The action of 9 September 1796 was an inconclusive minor naval engagement between small
French Navy
The French Navy (, , ), informally (, ), is the Navy, maritime arm of the French Armed Forces and one of the four military service branches of History of France, France. It is among the largest and most powerful List of navies, naval forces i ...
and British
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy (RN) is the naval warfare force of the United Kingdom. It is a component of His Majesty's Naval Service, and its officers hold their commissions from the King of the United Kingdom, King. Although warships were used by Kingdom ...
squadrons off northwestern
Sumatra
Sumatra () is one of the Sunda Islands of western Indonesia. It is the largest island that is fully within Indonesian territory, as well as the list of islands by area, sixth-largest island in the world at 482,286.55 km2 (182,812 mi. ...
, near
Banda Aceh, during the
French Revolutionary Wars
The French Revolutionary Wars () were a series of sweeping military conflicts resulting from the French Revolution that lasted from 1792 until 1802. They pitted French First Republic, France against Kingdom of Great Britain, Great Britain, Habsb ...
. The French squadron comprised six
frigates
A frigate () is a type of warship. In different eras, the roles and capabilities of ships classified as frigates have varied.
The name frigate in the 17th to early 18th centuries was given to any full-rigged ship built for speed and maneuvera ...
engaged in
commerce raiding against British trade routes passing through captured parts of the
Dutch East Indies
The Dutch East Indies, also known as the Netherlands East Indies (; ), was a Dutch Empire, Dutch colony with territory mostly comprising the modern state of Indonesia, which Proclamation of Indonesian Independence, declared independence on 17 Au ...
, and posed a considerable threat to the weakened British naval forces in the region. The British force consisted of two 74-gun
ships of the line hastily paired to oppose the eastward advance of the French squadron.
The French squadron, commanded by
Contre-amiral Pierre César Charles de Sercey, had left its base on
ÃŽle de France in July and cruised off
Ceylon
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, also known historically as Ceylon, is an island country in South Asia. It lies in the Indian Ocean, southwest of the Bay of Bengal, separated from the Indian subcontinent, ...
and
Tranquebar before sailing eastwards. Its movement had so far been unopposed, as British forces in the East Indies were concentrated at
Simon's Town
Simon's Town (), sometimes spelled Simonstown, is a town in the Western Cape, South Africa and is home to Naval Base Simon's Town, the South African Navy's largest base. It is located on the shores of Simon's Bay in False Bay, on the eastern s ...
in the west and
Malacca in the east. After raiding the shipping at Banda Aceh on 1 September the squadron sailed eastwards to attack
Penang. On 8 September, while the French were removing supplies from a captured British merchant ship east of Banda Aceh, two large sails were spotted. These were
HMS ''Arrogant'' and
HMS ''Victorious'', sent to drive off the French before they could attack the scattered British shipping and ports in the region.
Although the British ships were substantially larger than any individual French vessel, the frigates were more numerous and more manoeuvrable. Neither side could afford to take significant damage in the battle, so each sought to drive the other off rather than achieve an outright victory. On 9 September Sercey's frigates formed a
line of battle, successfully engaging first ''Arrogant'' and then ''Victorious'' and inflicting damage on each while preventing them from supporting one another. The French frigates, particularly
''Vertu'' and ''
Seine
The Seine ( , ) is a river in northern France. Its drainage basin is in the Paris Basin (a geological relative lowland) covering most of northern France. It rises at Source-Seine, northwest of Dijon in northeastern France in the Langres plat ...
'', also suffered, and by late morning both sides disengaged, the British retiring to
Madras
Chennai, also known as Madras ( its official name until 1996), is the capital and largest city of Tamil Nadu, the southernmost state of India. It is located on the Coromandel Coast of the Bay of Bengal. According to the 2011 Indian ce ...
for repairs, while Sercey anchored at
King's Island in the
Mergui Archipelago, eventually sheltering in
Batavia.
Background
At the start of 1796 French and allied forces had been almost completely driven from the
Indian Ocean
The Indian Ocean is the third-largest of the world's five oceanic divisions, covering or approximately 20% of the water area of Earth#Surface, Earth's surface. It is bounded by Asia to the north, Africa to the west and Australia (continent), ...
, with most of the colonies of the French-allied
Batavian Republic
The Batavian Republic (; ) was the Succession of states, successor state to the Dutch Republic, Republic of the Seven United Netherlands. It was proclaimed on 19 January 1795 after the Batavian Revolution and ended on 5 June 1806, with the acce ...
falling to British invasions during 1795.
[Clowes, p.294] The only significant French presence was on
ÃŽle de France and a few other nearby islands, from which a squadron of two
frigate
A frigate () is a type of warship. In different eras, the roles and capabilities of ships classified as frigates have varied.
The name frigate in the 17th to early 18th centuries was given to any full-rigged ship built for speed and maneuvera ...
s periodically operated against British trade.
[James, p.196] The British were so confident of supremacy that they had split their forces, with a large squadron based at
Simon's Town
Simon's Town (), sometimes spelled Simonstown, is a town in the Western Cape, South Africa and is home to Naval Base Simon's Town, the South African Navy's largest base. It is located on the shores of Simon's Bay in False Bay, on the eastern s ...
in the
Cape Colony
The Cape Colony (), also known as the Cape of Good Hope, was a British Empire, British colony in present-day South Africa named after the Cape of Good Hope. It existed from 1795 to 1802, and again from 1806 to 1910, when it united with three ...
of Southern Africa under
Sir George Keith Elphinstone and a smaller dispersed force operating under
Peter Rainier in the
Dutch East Indies
The Dutch East Indies, also known as the Netherlands East Indies (; ), was a Dutch Empire, Dutch colony with territory mostly comprising the modern state of Indonesia, which Proclamation of Indonesian Independence, declared independence on 17 Au ...
, based at the captured port of
Malacca.
[Parkinson, p.95] The important trading ports of
Calcutta
Kolkata, also known as Calcutta (List of renamed places in India#West Bengal, its official name until 2001), is the capital and largest city of the Indian States and union territories of India, state of West Bengal. It lies on the eastern ba ...
,
Madras
Chennai, also known as Madras ( its official name until 1996), is the capital and largest city of Tamil Nadu, the southernmost state of India. It is located on the Coromandel Coast of the Bay of Bengal. According to the 2011 Indian ce ...
and
Bombay
Mumbai ( ; ), also known as Bombay ( ; its official name until 1995), is the capital city of the Indian States and union territories of India, state of Maharashtra. Mumbai is the financial centre, financial capital and the list of cities i ...
were largely undefended, as were the valuable trade routes which supported them.
[Parkinson, p.96]
On 4 March 1796 significant French reinforcements were dispatched when a squadron of four frigates and two
corvettes sailed from
Rochefort under the command of
Contre-amiral Pierre César Charles de Sercey. Both corvettes were lost before the squadron had left the
Bay of Biscay
The Bay of Biscay ( ) is a gulf of the northeast Atlantic Ocean located south of the Celtic Sea. It lies along the western coast of France from Point Penmarc'h to the Spanish border, and along the northern coast of Spain, extending westward ...
and frigate
''Cocarde'' was forced to return to port after running aground.
[James, p.347] After resupplying at
La Palma and joining with replacement frigate
''Vertu'', the squadron enjoyed unimpeded progress, seizing several British and Portuguese ships, including two
Indiamen in the South Atlantic and Western Indian Ocean.
[James, p.348] The squadron had not been dispatched primarily to increase the French military presence in the East Indies, but rather to enforce the
National Convention
The National Convention () was the constituent assembly of the Kingdom of France for one day and the French First Republic for its first three years during the French Revolution, following the two-year National Constituent Assembly and the ...
's decree that ÃŽle de France abolish
slavery
Slavery is the ownership of a person as property, especially in regards to their labour. Slavery typically involves compulsory work, with the slave's location of work and residence dictated by the party that holds them in bondage. Enslavemen ...
. The agricultural economy of the island depended on slavery to remain profitable, and the colonial committee had simply ignored the decree when it first arrived in 1795.
[Parkinson, p.97] The matter was then taken up by the
Committee for Public Safety, which sent agents
Baco and
Burnel to ensure the ruling was carried out, supported by 800 soldiers under General
François-Louis Magallon.
[Parkinson, p.98]
On arrival at
Port Louis
Port Louis (, ; or , ) is the capital and most populous city of Mauritius, mainly located in the Port Louis District, with a small western part in the Black River District. Port Louis is the country's financial and political centre. It is admi ...
on 18 June, the agents were confronted by a large body of heavily armed militia opposed to the abolition of slavery. Although they ordered Magallon to attack the islanders, the general refused and the agents were sent back to sea in a small corvette, eventually returning to Europe.
[Parkinson, p.99] Sercey remained in the East Indies, refitting his ships and joining his squadron to that already at ÃŽle de France. This force he divided, sending ''
Preneuse'' and a corvette to patrol the
Mozambique Channel.
[Parkinson, p.100] The remaining six frigates, comprising ''Vertu'',
''Régénérée'',
''Forte'',
''Seine'',
''Prudente'' and
''Cybèle'', with the
privateer schooner
A schooner ( ) is a type of sailing ship, sailing vessel defined by its Rig (sailing), rig: fore-and-aft rigged on all of two or more Mast (sailing), masts and, in the case of a two-masted schooner, the foremast generally being shorter than t ...
''Alerte'', Sercey took eastwards on 14 July, towards the
Bay of Bengal
The Bay of Bengal is the northeastern part of the Indian Ocean. Geographically it is positioned between the Indian subcontinent and the Mainland Southeast Asia, Indochinese peninsula, located below the Bengal region.
Many South Asian and Southe ...
.
[Roche, p.33]
Sercey was unaware of how scattered British forces were in the region, and sent ''Alerte'' to scout ahead after the squadron arrived off
Ceylon
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, also known historically as Ceylon, is an island country in South Asia. It lies in the Indian Ocean, southwest of the Bay of Bengal, separated from the Indian subcontinent, ...
. Captain Drieu of ''Alerte'' made the miscalculation of attacking a ship on 14 August which turned out to be the 28-gun British dispatch frigate
HMS ''Carysfort'', and on board ''Alerte'' the British captors discovered documents revealing the exact extent of Sercey's strength and intentions.
[James, p.349] ''Carysfort''
's captain was unable to warn any allied ships as his small frigate was the only British warship in the Bay of Bengal, and so he instead arranged for false information to be passed to Sercey regarding a fictional British battle squadron at Madras. This was sufficient to deter Sercey from lingering in the area, and after a raiding sweep along the coast to
Tranquebar his squadron sailed eastwards once more.
[Parkinson, p.101]
On 1 September Sercey raided
Banda Aceh, capturing a number of merchant ships and on 7 September seized the small merchant ship ''Favourite'' off the northeastern coast of
Sumatra
Sumatra () is one of the Sunda Islands of western Indonesia. It is the largest island that is fully within Indonesian territory, as well as the list of islands by area, sixth-largest island in the world at 482,286.55 km2 (182,812 mi. ...
''en route'' to attack the British port of
Penang. The following morning, as his squadron transferred
rice
Rice is a cereal grain and in its Domestication, domesticated form is the staple food of over half of the world's population, particularly in Asia and Africa. Rice is the seed of the grass species ''Oryza sativa'' (Asian rice)—or, much l ...
from the prize, two large sails appeared in the distance to the northeast.
These sails belonged to the 74-gun British
ships of the line HMS ''Arrogant'' under Captain
Richard Lucas and
HMS ''Victorious'' under Captain
William Clark. These ships had been sent to the East Indies from the Cape at the start of August on orders from Elphinstone and were engaged in protecting British trade with
China
China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the list of countries by population (United Nations), second-most populous country after ...
. When news reached Penang that Sercey was in the region, Lucas ordered Clark to join him in a search for the French in the
Straits of Malacca.
[Parkinson, p.102]
Battle
Lucas first sighted the French at 06:00 on 8 September, approximately east of Point Pedro, the northeastern tip of Sumatra. By 10:00 Sercey had determined that the new arrivals were probably hostile and formed his frigates into a
line of battle,
tacking to investigate.
Lucas and Clark conferred at 14:00, Clark believing that two of the ships were French ships of the line while Lucas correctly insisted that they were six frigates, accompanied by the captured East Indiaman ''Triton''. The captains agreed to pursue the French and bring them to battle when possible.
[James, p.350] At 14:30, ''Forte'' determined that the approaching ships were British ships of the line and Sercey turned away, unwilling to risk suffering severe damage in a pointless engagement with two such powerful opponents. Sercey's squadron attempted to seek shelter in coastal waters, closely pursued by Lucas' ships; by 21:30 the British were just behind the French.
[James, p.351]
By the morning of 9 September the wind had dropped and the French frigates were sailing in line slowly eastwards along the northern coast of Sumatra, the British ships close behind. With battle inevitable, Sercey gave orders at 06:00 for his line to put about and seize the
weather gage while Lucas led ''Arrogant'' on a path to intercept. At 07:25 Lucas opened fire on the lead French ship ''Vertu'' at the range of .
[James, p.352] The British ship was able to fire two
broadsides before Captain
Lhermitte on ''Vertu'' could reply, the first French volley snatching away the
ensign
Ensign most often refers to:
* Ensign (flag), a flag flown on a vessel to indicate nationality
* Ensign (rank), a navy (and former army) officer rank
Ensign or The Ensign may also refer to:
Places
* Ensign, Alberta, Alberta, Canada
* Ensign, Ka ...
. ''Arrogant'' then progressively came under fire from the whole French line, as ''Seine'', ''Forte'' and ''Cybèle'' passed, the more distant ''Régénéree'' and ''Prudente'' joining the fusillade. During this exchange of fire both ''Arrogant'' and ''Vertu'' suffered damage to their sails and rigging, the ''Arrogant'' temporarily unmaneuverable as the winds dropped almost completely.
''Victorious'' was also hit, Captain Clark forced to retire wounded after being struck in the thigh by debris at 08:00. At 08:30 the rearmost French ship, ''Prudente'', passed out of range of ''Arrogant'' leaving the ship isolated. With Lucas unable to participate, Lieutenant William Waller on ''Victorious'' assumed command and ordered his ship to engage the French at 08:40, a string of
signal flags hoisted on ''Arrogant'' unreadable in the light winds.
[James, p.353] ''Victorious'' was soon surrounded by the French, with two frigates on the port bow and four on the port beam, all firing into the ship of the line from approximately . By 10:15, when the wind suddenly returned, ''Victorious'' had been badly damaged. Using the wind to turn towards the distant ''Arrogant'', Waller exposed his ship's stern and was repeatedly
raked. The winds remained unreliable, and ''Victorious'' took further damage for the next half-hour, the French ships remaining outside the arcs of fire from the British ship.
[Clowes, p.503]
The damage ''Vertu'' had taken early in the combat rendered Lhermitte unable to continue the action, and his ship gradually fell out of the line to the south. Captain
Pierre Julien Tréhouart turned ''Cybèle'' away too, using
sweeps to reach ''Vertu'' and take the ship under tow. With ''Vertu'' secured and ''Arrogant'' slowly coming back into range,
Sercey ordered his squadron to turn away to the north at 10:55, the last shots fired at long range from ''Victorious'' at 11:15.
Combatant summary
''In this table, "Guns" refers to all cannon
A cannon is a large-caliber gun classified as a type of artillery, which usually launches a projectile using explosive chemical propellant. Gunpowder ("black powder") was the primary propellant before the invention of smokeless powder during th ...
carried by the ship, including the maindeck guns which were taken into consideration when calculating its rate, as well as any carronades carried aboard.[James, p.32] Broadside weight records the combined weight of shot which could be fired in a single simultaneous discharge of an entire broadside.''
Aftermath
Losses on both sides were heavy. ''Arrogant'' had been damaged early in the battle and lost seven killed and 27 wounded while ''Victorious'' which bore the brunt of the French attack, suffered 17 killed and 57 wounded, the latter including Clark. Neither British ship was in sufficient repair to continue the engagement; ''Arrogant'' had several cannon dismounted and her sails and rigging were tattered. ''Victorious'' was less badly damaged, but had more than one in five of the crew unfit for duty.
All of the French ships suffered damage and casualties, although ''Régénérée'' reported no losses in the aftermath. ''Vertu'' was damaged early on and took 24 casualties, ''Seine'' was hit by heavy fire later in the battle and lost 62 dead and wounded, with the captain among the former. The remainder of the squadron suffered lighter losses, with 12 on ''Prudente'', 17 on ''Cybèle'' and 23 on ''Forte''.
[James, p.354]
Lucas and Clark remained off Sumatra until basic repairs could be completed before ''Arrogant'' then took ''Victorious'' under tow, leading the damaged ship back to Penang and then Madras for repairs, arriving on 6 October.
Sercey abandoned plans for an attack on Penang and sailed northwards to
King's Island in the
Mergui Archipelago. There his ships underwent extensive repairs, some even replacing their lower masts.
In October the squadron swept eastwards to the Ceylon coast before turning back west towards
Batavia, where Sercey hoped the supply depots would provide more support than those on ÃŽle de France. The squadron remained at Batavia throughout the winter, ceding control of the Indian Ocean trade routes to the British.
[Parkinson, p.104]
The action has been described as inconclusive by British historian
C. Northcote Parkinson as neither side could achieve a decisive result. Parkinson is also scathing of his criticism of both Clark and Waller, accusing them of failing to properly to prepare for battle or effectively manoeuvre their ship under fire.
During the battle neither side had actually sought a decisive result, both unwilling to risk damage which would jeopardise their mission. Sercey's orders were to raid British trade routes, not to engage heavy warships and suffer the consequent damage: the battle severely curtailed his opportunities to prey on British merchant shipping in the East Indies during 1796.
[Parkinson, p.105] Lucas sought to block Sercey's passage through the Malacca Straits, but was aware that his ships, though large and powerful, were outnumbered and outgunned in the engagement, particularly given the size of the main French line, composed of ships with batteries of
18-pounder long guns and including ''Forte'', one of the most massive frigates then at sea.
William James
William James (January 11, 1842 – August 26, 1910) was an American philosopher and psychologist. The first educator to offer a psychology course in the United States, he is considered to be one of the leading thinkers of the late 19th c ...
considers that had the winds been more favourable Lucas might have been able to cut off and capture at least two French frigates, but had Sercey attempted a
boarding action against the ships of the line his more numerous crews would probably have successfully seized them.
References
Bibliography
*
*
*
*
*{{cite book , first=Jean-Michel , last=Roche , year=2005 , language=fr , title=Dictionnaire des bâtiments de la flotte de guerre française de Colbert à nos jours 1 1671 - 1870 , publisher=Roche , isbn=978-2-9525917-0-6
Conflicts in 1796
History of Sumatra
Naval battles of the French Revolutionary Wars involving France
Naval battles of the French Revolutionary Wars involving Great Britain