Action of 7 October 1795
Encyclopedia
The Action of 7 October 1795 was a naval engagement
of the French Revolutionary Wars
during which a French squadron led by Rear-Admiral Joseph de Richery
captured a large British convoy of thirty-one merchant vessels. The British convoy, escorted by three ships of line
and several frigate
s under Commodore Thomas Taylor, sailed from Gibraltar
and were intercepted on 7 October by a French squadron, one of the two who managed that year to evade the British blockade of Toulon
. During the action the French ships captured a British 74-gun ship of line and all but one merchantmen. Shortly after, they bore his prizes triumphantly in Cadiz
. Strangely it was not until 1812 when the Royal Navy
decided to increase the number of his escort vessels.
, HMS Bedford
, HMS Fortitude
and four frigates under Commodore Thomas Taylor’s command, fell in with a French fleet led by Rear-Admiral Joseph de Richery consisting of six ships of line and three frigates. This fleet, which was being pursued unsuccessfully since two days before by a squadron of equal force sent by Admiral Hotham
, had been dispatched in mid-September by the French Admiralty from Toulon
to sail to Newfoundland to attack the British fishing industry, and came across with the British fleet.
As soon as the French fleet was sighted, Commodore Taylor made the signal for the convoy to disperse and ordered his ships to form a line of battle
to allow time for the merchant vessels to escape. The French frigates were dispatched to prevent its escape and they succeeded in capturing almost all of the convoy. During the engagement HMS Censeur lost her topmasts, and with no possibility of escape, she struck her colours to three French ships of line which had cut off her retreat. HMS Bedford and HMS Fortitude, with the other warships, managed to escape.
. Thirty merchantmen, the entire convoy with the exception of a single vessel, had been captured, and the 74-gun ship of line Censeur, taken by the British five months before during an action off Genoa
, had been recaptured. The damage inflicted to the British commerce by this action, together with other attacks against British merchant convoys near Jamaica
and off Rochefort
, was heavy. Between 1793 and 1801 the French captured 5,557 British merchant vessels, inflicting desperate losses to Great Britain and forcing the British to sail in convoy and patrol the regular routes to avoid heavier losses.
Naval battle
A naval battle is a battle fought using boats, ships or other waterborne vessels. Most naval battles have occurred at sea, but a few have taken place on lakes or rivers. The earliest recorded naval battle took place in 1210 BC near Cyprus...
of 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...
during which a French squadron led by Rear-Admiral Joseph de Richery
Joseph de Richery
Rear-Admiral Joseph de Richery was a French naval officer. He distinguished himself in the French Navy in the American Revolutionary War. From 1781 until 1785 he served in the Indian Ocean under Pierre André de Suffren de Saint Tropez...
captured a large British convoy of thirty-one merchant vessels. The British convoy, escorted by three ships of 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...
and several 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"...
s under Commodore Thomas Taylor, sailed from Gibraltar
Gibraltar
Gibraltar is a British overseas territory located on the southern end of the Iberian Peninsula at the entrance of the Mediterranean. A peninsula with an area of , it has a northern border with Andalusia, Spain. The Rock of Gibraltar is the major landmark of the region...
and were intercepted on 7 October by a French squadron, one of the two who managed that year to evade the British blockade of Toulon
Toulon
Toulon is a town in southern France and a large military harbor on the Mediterranean coast, with a major French naval base. Located in the Provence-Alpes-Côte-d'Azur region, Toulon is the capital of the Var department in the former province of Provence....
. During the action the French ships captured a British 74-gun ship of line and all but one merchantmen. Shortly after, they bore his prizes triumphantly in Cadiz
Cádiz
Cadiz is a city and port in southwestern Spain. It is the capital of the homonymous province, one of eight which make up the autonomous community of Andalusia....
. Strangely it was not until 1812 when the 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...
decided to increase the number of his escort vessels.
Engagement
On the morning of 7 October, off Cape St Vincent, the British Mediterranean Fleet, which consisted of about thirty merchant ships richly laden sailing to Great Britain and convoyed by the ships of line HMS CenseurFrench ship Censeur (1782)
Censeur was a 74-gun Pégase-class ship of the line of the French Navy, launched in 1782. She served during the last months of the American War of Independence, and survived to see action in the French Revolutionary Wars. She was briefly captured by the British, but was retaken after a few months...
, HMS Bedford
HMS Bedford (1775)
HMS Bedford was a Royal Navy 74-gun third rate. This ship of the line was launched on 27 October 1775 at Woolwich.-Early service:In 1780, Bedford fought at the Battle of Cape St Vincent...
, HMS Fortitude
HMS Fortitude (1780)
HMS Fortitude was a 74-gun third-rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy, built by John Randall & Co. and launched on 23 March 1780 at Rotherhithe....
and four frigates under Commodore Thomas Taylor’s command, fell in with a French fleet led by Rear-Admiral Joseph de Richery consisting of six ships of line and three frigates. This fleet, which was being pursued unsuccessfully since two days before by a squadron of equal force sent by Admiral Hotham
William Hotham, 1st Baron Hotham
Admiral William Hotham, 1st Baron Hotham was an officer in the Royal Navy. He was the son of Sir Beaumont Hotham , a lineal descendant of Sir John Hotham....
, had been dispatched in mid-September by the French Admiralty from Toulon
Toulon
Toulon is a town in southern France and a large military harbor on the Mediterranean coast, with a major French naval base. Located in the Provence-Alpes-Côte-d'Azur region, Toulon is the capital of the Var department in the former province of Provence....
to sail to Newfoundland to attack the British fishing industry, and came across with the British fleet.
As soon as the French fleet was sighted, Commodore Taylor made the signal for the convoy to disperse and ordered his ships to form 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...
to allow time for the merchant vessels to escape. The French frigates were dispatched to prevent its escape and they succeeded in capturing almost all of the convoy. During the engagement HMS Censeur lost her topmasts, and with no possibility of escape, she struck her colours to three French ships of line which had cut off her retreat. HMS Bedford and HMS Fortitude, with the other warships, managed to escape.
Aftermath
Several days later the French fleet triumphantly entered the Spanish port of CadizCádiz
Cadiz is a city and port in southwestern Spain. It is the capital of the homonymous province, one of eight which make up the autonomous community of Andalusia....
. Thirty merchantmen, the entire convoy with the exception of a single vessel, had been captured, and the 74-gun ship of line Censeur, taken by the British five months before during an action off Genoa
Naval Battle of Genoa (1795)
The Naval Battle of Genoa was fought on 14 March 1795 off the coast of Genoa, a port city in north-western Italy, between French warships under Rear-Admiral Pierre Martin and British and Neapolitan warships under Vice Admiral William Hotham...
, had been recaptured. The damage inflicted to the British commerce by this action, together with other attacks against British merchant convoys near Jamaica
Jamaica
Jamaica is an island nation of the Greater Antilles, in length, up to in width and 10,990 square kilometres in area. It is situated in the Caribbean Sea, about south of Cuba, and west of Hispaniola, the island harbouring the nation-states Haiti and the Dominican Republic...
and off 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:...
, was heavy. Between 1793 and 1801 the French captured 5,557 British merchant vessels, inflicting desperate losses to Great Britain and forcing the British to sail in convoy and patrol the regular routes to avoid heavier losses.