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
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.
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]
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, Mignonnestruck 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]
AftermathEdit
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]
^"Musée de la Marine de Paris". www.patrimoine-histoire.fr.
BibliographyEdit
Guérin, Léon (1857). Histoire maritime de France (in French). Vol. 6. Dufour et Mulat.
Hennequin, Joseph François Gabriel (1835). Biographie maritime ou notices historiques sur la vie et les campagnes des marins célèbres français et étrangers (in French). Vol. 1. Paris: Regnault éditeur.
James, William (2002) [1827]. The Naval History of Great Britain, Volume 3, 1800–1805. London: Conway Maritime Press. ISBN0-85177-907-7.
Levot, Prosper (1866). Les gloires maritimes de la France: notices biographiques sur les plus célèbres marins (in French). Bertrand.
Troude, Onésime-Joachim (1867). Batailles navales de la France (in French). Vol. 3. Challamel ainé.
August 28, 2023
action, june, 1803, part, blockade, saint, dominguedetail, from, fight, poursuivante, against, british, ship, hercules, june, 1803, poursuivante, delivers, decisive, raking, broadside, louis, philippe, crépin, 1819, musée, national, marinedate28, june, 1803loc. Action of 28 June 1803Part of the Blockade of Saint DomingueDetail from the Fight of the Poursuivante against the British ship Hercules 28 June 1803 Poursuivante delivers her decisive raking broadside Louis Philippe Crepin 1819 Musee national de la MarineDate28 June 1803LocationOff Mole Saint Nicolas HaitiResultSuccessful defence of Poursuivante Capture of MignonneBelligerentsFrance Great BritainCommanders and leadersCaptain Jean Baptiste WillaumezCommander Jean Pierre BargeauCaptain Henry William Bayntun Captain Charles BrisbaneActing captain John B Hills 1 Strength1 frigate 1 corvette3 74 gun ships of the lineCasualties and losses1 corvette captured10 men killed amp 15 woundedA 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 A French heavy frigate and a corvette both partially armed en flute 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 Crepin was commissioned in 1819 to commemorate the event Contents 1 Background 2 Battle 3 Aftermath 4 Notes 5 References 5 1 BibliographyBackground EditFrance 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 Haitien 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 Mole 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 Battle Edit 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 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 Mole Saint Nicolas 15 cheered by the crowd and saluted by the artillery of the forts 13 Aftermath Edit Engraving of Crepin 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 Haitien 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 Ile 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 Decres 17 A large painting by Louis Philippe Crepin 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 Musee national de la Marine in Paris 19 Notes EditReferences Edit a b c d e f g h James p 187 a b Troude vol 3 p 287 a b c Guerin p 304 Guerin p 300 a b c d Hennequin p 242 a b Troude vol 3 p 286 Fonds Marine p 286 a b Roche p 359 a b c d e f g h i j Hennequin p 243 Roche p 185 Roche p 309 Levot p 555 a b c d Guerin p 306 a b Guerin p 305 a b c d James p 188 James p a b c d e Hennequin p 245 a b Hennequin p 244 Musee de la Marine de Paris www patrimoine histoire fr Bibliography Edit Guerin Leon 1857 Histoire maritime de France in French Vol 6 Dufour et Mulat Hennequin Joseph Francois Gabriel 1835 Biographie maritime ou notices historiques sur la vie et les campagnes des marins celebres francais et etrangers in French Vol 1 Paris Regnault editeur James William 2002 1827 The Naval History of Great Britain Volume 3 1800 1805 London Conway Maritime Press ISBN 0 85177 907 7 Levot Prosper 1866 Les gloires maritimes de la France notices biographiques sur les plus celebres marins in French Bertrand Troude Onesime Joachim 1867 Batailles navales de la France in French Vol 3 Challamel aine Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Action of 28 June 1803 amp oldid 1129819730, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
