Order of battle in the Atlantic campaign of 1806
The
The second French squadron, under Vice-Admiral
The campaign included a number of subsidiary operations by both British and French ships, some taking advantage of the campaign to conduct smaller operations while the main enemy forces were distracted, others operating as diversions to the principal campaign to attack undefended areas or lure British ships away from the principal French squadrons. Among these operations was the return of
French squadrons
Admiral Leissègues' squadron
Both of the principal French squadrons departed Brest on 13 December, remaining together for the first two days before dividing in pursuit of separate British merchant convoys on 15 December. The squadron under Leissègues clashed with the convoy's escort, before breaking off and sailing south for the French Caribbean, where Leissègues was intending to land the 1,000 soldiers carried aboard as reinforcements for the garrison at Santo Domingo, via the Azores.[9] The voyage was long and difficult, Leissègues struggling through winter storms that divided his squadron and inflicted severe damage to his ships. Arriving at Santo Domingo on 20 January, Leissègues disembarked his troops and began extensive repairs to his ships in preparation for raiding cruises in the Caribbean.[9][10]
On 6 February, Leissègues was surprised at anchor by a squadron under Vice-Admiral
Admiral Leissègues' squadron | |||
---|---|---|---|
Ship | Guns | Commander | Notes |
Impérial | 120 | Vice-Admiral Corentin Urbain Leissègues Captain Julien-Gabriel Bigot |
Driven ashore and destroyed at the Battle of San Domingo |
Alexandre
|
80 | Captain Pierre-Elie Garreau | Captured at the Battle of San Domingo |
Brave | 74 | Commodore Louis-Marie Coudé | Captured at the Battle of San Domingo |
Diomède | 74 | Captain Jean-Baptiste Henry | Driven ashore and destroyed at the Battle of San Domingo. |
Jupiter | 74 | Captain Gaspard Laignel | Captured at the Battle of San Domingo |
Comète
|
40 | Returned to France in 1806 | |
Félicité | 40 | Returned to France in 1806 | |
Diligente | 20 | Captain Raymond Cocault | Returned to France in 1806 |
Source: James, Vol. 4, p. 184, Gardiner, The Victory of Seapower, p. 23 |
Admiral Willaumez's squadron
After separating from Leissègues on 15 December, Willaumez sailed south, capturing a number of vessels from a British troop convoy and sending the prizes, with the frigate Volontaire, to
On 1 July, Willaumez sailed again, attacking shipping at
Admiral Willaumez's squadron | ||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Ship | Guns | Commander | Notes | |||||||
Foudroyant
|
80 | Vice-Admiral Jean-Baptiste Phillibert Willaumez
Captain Antoine Henri |
Badly damaged in an August hurricane, sheltered in Havana. Returned to France in early 1807. | |||||||
Cassard | 74 | Commodore Gilbert-Amable Faure | Separated in August hurricane, returned to Brest on 13 October. | |||||||
Impétueux | 74 | Commodore Alain-Joseph Le Veyer-Belair | Badly damaged in an August hurricane, driven ashore and destroyed by British ships on 14 September 1806. | |||||||
Patriote | 74 | Commodore Joseph-Hyacinthe-Isidore Khrom | Badly damaged in an August hurricane, sheltered in Annapolis . Returned to France in January 1808.
| |||||||
Éole | 74 | Captain Louis-Gilles Prévost de Lacroix | Badly damaged in an August hurricane, sheltered in Annapolis . Eventually broken up as beyond repair.
| |||||||
Vétéran | 74 | Captain Jérôme Bonaparte | Separated without orders on 31 July, returning to France alone on 26 August. | |||||||
Valeureuse | 40 | Badly damaged in an August hurricane, sheltered in Philadelphia. Eventually broken up as beyond repair. | ||||||||
Volontaire | 40 | Captain Bretel | Detached in December 1805 to Tenerife. Captured on 4 March 1806 at Cape Town. | |||||||
Also two corvettes, names unknown | ||||||||||
Source: James, Vol. 4, p. 185 |
Admiral Linois's squadron
One of the minor French squadrons that participated in the campaign was the force under Contre-Admiral Linois, who had sailed for the Indian Ocean with a ship of the line and four frigates in March 1803 during the
By the early morning of 13 March 1806 he was in the Mid-Atlantic when his lookouts spotted sails in the distance. Turning his force around to investigate, Linois hoped to encounter a merchant convoy but instead discovered the large British
Admiral Linois's squadron | ||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Ship | Guns | Commander | Notes | |||||||
Marengo | 74 | Contre-Admiral Charles-Alexandre Léon Durand Linois Captain Joseph-Marie Vrignaud |
Captured at the action of 13 March 1806. | |||||||
Belle Poule
|
40 | Captain Alain-Adélaïde-Marie Bruilhac | Captured at the action of 13 March 1806. | |||||||
Source: James, Vol. 3, p. 176, Clowes, p. 58 |
Commodore L'Hermite's squadron
One of the principal French diversionary operations during 1806 was by a force that had been sent to sea in October 1805 as a diversion during the
Commodore L'Hermite's squadron | ||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Ship | Guns | Commander | Notes | |||||||
Régulus | 74 | Commodore Jean-Marthe-Adrien L'Hermite
|
Returned to Brest on 5 October | |||||||
Président | 40 | Captain Labrosse | Captured by a British squadron in the Bay of Biscay on 27 September 1806 | |||||||
Cybèle | 40 | Damaged in a hurricane on 20 August, forced to shelter in Hampton Roads. Returned to Rochefort in 1807. | ||||||||
Surveillant | corvette | Returned to France in January 1806 | ||||||||
Favourite | 18 | Captured off West Africa on 6 January and attached to squadron. Remained in the Caribbean and was captured by HMS Jason on 27 January 1807. | ||||||||
Source: James, Vol. 4, p. 264 |
Commodore La Meillerie's squadron
One of the French squadrons that operated in the Atlantic campaign of 1806 was the result of opportunity rather than strategy. After the Battle of Trafalgar, most of the French survivors had retreated to
Sailing to Senegal and then Cayenne, La Meillerie's operations had little effect and by 18 May he was already on the return journey to France, hoping to anchor in the Biscay port of Rochefort. On 27 July, the frigates were spotted by HMS Mars, a ship of the line of the British blockade squadron, and chased with the frigate Rhin rapidly falling behind. Declining to support the straggler, La Meillerie ran on towards France while Mars took possession of Rhin, and the surviving ships found safe ports along the Biscay coast.[25]
Commodore La Meillerie's squadron | ||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Ship | Guns | Commander | Notes | |||||||
Hortense | 40 | Commodore Louis La-Marre-la-Meillerie | Returned to Bordeaux on 28 July | |||||||
Rhin | 40 | Captain Michel-Jean-André Chesneau | Captured on 28 July by HMS Mars | |||||||
Hermione | 40 | Captain Jean-Michel Mahé | Returned to Bordeaux on 28 July | |||||||
Thémis | 36 | Commodore Nicolas Jugan | Returned to Rochefort on 28 July | |||||||
Furet | 18 | Lieutenant Pierre-Antoine-Toussaint Demai | Captured on 28 February by HMS Hydra | |||||||
Source: James, Vol. 4, p. 253, Clowes, p. 387 |
Commodore Soleil's squadron
The final French operation in the Atlantic during the campaign was an attempt to send seven frigates and corvettes to the French West Indies in September, laden with supplies to help maintain the strength and morale of the garrisons.[26] With Willaumez believed to be still at sea, September 1806 seemed a good time to send a squadron into the Atlantic, but in fact the force was spotted within hours of leaving Rochefort by the British blockade force under Commodore Sir Samuel Hood.[27] Hood's force gave chase and the large ships of the line soon caught up the frigates in heavy weather. Sending four of his ships off in different directions, Soleil attempted to give them cover with his three largest vessels, but after a hard-fought battle in which Hood lost an arm, four of the French frigates were captured.[28]
Commodore Soleil's Squadron | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Ship | Guns | Commander | Notes | |||
Gloire | 40 | Commodore Eleonore-Jean-Nicolas Soleil
|
Captured at Action of 25 September 1806 | |||
Minerve
|
40 | Captain Joseph Collet | Captured at Action of 25 September 1806 | |||
Armide | 40 | Captain Jean-Jacques-Jude Langlois | Captured at Action of 25 September 1806 | |||
Infatigable | 40 | Captain Joseph-Maurice Girardias | Captured at Action of 25 September 1806 | |||
Thétis | 36 | Captain Jacques Pinsum | ||||
Lynx | 16 | |||||
Sylphe | 16 | |||||
Source: James, Vol. 4, p. 262, Clowes, p. 390, Woodman, p. 226, "No. 15962". The London Gazette. 30 September 1806. p. 1306. |
British squadrons
Admiral Warren's squadron
The squadron under Admiral Warren prepared at
On 13 March 1806, Warren's squadron sighted and pursued two sails to the northeast, which were eventually recognised as the squadron under Admiral Linois, returning to France from an extended cruise in the Indian Ocean.
Admiral Warren's first squadron | ||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Ship | Guns | Commander | Notes | |||||||
HMS London | 98 | Captain Sir Harry Burrard Neale
|
Engaged at the action of 13 March 1806 | |||||||
HMS Foudroyant | 80 | Rear-Admiral Sir John Borlase Warren Captain John Chambers White |
||||||||
HMS Ramillies | 74 | Captain Francis Pickmore | Badly damaged in the storm of 23 April 1806 | |||||||
HMS Hero | 74 | Captain Alan Gardner | ||||||||
HMS Namur | 74 | Captain Lawrence Halsted | ||||||||
HMS Repulse | 74 | Captain Arthur Kaye Legge | ||||||||
HMS Courageux | 74 | Captain James Bissett | ||||||||
HMS Amazon | 38 | Captain William Parker | Joined the squadron during February. Engaged at the action of 13 March 1806. | |||||||
Source: James, Vol. 4, p. 185 |
Admiral Warren's second squadron | ||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Ship | Guns | Commander | Notes | |||||||
HMS Foudroyant | 80 | Rear-Admiral Sir John Borlase Warren Captain John Chambers White |
||||||||
HMS Ramillies | 74 | Captain Francis Pickmore | ||||||||
HMS Hero | 74 | Captain Alan Gardner | ||||||||
HMS Namur | 74 | Captain Lawrence Halsted | ||||||||
HMS Fame | 74 | Captain Richard Bennet | ||||||||
HMS Courageux | 74 | Captain James Bissett | ||||||||
HMS Amazon | 38 | Captain William Parker | ||||||||
Source: James, Vol. 4, p. 185 |
Admiral Strachan's squadron
Admiral Strachan's squadron was ordered to prepare for sea during December at Plymouth, but like Warren's force, Strachan was trapped by strong winds in Cawsand Bay and could not sail until mid-January. Strachan's orders were to sail for Saint Helena and search for signs of the French squadrons. If their whereabouts could not be discovered, Strachan was to join the squadron under Admiral Sir Home Riggs Popham detailed to invade the Dutch colony at the Cape of Good Hope.[30] During February and March Strachan searched in vain, eventually receiving the news that Willaumez had anchored in neutral Salvador in Brazil during April. Steering northwest in the hope of intercepting the French squadron, Strachan was hampered by the presence of HMS St George, which proved too slow for a flying squadron. Returning to Plymouth, Strachan detached St George and Centaur, which had been made the flagship of the Rochefort blockade squadron and was given HMS Belleisle, HMS Audacious and HMS Montagu as replacements, as well as two frigates.[31]
Departing Plymouth on 19 May, Strachan sailed for the Caribbean, passing Madeira and the Canary Islands before anchoring at Carlisle Bay, Barbados on 8 August. Five days later Strachan sail northwards in pursuit of Willaumez and on 18 August was caught in the same hurricane that dispersed Willaumez's squadron slightly to the north.[32] During August and September, Strachan's scattered ships gathered off the rendezvous point at Chesapeake Bay in the hope of intercepting any French vessels seeking shelter in American ports. On 14 September, Belleisle, Bellona and Melampus sighted the limping French ship Impétueux off Cape Henry and drove her ashore, burning the wreck in violation of American neutrality.[33]
Admiral Strachan's first squadron | ||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Ship | Guns | Commander | Notes | |||||||
HMS St George | 98 | Captain Thomas Bertie | Detached in May at Plymouth | |||||||
HMS Caesar | 80 | Rear-Admiral Sir Richard Strachan
Captain Charles Richardson |
||||||||
HMS Centaur | 74 | Captain Sir Samuel Hood | Detached in May at Plymouth | |||||||
HMS Terrible | 74 | Captain Lord Henry Paulet | ||||||||
HMS Triumph | 74 | Captain Henry Inman | ||||||||
HMS Bellona | 74 | Captain John Erskine Douglas | ||||||||
Source: James, Vol. 4, p. 207 |
Admiral Strachan's second squadron | ||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Ship | Guns | Commander | Notes | |||||||
HMS Caesar | 80 | Rear-Admiral Sir Richard Strachan
Captain Charles Richardson |
||||||||
HMS Belleisle | 74 | Captain William Hargood | Participated in the destruction of Impétueux on 14 September | |||||||
HMS Terrible | 74 | Captain Lord Henry Paulet | ||||||||
HMS Triumph | 74 | Captain Sir Thomas Hardy
|
||||||||
HMS Bellona | 74 | Captain John Erskine Douglas | Participated in the destruction of Impétueux on 14 September | |||||||
HMS Audacious | 74 | Captain Thomas Gosselyn | ||||||||
HMS Montagu | 74 | Captain Robert Otway | ||||||||
HMS Melampus | 36 | Captain Stephen Poyntz | Participated in the destruction of Impétueux on 14 September | |||||||
HMS Decade
|
36 | Captain John Stuart | ||||||||
Source: James, Vol. 4, p. 210, Clowes, p. 196 |
Admiral Duckworth's squadron
The third principal British squadron deployed during the campaign was never intended to take part in it. Admiral Duckworth had been ordered to lead the
Admiral Duckworth's squadron | ||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Ship | Guns | Commander | Notes | |||||||
HMS Canopus | 80 | Rear-Admiral Thomas Louis Captain Francis Austen |
Engaged at the Battle of San Domingo | |||||||
HMS Superb | 74 | Vice-Admiral Sir John Thomas Duckworth
Captain Richard Goodwin Keats |
Engaged at the Battle of San Domingo | |||||||
HMS Spencer | 74 | Captain Robert Stopford | Engaged at the Battle of San Domingo | |||||||
HMS Donegal | 74 | Captain Pulteney Malcolm | Engaged at the Battle of San Domingo | |||||||
HMS Powerful | 74 | Captain Robert Plampin | Detached to the Indian Ocean on 2 February 1806 | |||||||
HMS Agamemnon | 64 | Captain Sir Edward Berry | Engaged at the Battle of San Domingo | |||||||
HMS Acasta | 40 | Captain Richard Dalling Dunn | ||||||||
HMS Amethyst | 36 | Captain James William Spranger | Detached to Britain on 26 December 1805 | |||||||
Admiral Cochrane's reinforcements | ||||||||||
HMS Northumberland | 74 | Rear-Admiral Alexander Cochrane Captain John Morrison |
Joined at Basseterre on 21 January 1806. Engaged at the Battle of San Domingo. | |||||||
HMS Atlas | 74 | Captain Samuel Pym | Joined at Basseterre on 21 January 1806. Engaged at the Battle of San Domingo. | |||||||
HMS Magicienne
|
32 | Captain Adam Mackenzie | Joined off Santo Domingo on 5 February 1806 | |||||||
HMS Kingfisher | 16 | Commander Nathaniel Day Cochrane | Joined at Basseterre on 1 February 1806 | |||||||
HMS Epervier | 14 | Lieutenant James Higginson | Joined off Saint Thomas on 3 February 1806 | |||||||
Source: James, Vol. 4, p. 187 |
Admiral Cochrane's squadron
Following the Battle of San Domingo, Rear-Admiral Sir Alexander Cochrane, newly knighted, gathered a small squadron in anticipation of the arrival of the second French force under Willaumez. Based at Carlisle Bay, Barbados, Cochrane's forces patrolled the Leeward Islands for the French force during the spring, eventually locating Willaumez's ships at Fort-de-France on Martinique on 14 June 1806.[15] An attempt to blockade the port ended in failure as several ships were damaged in high winds, but when Willaumez sailed on 1 July, Cochrane had planned ahead, and brought his squadron to Tortola, blocking the passage through which Willaumez would have to sail to attack the valuable Jamaica convoy, then gathering off Saint Thomas. With his squadron, Cochrane successfully drove off Willaumez on 4 July without a fight, and the French admiral retired to the Bahama Banks to await the convoy's passage northwards. Cochrane spent the next month preparing the convoy for its voyage, which it began during August while Willaumez was out of position to the north.[4]
Admiral Cochrane's squadron | ||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Ship | Guns | Commander | Notes | |||||||
HMS Northumberland | 74 | Rear-Admiral Sir Alexander Cochrane Captain John Spear |
||||||||
HMS Elephant | 74 | Captain George Dundas | ||||||||
HMS Canada | 74 | Captain John Harvey
|
||||||||
HMS Agamemnon | 64 | Captain Jonas Rose | ||||||||
HMS Ethalion | 36 | Captain Charles Stuart | ||||||||
HMS Seine | 36 | Captain David Atkins
|
||||||||
HMS Galatea | 32 | Captain Murray Maxwell | ||||||||
HMS Circe | 32 | Captain Hugh Pigott | ||||||||
Source: James, Vol. 4, p. 204 |
Rochefort blockade squadrons
Although other British forces were deployed during the year, most were engaged on other operations incidental to the main Atlantic campaign, such as the expeditionary force to the
There was one blockade force that played a particular role in the campaign, the force deployed to the waters off Rochefort, initially under the command of Commodore Richard Goodwin Keats. Under Keats, the French squadron under Louis La-Marre-la-Meillerie was intercepted on 17 July, HMS Mars capturing a frigate and chasing the others into port.[38] In August, Keats was replaced by Commodore Sir Samuel Hood, who was to achieve one of the more notable victories of the year at the action of 25 September 1806, when a French convoy of seven ships sailing to the West Indies was intercepted and defeated. Although Hood's force captured four large modern frigates, the French fought hard and Hood himself was seriously wounded by musket fire, losing an arm.[39]
Commodore Keats' squadron | ||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Ship | Guns | Commander | Notes | |||||||
HMS Superb | 74 | Commodore Richard Goodwin Keats | ||||||||
HMS Mars | 74 | Captain Robert Dudley Oliver | Captured frigate Rhin on 17 July
| |||||||
HMS Africa | 64 | Captain Henry Digby | ||||||||
Keats' squadron also included two other ships of the line. | ||||||||||
Source: James, Vol. 4, p. 253 |
Commodore Hood's squadron | ||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Ship | Guns | Commander | Notes | |||||||
HMS Monarch | 74 | Captain Richard Lee | Engaged at the action of 25 September 1806 | |||||||
HMS Centaur | 74 | Commodore Sir Samuel Hood | Engaged at the action of 25 September 1806 | |||||||
HMS Mars | 74 | Captain William Lukin | Engaged at the action of 25 September 1806 | |||||||
HMS Windsor Castle | 98 | Captain Charles Boyles | ||||||||
HMS Achille | 74 | Captain Richard King | ||||||||
HMS Revenge | 74 | Captain Sir John Gore
|
||||||||
HMS Atalante | 16 | Commander John Ore Masefield | ||||||||
Source: James, Vol. 4, p. 262 |
Notes
- ^ a b Gardiner, The Victory of Seapower, p. 18
- ^ Clowes, p. 184
- ^ "No. 15902". The London Gazette. 24 March 1806. p. 372.
- ^ a b c Clowes, p. 194
- ^ a b Woodman, p. 218
- ^ a b c Gardiner, The Victory of Seapower, p. 17
- ^ Adkins, p. 191
- ^ Woodman, p. 227
- ^ a b Clowes, p. 189
- ^ James, Vol. 4, p. 198
- ^ James, Vol. 4, p. 191
- ^ Woodman, p. 217
- ^ Gardiner, The Victory of Seapower, p. 24
- ^ James, Vol. 4, p. 186
- ^ a b Clowes, p. 193
- ^ a b James, Vol. 4, p. 207
- ^ Woodman, p. 195
- ^ a b James, Vol. 4, p. 222
- ^ Gardiner, The Victory of Seapower, p. 29
- ^ a b Adkins, p. 192
- ^ James, Vol. 4, p. 265
- ^ Clowes, p. 392
- ^ Gardiner, The Victory of Seapower, p. 25
- ^ Woodman, p. 219
- ^ a b "No. 15943". The London Gazette. 5 August 1806. p. 1009.
- ^ Clowes, p. 390
- ^ "No. 15962". The London Gazette. 30 September 1806. p. 1306.
- ^ Gardiner, The Victory of Seapower, p. 27
- ^ a b Woodman, p. 215
- ^ a b Clowes, p. 185
- ^ Clowes, p. 196
- ^ James, Vol. 4, p. 210
- ^ Adkins, p. 193
- ^ Rodger, p. 546
- ^ Clowes, p. 188
- ^ James, Vol. 4, p. 197
- ^ Clowes, p. 197
- ^ Clowes, p. 254
- ^ Clowes, p. 371
References
- Adkins, Roy & Lesley (2006). The War for All the Oceans. Abacus. ISBN 0-349-11916-3.
- ISBN 1-86176-014-0.
- Gardiner, Robert, ed. (2001) [1998]. The Victory of Seapower. Caxton Editions. ISBN 1-84067-359-1.
- ISBN 0-85177-907-7.
- ISBN 0-85177-908-5.
- ISBN 0-7139-9411-8.
- ISBN 1-84119-183-3.