The action of 31 May 1796 was a small action during the
French Revolutionary Wars
The French Revolutionary Wars (french: Guerres de la Révolution française) were a series of sweeping military conflicts lasting from 1792 until 1802 and resulting from the French Revolution. They pitted French First Republic, France against Ki ...
in which a
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by English and Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were fought in the Hundred Years' War against F ...
squadron under the command of Commodore
Horatio Nelson
Vice-Admiral Horatio Nelson, 1st Viscount Nelson, 1st Duke of Bronte (29 September 1758 – 21 October 1805) was a British flag officer in the Royal Navy. His inspirational leadership, grasp of strategy, and unconventional tactics brought abo ...
, in the 64-gun
third-rate
In the rating system of the Royal Navy, a third rate was a ship of the line which from the 1720s mounted between 64 and 80 guns, typically built with two gun decks (thus the related term two-decker). Years of experience proved that the third r ...
ship of the line
A ship of the line was a type of naval warship constructed during the Age of Sail from the 17th century to the mid-19th century. The ship of the line was designed for the naval tactic known as the line of battle, which depended on the two colu ...
, captured a seven-vessel French convoy that was sailing along the coast from
Menton
Menton (; , written ''Menton'' in classical norm or ''Mentan'' in Mistralian norm; it, Mentone ) is a commune in the Alpes-Maritimes department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region on the French Riviera, close to the Italian border.
Me ...
to
Vado in the Mediterranean. The British succeeded in capturing the entire convoy, with minimal casualties to themselves.
Nelson had received the news that the French were trying to take supplies to St Pierre d'Acena for the
siege of Mantua. He therefore set out to intercept any such attempt.
[
When Nelson and his squadron sighted a small convoy of seven sail skirting the coast, he pursued them. The French vessels anchored under the guns of a shore battery and hoisted French flags. Nelson then sent in the squadron's ships' boats to capture the convoy. After a short resistance by an armed ]tartane
A tartane (also tartan, tartana) was a small ship used both as a fishing ship and for coastal trading in the Mediterranean. They were in use for over 300 years until the late 19th century. A tartane had a single mast on which was rigged a large la ...
of three guns, a gunboat of one gun, and the battery, the British succeeded in taking the vessels. British casualties were one man killed and three wounded. French records place the action off Arma di Taggia
Taggia is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Imperia in the Italian region Liguria, located about southwest of Genoa and about west of Imperia. It has around 13,000 inhabitants.
Taggia borders the following municipalities: Badalucco, ...
and Bussana
Bussana is an Italian hamlet (''frazione'') of the municipality of Sanremo in the Province of Imperia, Liguria. As of 2009, its population was 74. The original Bussana (now known as Bussana Vecchia, or Old Bussana) was partly destroyed and aban ...
.[''Fonds Marine'', p.184.]
The vessels the British captured were two naval vessels and five transports.['']Lloyd's List
''Lloyd's List'' is one of the world's oldest continuously running journals, having provided weekly shipping news in London as early as 1734. It was published daily until 2013 (when the final print issue, number 60,850, was published), and is ...
'
№2838.
/ref>
*''Génie'', which the British described as a ketch
A ketch is a two- masted sailboat whose mainmast is taller than the mizzen mast (or aft-mast), and whose mizzen mast is stepped forward of the rudder post. The mizzen mast stepped forward of the rudder post is what distinguishes the ketch fr ...
, was armed with three 18-pounder guns and four swivel gun
The term swivel gun (or simply swivel) usually refers to a small cannon, mounted on a swiveling stand or fork which allows a very wide arc of movement. Another type of firearm referred to as a swivel gun was an early flintlock combination gun wi ...
s. She had a crew of 60 men, under the command of ''enseigne de vaisseau'' Pioch.[ She was one of 28 merchant tartanes that the ]French Navy
The French Navy (french: Marine nationale, lit=National Navy), informally , is the maritime arm of the French Armed Forces and one of the five military service branches of France. It is among the largest and most powerful naval forces in t ...
acquired between March and June 1794 at Sète
Sète (; oc, Seta, ), also historically spelt ''Cette'' (official until 1928) and ''Sette'', is a commune in the Hérault department, in the region of Occitania, southern France. Its inhabitants are called ''Sétois'' (male) and ''Sétoises' ...
and Agde
Agde (; ) is a commune in the Hérault department in Southern France. It is the Mediterranean port of the Canal du Midi.
Location
Agde is located on the Hérault river, from the Mediterranean Sea, and from Paris. The Canal du Midi con ...
. ''Génie'', however, was apparently purchased, at Agde, and commissioned in June 1796. The French Navy armed the tartanes with large guns to serve as gunboats.
*''Numéro Douze'' (''Chaloupe-cannonière №12''), was a gunboat of one 18-pounder gun, four swivel guns
The term swivel gun (or simply swivel) usually refers to a small cannon, mounted on a swiveling stand or fork which allows a very wide arc of movement. Another type of firearm referred to as a swivel gun was an early flintlock combination gun wi ...
, and 30 men. Some records report that she was commissioned in 1795 and was under the command of Captain Ganivet at the time of her capture.
*Brig
A brig is a type of sailing vessel defined by its rig: two masts which are both square rig, square-rigged. Brigs originated in the second half of the 18th century and were a common type of smaller merchant vessel or warship from then until the ...
''Bonne-Mère'', of 250 tons ( bm), carrying as cargo brass 24-pounder guns, 13" mortars, and gun carriages;
*Ketch
A ketch is a two- masted sailboat whose mainmast is taller than the mizzen mast (or aft-mast), and whose mizzen mast is stepped forward of the rudder post. The mizzen mast stepped forward of the rudder post is what distinguishes the ketch fr ...
''Vierge de Consolation'', of 120 tons (bm), carrying a cargo of brass guns, mortars, shells, and gun carriages;
*Ketch ''Jean Baptiste'', of 100 tons (bm), carrying brandy and a small amount of bread;
*A ketch of unknown name of 100 tons (bm), carrying Austrian prisoners; and
*Ketch ''St. Anne de Paix'', of 70 tons (bm), carrying wheelbarrows and entrenching tools. The British destroyed her.[
]
Notes, citations, and references
Notes
Citations
References
*
*''Fonds Marine''. Campagnes (opérations; divisions et stations navales; missions diverses). Inventaire de la sous-série Marine BB4. Tome premier : BB4 1 à 209 (1790-1804
*
*
* {{cite book, last1=Winfield, first1=Rif, last2=Roberts, first2=Stephen S., year=2015, title=French Warships in the Age of Sail 1786–1861: Design Construction, Careers and Fates, publisher=Seaforth Publishing, isbn=978-1-84832-204-2
Conflicts in 1796
Naval battles involving France
Naval battles involving Great Britain
Naval battles of the French Revolutionary Wars