Sunda Strait campaign of January 1794
Sunda Strait campaign | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Part of the French Revolutionary Wars | |||||||
Location of the action on 25 January 1794. The Sunda Strait is the channel between Java and Sumatra. | |||||||
| |||||||
Belligerents | |||||||
East India Company Dutch Republic |
France | ||||||
Commanders and leaders | |||||||
Charles Mitchell Captain Kerwal | Jean-Marie Renaud | ||||||
Strength | |||||||
6 merchant ships 2 corvettes 1 brig |
4 frigates 1 corvette 1 brig | ||||||
Casualties and losses | |||||||
3 killed 2 wounded 1 merchant ship captured |
11 killed 25 wounded 1 frigate captured 1 corvette captured |
The Sunda Strait campaign of January 1794 was a series of manoeuvres and naval actions fought between warships and
The arrival of this British force on 2 January 1794 was initially a success, the squadron over-running and capturing two large and well-armed privateers on 22 January, not long after the French vessels had been beaten off during an attack on the British trading post at Bencoolen. On 24 January an action against a larger French squadron was fought in the Strait itself, but ended inconclusively and the squadrons divided, the British receiving the Dutch frigate Amazone as reinforcement. The French subsequently turned southwards out of the Strait and attacked Bencoolen again on 9 February, capturing an East Indiaman in the harbour before returning to Île de France with their prize.
Background
On 1 February 1793, the
The Indian Ocean formed a vital part of Britain's trade links with the wider
One of the most vital parts of the Indian trade route was through the
On 27 September 1793 French cruisers achieved their first major victory when three privateers mounting more than 20 guns each attacked the East Indiaman
With the Royal Navy unable to provide forces to protect trade in the East Indies, the East India Company authorities in India decided to form a squadron from their own ships to patrol the region. Two East Indiamen, William Pitt and Britannia, and the country ship Nonsuch, were diverted from their regular route for the service, accompanied by the brig Nautilus (or possibly Viper), and under the overall command of Commodore Charles Mitchell, captain of William Pitt.[6]
Campaign
On 2 January 1794 this force passed Singapore and entered the
Early on 22 January, Mitchell's squadron, reinforced by the East Indiaman Houghton, stopped a merchant ship for inspection and as the ship was searched two new sails appeared to the southwest near Shown Rock in the Zuften Islands. Suspicious of the identity of the new arrivals, Mitchell sent Britannia and Nonsuch in pursuit and the ships turned away.[8] As the East Indiamen closed with the fleeing ships, they were identified as Vengeur and Résolu. The British vessels soon outran the French and the French opened fire to which the larger British vessels responded. Captain Thomas Cheap of Britannia engaged Vengeur while Captain John Canning of Nonsuch attacked Résolu at 10:45 and were soon supported by William Pitt and Houghton.[7] The overwhelming numbers and size of the British squadron soon convinced Corosin and Jallineaux that further resistance was pointless and 45 minutes after the first shots were fired both surrendered. Captain François-Yves Carosin died in the aftermath of the battle after losing a leg and another 11 French sailors were killed and 25 wounded, while British losses were one killed and two wounded on Britannia.[8] French records report that Résolu has sustained heavy casualties.[9] The British then manned both raiders with crews from the East Indiaman squadron.[10]
Battle of the Sunda Strait
On the morning of 24 January, most of Mitchell's squadron lay at anchor off the island of Pulau Panjang in
During the evening heavy rain squalls reduced visibility and prevented any decisive movement by either side, but on 25 January the French squadron had rounded St. Nicholas Point at the northwestern tip of Java and was in full pursuit of Canning's ships, which had been joined by Houghton.[10] Resolu in particular was struggling to escape the advancing enemy, but Mitchell had realised the danger and was sailing to intercept the French. At 06:30 Houghton, Nonsuch and Vengeur joined with the remainder of Mitchell's force and two hours later Renaud's ships met the British line, Resolu just managing to reach safety in the shelter of the large East Indiamen despite being hit repeatedly in the latter stages of the chase.[10] For an hour the two squadrons continued a general exchange of fire at long-range, before Mitchell turned William Pitt, Houghton and Nonsuch towards the French at 09:30, the latter two both managing to hit Cybèle with destructive broadsides. Firing continued for another 18 minutes as Renaud withdrew, eventually anchoring off the island of Pulau Baby. Neither commander was keen to continue the action, Mitchell fearing that his undermanned ships would not be able to properly engage the better armed French vessels. Casualties among the French squadron are not known, but the only loss on the British ships was on Nonsuch, which had a man killed in combat with Cybèle.[11]
Final operations
In need of reinforcement and resupply, Mitchell drew his squadron back to
The Dutch meanwhile retained their warships for a raid on
The French squadron under Renaud had used the retreat of Mitchell's force to also withdraw into the Indian Ocean via Bencoolen, reaching the British trading post on 9 February. There Pigot was still undergoing repairs and was taken by surprise and captured. As the merchant ship was manoeuvred out of the bay, Renaud demanded the surrender of the small Fort Marlborough nearby and was informed that the fort was well armed and that the arrival of Mitchell's squadron was expected at any moment. Unwilling to continue the engagement with Mitchell, Renaud withdrew immediately without assaulting the fort.[11]
Aftermath
The French squadron subsequently returned to Île de France where, in the
The Sunda Strait and surrounding waters remained an important strategic location throughout the war, although the subsequent organisation of East Indiamen into convoys and the return of a Royal Navy presence in the region assisted in limiting losses to French privateers and smaller warships.[16] On more than one occasion convoys of East Indiamen successfully discouraged large squadrons from attempting attacks on the valuable merchant craft with their size and power.[17]
Orders of battle
East India Company
Ship | Type | Commander | Notes | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Commodore Mitchell's squadron | ||||||||||
William Pitt | East Indiaman | Commodore Charles Mitchell | Flagship of the squadron. Engaged on 25 January | |||||||
Britannia | East Indiaman | Captain Thomas Cheap | Engaged on 22 and 25 January, one man killed | |||||||
Nonsuch | East Indiaman | Captain John Canning | Engaged on 22 and 25 January, one man killed | |||||||
Houghton | East Indiaman | Captain Hudson | Engaged on 25 January | |||||||
Nautilus | Brig | Captain Roper | ||||||||
Vengeur | Corvette | Captured on 22 January, engaged on 25 January | ||||||||
Resolu | Corvette | Captured on 22 January, engaged on 25 January | ||||||||
Independent ship | ||||||||||
Pigot | East Indiaman | Captain George Ballantyne | Engaged on 17 January, captured on 9 February | |||||||
Source: James, Vol. 1, pp. 196–197 |
Ship | Type | Commander | Notes | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Captain Corosin's squadron | ||||||||||
Vengeur | 30 gun privateer frigate | Captain Corosin † | Engaged on 17 January, captured on 22 January | |||||||
Résolu | 26 gun privateer corvette | Captain Jallineaux | Engaged on 17 January, captured on 22 January | |||||||
Captain Renaud's squadron | ||||||||||
Prudente | 36 gun frigate | Captain Jean-Marie Renaud | Engaged on 25 January and 9 February | |||||||
Cybèle | 40 gun frigate | Engaged on 25 January and 9 February | ||||||||
Vulcain | 14 gun Brig | Engaged on 25 January and 9 February | ||||||||
Duguay Trouin | 30 gun frigate | Former East Indiaman. Engaged on 25 January and 9 February | ||||||||
Source: James, Vol. 1, pp. 197–198 |
Citations
- ^ James, p. 119
- ^ a b Gardiner, Fleet Battle and Blockade, p. 73
- ^ a b c James, p. 196.
- ^ Clowes, Vol. 5, p. 337
- ^ Gardiner, The Victory of Seapower, p. 101
- ^ a b Clowes, Vol. 4, p. 483
- ^ a b c Brenton, p. 219
- ^ a b c James, p. 197
- ^ Demerliac (1999), p. 309, N°2903.
- ^ a b c d e James, p. 198
- ^ a b c d James, p. 199
- ^ Brenton, p. 220
- ^ "No. 13878". The London Gazette. 26 March 1796. p. 289.
- ^ UK Retail Price Index inflation figures are based on data from Clark, Gregory (2017). "The Annual RPI and Average Earnings for Britain, 1209 to Present (New Series)". MeasuringWorth. Retrieved 7 May 2024.
- ^ Houghton, Roger. "A Peoples' History 1793 – 1844 from the newspapers". Retrieved 6 July 2018.
- ^ Gardiner, Fleet Battle and Blockade, p. 60
- ^ Miller, p. 154
References
- Brenton, Edward Pelham (1823). The Naval History of Great Britain, Vol. I. London: Henry Colburn.
Boston.
- ISBN 1-86176-013-2.
- ISBN 1-86176-014-0.
- Demerliac, Alain (1999). La Marine de la Révolution: Nomenclature des Navires Français de 1792 à 1799 (in French). Éditions Ancre. ISBN 2-906381-24-1.
- Gardiner, Robert, ed. (2001) [1996]. Fleet Battle and Blockade. Caxton Editions. ISBN 1-84067-363-X.
- Gardiner, Robert, ed. (2001) [1998]. The Victory of Seapower. Caxton Editions. ISBN 1-84067-359-1.
- ISBN 0-85177-905-0.
- ISBN 0-7054-0635-0.