Action at Sables d'Olonne, 27th February 1809

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Action at Sables d'Olonne

27th February 1809
Part of : The Napoleonic Wars (1803 - 1815)
Previous action : Capture of the Junon 10.2.1809
Next action : Capture of the Proserpine 28.2.1809
 

United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland

 
British Squadron,
Robert StopfordBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1780-1830
Ship NameCommanderNotes
Caesar (80) 1793-1821
British 80 Gun
3rd Rate Ship of the Line
Charles RichardsonBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1794-1847
Fleet Flagship No casualties
Donegal (76) 1798-1845
British 76 Gun
3rd Rate Ship of the Line
Pulteney MalcolmBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1778-1835
1 killed, 6 wounded
Defiance (74) 1783-1817
British 74 Gun
3rd Rate Ship of the Line
Henry HothamBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1794-1834
2 killed, 25 wounded
Amelia (38) 1796-1816
British 38 Gun
5th Rate Frigate
Frederick Paul IrbyBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1797-1813
 No casualties
Doterel (16) 1808-1855
British 16 Gun
Unrated Sloop
Anthony AbdyBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1799-1810
 

Empire Français

 
French Squadron,
Pierre Roch Jurien de la GraviereFrench
Naval Sailor
Service 1817-1841
Ship NameCommanderNotes
L'Italienne (44) 1806-1816
French 44 Gun
5th Rate Frigate
 
La Calypso (40) 1807-1814
French 40 Gun
5th Rate Frigate
 
La Cybèle (36) 1789-1809
French 36 Gun
5th Rate Frigate
 
 

Notes on Action


DescriptionTRN5
Stopford, left the Amethyst, and the Emerald, 36, to observe Willaumez in the Basque Roads, and, wearing, made sail in the direction of the newcomers. These were the French 40-gun frigates Italienne, Calypso, and Cybele, which, soon after Willaumez had passed Isle Groix, had left Lorient, under Commodore Pierre Roch Jurien, with an E.N.E. wind, Troude himself, with his heavier ships, not being then able, owing to the state of the tide, to put to sea. They had already seen Beresford in the offing, and, when discovered by the Naiad, were being chased by the Amelia, 38, Captain the Hon. Frederick Paul Irby, and the Doterel, 18, Commander Anthony Abdy. As soon, therefore, as he perceived Stopford in the south-east, or nearly to windward of him, Jurien, realising that he was cut off, headed for Sables d'Olonne with the Amelia and Doterel at his heels. By 10 A.M., the Caesar, Defiance, and Donegal were also in close pursuit; and very shortly afterwards the French anchored in line of battle, with springs on their cables, immediately under the Sables d'Olonne batteries. Half an hour later, the British stood in, the Defiance leading, and being followed in order by the Caesar, Donegal, and Amelia; and at 11 A.M. fire was opened upon the enemy, who replied from the frigates as well as from the powerful forts on shore. At 11.50 A.M., the Italienne and Cybele, in flames, cut their cables and ran on to the beach, and later the Calypso drove thither stern foremost. As the tide then began to fall, Stopford ordered his ships to stand out; and the French frigates, having taken the ground nearly at the top of high water, became total wrecks. In this action the Caesar, though she, like her consorts, suffered somewhat aloft, had no one hurt. The Donegal had one killed and six wounded; and the Defiance, which was the most hotly engaged, had two killed and twenty-five wounded. The French lost twenty-four killed and fifty-one wounded, in addition to the losses which they may have sustained on shore.
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