Action of 12 December 1782 facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Action of 12 December 1782
Part of the American Revolutionary War
HMS Mediator engaging French and American vessels, 12 December 1782 L’Aimable Eugénie on the right captained by Nicolas Baudin is seen fleeing from the action.
Date 12 December 1782 Location Off Ferrol, Spain Result British victory
Belligerents
Great Britain	France  United States
Commanders and leaders
James Luttrell	Nicolas Baudin
Strength
1 Roebuck-class fifth rate	1 ship of the line (en flûte) 1 frigate 1 armed transport 2 American privateers
Casualties and losses
7 casualties	1 ship of the line captured 1 privateer captured 9 killed 16 wounded 340 captured

The Action of 12 December 1782 was an exciting naval battle. It happened off the coast of Spain, near a place called Ferrol. A British warship, HMS Mediator, which had 40 guns, bravely attacked a group of five armed ships. The Mediator managed to capture an American privateer ship named Alexander. Then, it also captured a French ship called La Ménagère. These ships were part of a supply chain. This chain was set up by Pierre Beaumarchais to send supplies to the American colonists during the American Revolutionary War.

Why This Battle Happened

Supplies for the American Revolution

During the American Revolutionary War, the American colonists needed a lot of supplies. They needed weapons, ammunition, clothes, and food. A French businessman named Pierre Beaumarchais helped them. He started a company called Roderigue Hortalez and Co.. This company was supported by both France and Spain. They secretly sent supplies to the American rebels. The rebels were not expected to pay for these supplies.

The Dangerous Journey

Beaumarchais arranged for these important supplies to be carried by ships in groups called convoys. However, the British navy, known as the Royal Navy, was very strong. They often captured many of these supply ships. This made it very risky to send help to the Americans.

The Convoy of December 1782

In December 1782, Beaumarchais put together another convoy. He met his ship captains in Bordeaux, France. He watched as the ships were loaded with supplies. The plan was for these ships to sail to Port-au-Prince in Saint Domingue (now Haiti). From there, they would go on to America. Their mission was to deliver vital supplies to the American colonists.

Ships in the Convoy

The convoy had five ships:

• Alexander: This was a fast ship called a corvette. Beaumarchais bought her in 1781. She was commanded by Commander Stephen Gregory. He had a special permit from America to act as a privateer. The Alexander sailed with both a French flag and an American flag. She had 102 American and French crew members. The ship was armed with twenty-four large 9-pounder guns. She carried a cargo of supplies and food.
• Aimable Eugénie: This ship was named after Beaumarchais' daughter. Nicolas Baudin was her commander. She had 36 guns and a crew of 130 men. This ship was the main escort, meaning she was supposed to protect the other ships in the convoy.
• Ménagère: This ship was commanded by François Jérome Foligné-Deschalonges. She was a very large ship, once a 64-gun warship. Now, she was armed differently, with twenty-six 12-pounder guns and four smaller 6-pounder guns. She had 212 crew members. The Ménagère carried 100 tons of gunpowder and other important naval supplies.
• Dauphin Royal: This was a transport ship. Antoine Chambert was her commander. She was bought and armed for the French navy. She had twenty-eight guns and a crew of 120 men.
• An unknown American privateer brig: This was a smaller ship with 14 guns and 70 crew members.

On December 9, 1782, the convoy left the mouth of the Gironde river in France. They were heading for the West Indies and then America. Three days later, on December 12, at 7:00 AM, HMS Mediator spotted the convoy. The Mediator was commanded by James Luttrell.

The Battle Unfolds

First Contact

At 8:00 AM, the convoy formed a line, ready for battle. Even though they looked strong, Captain Luttrell of the Mediator kept sailing towards them. At 10:00 AM, the Ménagère fired the first shots. Luttrell noticed that the shots only came from the upper deck. He correctly guessed that the French ship did not have guns on its lower deck. The Mediator then moved to attack the ship at the back of the enemy line.

Fighting Through the Line

At 10:30 AM, the Mediator began firing at the Dauphin Royal. At the same time, the Dauphin Royal and the Alexander turned away from the battle line. The Aimable Eugénie, Ménagère, and the American brig then turned their ships. They tried to protect the two ships that were falling behind.

Captain James Luttrell who commanded HMS Mediator

The Mediator fought its way right through the French and American ships. At 11:00 AM, Captain Luttrell managed to cut off the Alexander. He forced her to surrender. He then took control of the Alexander. The rest of the French and American ships tried to escape by sailing away quickly. Once Luttrell had taken the prisoners from the Alexander and put his own crew on board, he chased the escaping ships.

Capturing the Ménagère

At 3:00 PM, the Aimable Eugénie sailed away at full speed. The Mediator then focused on chasing the Ménagère. By 5:00 PM, the Mediator was close enough to fire at the Ménagère. A running fight began. At 9:00 PM, the Mediator caught up to the Ménagère. The British ship was about to fire a powerful broadside (all its guns at once). But before it could, the Ménagère surrendered. This ended the battle.

Casualties and Damage

The enemy ships had tried to hit the Mediators masts and ropes. This was to damage her rigging and make her unable to move. Because of this, the Mediator had no casualties (no one killed or wounded). The Ménagère had four men killed and seven or eight wounded. The Alexander had six men killed and eight or nine wounded.

The next morning, the Dauphin Royal and the American brig were seen. They were badly damaged and only five miles from Ferrol. However, Captain Luttrell decided it was safer to sail for England with his two captured ships. He had 340 prisoners on board. He only had 100 of his own men to guard them, and they were very close to Spain.

After the Battle

Ship Damage and Prisoners

The Mediator had only seven minor injuries among its crew. However, its rigging and masts were damaged from the enemy's shots. The Alexander had six men killed and nine wounded. The La Ménagère had a passenger and three sailors killed, with several others wounded.

An Escape Attempt

Even though they were treated well, Captain Gregory of the Alexander tried to take over the Mediator. He gathered some prisoners to help him. He was stopped, but then he tried to set the ship on fire. After this, Luttrell had Gregory and the American prisoners put in chains. The French officers had not been part of the escape attempt, but the British guarded them more closely too. Michael Seymour, who later became a high-ranking admiral, was a young officer on HMS Mediator during this battle.

Fate of the Aimable Eugénie

The Aimable Eugénie managed to reach Saint-Domingue in March 1783. Sadly, she was later wrecked on a coral reef near Porto Plata.

Prize Money and End of the War

Captain Luttrell and his crew received their final payment for capturing the Alexandre and Ménagere in October 1788. This battle was the last time American forces were involved in fighting before the Treaty of Paris officially ended the war.