The Ferrol Expedition (or Battle of Brión) took place on 25 and 26 August 1800, and was an unsuccessful British attempt to capture Ferrol from Spain. Ferrol was a major Spanish naval base with a shipyard for

shipbuilding Shipbuilding is the construction of ships and other floating vessels. It normally takes place in a specialized facility known as a shipyard. Shipbuilders, also called shipwrights, follow a specialized occupation that traces its roots to befor ...

and

dry dock A dry dock (sometimes drydock or dry-dock) is a narrow basin or vessel that can be flooded to allow a load to be floated in, then drained to allow that load to come to rest on a dry platform. Dry docks are used for the construction, maintenance, ...

for repairs.

Background

The primary object of the British expedition and fleet of 109 ships during the year 1800 was the conquest of

Belle Île Belle-Île, Belle-Île-en-Mer, or Belle Isle ( br, Ar Gerveur, ; br, label=Old Breton, Guedel) is a French island off the coast of Brittany in the ''département'' of Morbihan, and the largest of Brittany's islands. It is from the Quiberon pe ...

but the defences appeared too strong. The expedition therefore proceeded to the coast of Spain, where it arrived on 25 August.

Battle

After a heavy cannonade against a small Spanish fort of eight 24-pounder cannon by the British ships of the line HMS ''Impetueux'' with 74 guns, HMS ''London'' with 96 guns, HMS ''Courageux'', HMS ''Renown'' and HMS ''Captain'', each with 74 guns. HMS Impetueus, HMS Brilliant, HMS Cynthia an the small gunner HMS St. Vincent, state on their logs to had taken part on the gunning of the small Fort. No mention on HMS London and HMS Renown logs of being part of the gunning. Under the superintendence of Sir

Edward Pellew Admiral Edward Pellew, 1st Viscount Exmouth, GCB (19 April 1757 – 23 January 1833) was a British naval officer. He fought during the American War of Independence, the French Revolutionary Wars, and the Napoleonic Wars. His younger brother ...

, the British effected a landing at a small opening near Cape Prior. The army commander was Lieutenant-general Sir

James Pulteney General Sir James Murray Pulteney, 7th Baronet PC (c. 1755 – 26 April 1811) was a Scottish soldier and British politician. Background and education Born James Murray, he was the eldest son of Colonel Sir Robert Murray, 6th Baronet and his ...

. The force landed consisted of seven British regiments, one of two battalions, and the rifle-corps totaling 8,000 troops and 16 field pieces. The Spanish defenders of Ferrol were: Don Francisco Melgarejo (a

Naval Engineer A navy, naval force, or maritime force is the branch of a nation's armed forces principally designated for naval and amphibious warfare; namely, lake-borne, riverine, littoral, or ocean-borne combat operations and related functions. It include ...

), commander of the naval department; Juan Moreno, commander of the squadron stationed in the harbour; Don Francisco Xavier Negrété, captain-general of the province; and

Field Marshal Field marshal (or field-marshal, abbreviated as FM) is the most senior military rank, ordinarily senior to the general officer ranks. Usually, it is the highest rank in an army and as such few persons are appointed to it. It is considered as ...

Count Donadio, who commanded the fortifications that protected the coast. The Spanish ship of the line were: '' Real Carlos'' and '' San Hermenegildo'', each 112 guns; ''San Fernando'', 96 guns; ''Argonauta'', 80 guns; ''San Antonio'' and ''San Agustín'', each 74 guns. The British rifle-corps advanced up a ridge and was attacked by a Spanish detachment which it drove back with some loss. Early on the morning of 26 August a considerable body of Spanish attacked the British on the heights of Brion and Balon but they were repulsed. British casualties were 16 killed and 68 wounded. The heights overlooked the town and harbour of Ferrol. That night, after observing the strength of the fortifications, the British troops and artillery were embarked back on their ships.

Aftermath

The embarkation of the troops and artillery was effected, and soon after this failure on the coast of Galicia, another expedition, equally unsuccessful was directed on October against the city of Cadiz. The assault had to be abandoned due to an outbreak of

yellow fever Yellow fever is a viral disease of typically short duration. In most cases, symptoms include fever, chills, loss of appetite, nausea, muscle pains – particularly in the back – and headaches. Symptoms typically improve within five days. In ...

among British troops, After the unsuccessful attempt to capture Ferrol, the British Prime Minister William Pitt said in the House of Commons that: "If Great Britain had a naval station so easy to defend as Ferrol, due to its location, it would have been surrounded by a thick silver wall". 1557-San Felipe

Footnotes

References

Rodrigo Ramos Ardá. "El Desembarco de Doniños en la documentación Británica". Edicións Embora Ferrol, 2002 () * D'Esmenard. ''Memoirs of Don Manuel de Godoy Vol II: Prince of the Peace'', Kessinger Publishing * Escrigas, Guillermo. ''Ferrol heroico; la defensa de el Ferrol en 1800''. Ferrol, 1969. (Spanish) * James, William. ''The Naval History of Great Britain from the Declaration of War by France, in February 1793, to the Accession of George IV. in January 1820'', Vol. 3, London, 1826

* Philippart, John. ''The Royal Military Calendar, or Army Service and Commission Book''. London: A.J. Valpy, 1820. Vol II. * Black, Jeremy. ''A military history of Britain: from 1775 to the present'' Greenwood Publishing group, * Edward Baines, ''History of the Wars of the French Revolution, from the Breaking Out of the War, in 1792, to the Restoration of a General Peace in 1815: Comprehending the Civil History of Great Britain and France, During that Period, Longman, Hurst, Rees, Orme, and Brown, 1818.'' * ''The Parliamentary history of England from the earliest period to the year 1803....'' London, 1806. Vol II. 1812-1820. * ''The London chronicle'', Volume 87, 11 to 13 September 1801, pp. 257 – 258, Lt. Gen. Pulteney's General Orders.
La Gaceta de Madrid 08/31/1800 ( Descrioción and casualty figures for the battle)
{{coord missing, Spain Military operations involving Great Britain Battles involving Spain Battles involving Great Britain Battles in Galicia (Spain) Conflicts in 1800 1800 in Spain Ferrol, Spain Battles of the War of the Second Coalition