Action Of 30 May 1798

The action of 30 May 1798 was a minor naval engagement between a small British squadron and a small French squadron off the coast of Normandy, France during the French Revolutionary Wars. A British blockading force, which had been conducting patrols in the region in the aftermath of the battle of St Marcou earlier in the month, encountered two French vessels attempting to sail unnoticed between Le Havre and Cherbourg-en-Cotentin. Closing with the French, the British commander Sir Francis Laforey sought to bring the French ships to battle as they attempted to turn back to Le Havre before the British squadron could attack. The French were unable to escape, and Laforey's ship, the fifth rate , engaged the French corvette ''Confiante'', while two smaller British ships chased the ''Vésuve''.

After a brief exchange of fire, their crews ran both French ships onshore close to the mouth of the river Dives, where several of the landing barges that had survived the attack on the British-held Îles Saint-Marcouf were sheltering. ''Confiante'' was badly damaged and boarding parties from ''Hydra'' and the other ships were able to board and burn her the following morning. ''Vésuve'' had suffered less than the ''Confiante'' and troops onshore were able to protect her from further attack until her crew could bring her into the nearby harbour of Sallenelles. There she was repaired and eventually she returned to Le Havre.

Background

By 1798 the British Royal Navy had successfully contained the French Navy within its own harbours, employing a strategy of close blockade to ensure dominance at sea during the French Revolutionary Wars. The strategy was particularly effective in the English Channel, where the proximity of British bases and the importance in limiting the movements of the French invasion forces stationed around Boulogne focused British attention on the Normandy coast. This was essential to prevent the concentration of a large force of invasion barges that had been constructed at various harbours under the guidance of a Captain Muskein.Gardiner, p. 105 To improve the Royal Navy's ability to observe French movements on the Normandy coast, a force under the command of Captain Sir Sidney Smith seized, garrisoned, and fortified the uninhabited ÃŽles Saint-Marcouf in 1795.Woodman, p. 102

During the spring of 1798, Muskein concentrated over 50 of the landing barges in Saint-Vaast-la-Hougue and on 6 May launched an attack on the ÃŽles Saint-Marcouf while a combination of wind and tide prevented the blockade squadron from intervening. The fortified islands were too well-defended however and over 900 French soldiers died in the ensuing battle before the French abandoned the attack. The French subsequently dispersed the remaining landing barges to various ports on the Normandy coast. In response the Royal Navy increased its patrols in the region with the intention of intercepting the convoys and destroying the barges.Gardiner, p. 107 French movements along the coast were not solely confined to landing barges: on 29 May 1798 two warships, the 20 or 24-gun ''Confiante'' under ''captain de vaisseau'' Etienne Pévrieu, and the 20-gun ''Vésuve'' under ''lieutenant de vaisseau'' Jean-Baptiste-Louis Lecolier, sailed from Le Havre, travelling westwards across the Baie de la Seine to Cherbourg-en-Cotentin, accompanied by a small, armed cutter.James, p. 119

Battle of 30 May

Engagement at sea

On the morning of 30 May, a British squadron sailing off La Havre spotted the French ships pulling to the west and gave chase, Captain Laforey leading in the 38-gun , followed by the bomb vessel , under Captain Robert Lewis Fitzgerald, and the 12-gun cutter , under Lieutenant Henry Garrett.Clowes, p. 342 Discovering the British in pursuit, Pevrieux ordered his squadron to retreat towards the shore, tacking in front of ''Hydra'' and opening an ineffective fire at long range. Laforey continued his approach, and a 06:00 successfully tacked ''Hydra'' into a position between ''Confiante'' and ''Vésuve'', which had turned back towards the shore. Although the British frigate came under fire from both French ships, their attacks had little impact. Laforey was able to concentrate his broadside against ''Vésuve'' and rapidly forced the French corvette to turn inshore, pursued by ''Vesuvius'' and ''Trial''. Laforey then set off in pursuit of ''Confiante'', which was attempting to turn back towards Le Havre. The French cutter was unable to escape the British pursuit and its crew deliberately drove it ashore near the mouth of the river Dives.

At 06:30, ''Hydra'' caught up with Pevrieux on the ''Confiante'' and began a heavy fire, which the French warship returned when possible. The exchange continued for 45 minutes until 07:15, when ''Confiante'', having suffered serious damage, drove aground on a sandbank near Beuzeval, a village a short distance to the west of the mouth of the Dives. As ''Confiante'' struck the sandbank, her mainmast collapsed, rending further manoeuvre under hostile fire impossible.James, p. 120 ''Vésuve'' too drove ashore to avoid the British attack, Lieutenant Lecolier managing to beach his ship within the Dives estuary itself. As the rising tide brought the corvette off the beach, Lecolier made a brief attempt to escape westwards towards Caen

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