle of Grand Port
Battle of Grand Port
The Battle of Grand Port was a naval battle between squadrons of frigates from the French Navy and the British Royal Navy. The battle was fought during 20–27 August 1810 over possession of the harbour of Grand Port on Île de France during the Napoleonic Wars...
, the French, although the victors, were unable to repair their ships due to lack of naval stores and their effectiveness declined until they were unable to resist the Invasion of Île de France
Invasion of Île de France
The Invasion of Île de France was a complicated but successful amphibious operation in the Indian Ocean, launched in November 1810 during the Napoleonic Wars. During the operation, a substantial British military force was landed by the Royal Navy at Grand Baie on Île de France...
in November 1810. This inability was directly related to the failure of all but one of the French frigates sent to reinforce and resupply the island to reach it, the others either captured or driven back en route.