Action of 10 February 1809 facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Action of 10 February 1809
Part of the Napoleonic Wars
HMS Latona (1781), George Romney
Date 8–10 February 1809 Location Off the Leeward Islands, Atlantic Ocean Result British victory
Belligerents
United Kingdom	France
Commanders and leaders
Hugh Pigot	Jean Rousseau   †
Strength
2 frigates 3 brigs	1 frigate
Casualties and losses
40 killed and wounded	130 killed and wounded 1 frigate captured

The Action of 10 February 1809 was a small but important sea battle during the Napoleonic Wars. In this fight, a group of British Royal Navy ships chased and captured the French warship Junon in the Caribbean Sea.

The Junon was on a special mission. She was carrying goods from the Îles des Saintes near Guadeloupe back to France. This was part of France's plan to help its islands in the Caribbean. These islands were suffering because British ships were blocking them, stopping trade and causing big problems for their economies and people.

British warships first saw Junon near the Virgin Islands on February 8. They chased her for two days into the Atlantic Ocean. Finally, the British frigates HMS Horatio and HMS Latona caught up. After a tough battle, Junon was badly damaged and many of her crew were hurt. She had to surrender to the British ships.

Later, the British Navy added Junon to their own fleet, keeping her name. Less than a year later, a French fleet recaptured and destroyed Junon. However, the British then found and defeated that French fleet too.

Why This Battle Happened

The Blockade of French Colonies

By 1809, the Napoleonic Wars had been going on for six years. The British Royal Navy was very powerful at sea. They had many French warships trapped in their home ports. This meant French colonies in the West Indies were mostly cut off from France.

These colonies were also blocked by British ships. This stopped them from trading freely. Because of this, their economies were failing. People faced severe food shortages and social unrest.

France Tries to Help

During the summer of 1808, leaders in the colonies, especially Martinique and Guadeloupe, sent urgent messages to France. They warned about the terrible situation. In response, France sent supplies using small groups of ships and single frigates.

The British knew about these messages. They told Vice-Admiral Alexander Cochrane to prepare to invade the French colonies. This was to happen before more supplies or soldiers could arrive.

Most of France's attempts to reach the Caribbean failed. Some ships were stopped near France. Others made it to the Caribbean but were defeated by Cochrane's ships. His main focus was preparing to invade Martinique in February.

Junon's Mission

Only two French ships reached the islands safely. These were the frigates Amphitrite at Martinique and the 40-gun Junon at Guadeloupe.

By February 1809, Martinique was under attack. This kept most British ships busy. Taking advantage of fewer enemy ships, Junon secretly left the Îles des Saintes on February 4. She sailed north. Her captain, Jean-Baptiste-Augustin Rousseau, had delivered military supplies and food. Now, he was carrying many trade goods. He hoped to sell them in France to help Guadeloupe's economy.

The Sea Battle Begins

The Chase Starts

At 2:00 PM on February 8, Junon was spotted near the Virgin Islands. She had been sailing for four days since leaving the Îles des Saintes. Two small British ships, HMS Superieure and HMS Asp, saw her. They signaled for Junon to stop.

Captain Rousseau ignored their orders and kept sailing north. Superieure followed closely through the Virgin Islands. Asp could not keep up and fell far behind during the night.

At 8:00 AM on February 9, Superieure was close enough to fire. She fired a few long-range shots, but they did not damage the large French frigate. Junon fired back, but her shots also missed. The sound of the gunfire attracted other ships. In the afternoon, the British frigate HMS Latona, led by Captain Hugh Pigot, joined Superieure.

The Fight with Horatio

The chase continued through a second night. The French frigate gained some distance but could not completely escape. At 10:30 AM on February 10, two more ships appeared. They were the British frigate HMS Horatio, commanded by Captain George Scott, and the brig HMS Driver. They were sailing to cut off Junon.

With enemies all around, Rousseau knew his only chance was to defeat Horatio. A quick win would let him escape west into the Atlantic. Junon quickly closed in on the new arrivals and opened fire at 12:36 PM.

Horatio immediately fired back. She then sailed around the slower French ship and fired along her length, hitting many parts of the ship. This is called raking fire. The two frigates then exchanged heavy gunfire from very close range for 40 minutes. Junon had heavier guns, and soon Horatios captain, Scott, and his first officer were badly wounded. Horatios masts were also badly damaged.

Horatio could not keep up with the French frigate. Junon's hull was full of holes, but her masts were only lightly damaged. Horatio had to fall back.

Junon's Last Stand

Captain Rousseau of Junon was also badly wounded. Command of Junon went to Lieutenant Jean-Léon Emeric. He tried to pull away from the damaged Horatio.

At this point, the small brig Driver was in a good position to help. But her captain, Charles Claridge, did not attack the larger French frigate. This was despite Latona quickly approaching from the west. Together, Driver and Latona could have easily overwhelmed Junon.

Superieure was also nearby. Her captain, William Ferrie, did approach the French ship. His shots damaged Junon's sails enough to stop her escape. Driver then took Horatio in tow at 2:24 PM, keeping Scott's frigate in the chase while repairs were made.

By 2:40 PM, Horatio was sailing on her own again. Driver finally came close enough to fire, but from a very long distance. Claridge still refused to get closer to Junon, even with urgent signals from Horatio and Superieure.

At 3:04 PM, Superieure was again close enough to fire at the French ship. At 3:25 PM, Latona arrived. Her presence finally convinced Claridge to join the fight. Surrounded by enemy ships and with her sails torn, Emeric made one last attempt to escape north. The effort caused Junon's main and mizzen masts to break and fall. With no way to escape or fight, Junon surrendered at 3:40 PM.

After the Battle

The Aftermath for Junon

Officers from Latona were the first to board the French frigate. But Lieutenant Emeric refused to officially surrender to them. He insisted on surrendering only to an officer from Horatio. He believed Horatio had caused all the damage to Junon.

Historians have discussed this. Some agree that Horatio did most of the damage. Others say that if Horatio had been alone, she might have been the one surrendering.

The badly damaged Junon was towed to Halifax, Nova Scotia. There, she was repaired and joined the British Royal Navy, keeping her name. The French prisoners were also taken to Nova Scotia. Captain Rousseau died there from his wounds soon after. The French lost about 130 people killed or wounded. The British had seven killed and 26 wounded on Horatio, six wounded on Latona, and one wounded on Driver.

Praise and Criticism

The British commanders and crews were praised for their actions. However, Captain Claridge of Driver was an exception. Both historians William James and Edward Pelham Brenton later strongly criticized his unwillingness to fight the enemy closely.

In contrast, William Ferrie, commander of Superieure, was praised. He kept fighting the much larger French frigate whenever he could. Many years later, in 1847, the British Admiralty honored the battle. They awarded special medals called "Horatio 10 Feby. 1809" and "Superieure 10 Feby. 1809" to all British sailors who were still alive and had fought in the battle.

Later Events

In the month after Junon was captured, Guadeloupe was the only French colony in the Caribbean not under attack. Martinique fell to the British on February 24. Spanish forces continued their siege of Santo Domingo.

The French tried again to send supplies to the islands. A large French fleet was defeated near Guadeloupe in April. Parts of this force that reached the island were later defeated and captured in June and July.

British forces were busy with the Reconquista in Santo Domingo. So, the main fighting moved north. It was not until a second large French fleet arrived in December that many British ships returned to the Leeward Islands. This led to the final invasion of Guadeloupe.

However, these British reinforcements arrived too late for HMS Junon. On December 13, she was sailing alone east of Antigua. She was surprised by François Roquebert's group of four French frigates. Outnumbered and surrounded, Junon fought bravely. But she was eventually forced to surrender after her captain, John Shortland, was badly wounded and died. Junon was so damaged she was sinking. Roquebert set her on fire and left her. His ships were then stopped five days later near Guadeloupe and defeated. Two of them were destroyed, and the other two returned to France without delivering their supplies.