Action of 12 May 1796 facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Action of 12 May 1796 |
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| Part of the French Revolutionary Wars | |||||||
 The cutter Mary Ann and HMS Sylph, Thomas Whitcombe |
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| Belligerents | |||||||
 Great Britain |
 Batavian Republic |
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| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
 Lawrence Halstead |
 Unknown captain |
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| Strength | |||||||
| 3 frigates 1 sloop |
1 frigate 3 brigs 1 cutter |
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| Casualties and losses | |||||||
| 1 killed 3 wounded |
6 killed 28 wounded 1 frigate captured 2 brigs captured 1 brig destroyed 1 cutter destroyed |
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The Action of 12 May 1796 was a small but important sea battle. It happened during the French Revolutionary Wars. British Royal Navy ships fought against ships from the Batavian Navy. The Batavian Navy was from a country called the Batavian Republic. This country was a French ally.
The British ships were part of a larger fleet. This fleet was watching the Batavian Navy near Texel. The Batavian ships were returning from the coast of Norway. They had been hiding there after an earlier defeat. When the Batavian ships got close to their home coast, the British attacked.
Captain Lawrence Halstead led the British attack. His ship, HMS Phoenix, cut off the Batavian frigate Argo. Phoenix forced Argo to surrender in just 20 minutes. Other British ships chased the rest of the Batavian squadron. The British won a clear victory.
Contents
A Time of War
In 1793, France declared war on Great Britain and the Dutch Republic. This started the French Revolutionary Wars. By 1795, French armies took over the Dutch Republic. They even captured Dutch warships frozen in ice! The French then created a new country. It was called the Batavian Republic. This new country was controlled by France.
The French ordered the Batavian Navy to fight Britain. Their goal was to stop British trade ships. Britain created a new fleet to fight them. This was the North Sea Fleet. It was led by Admiral Adam Duncan.
Batavian Ships in Norway
In August 1795, Batavian ships tried to stop British trade. These trade routes went through the North Sea. British ships used them to get supplies from Scandinavia. Admiral Duncan sent British frigates to stop them. On August 22, the British found the Batavian ships. They were near Eigerøya, Norway.
The British forced one Batavian ship, Alliante, to surrender. Other Batavian ships escaped into the harbor. One of these was the frigate Argo. For months, Argo stayed in Norway. British warships watched the area closely.
By May 1796, Admiral Duncan's fleet was strong. He had nine large warships. They were blocking the main Batavian port at Texel. Duncan also kept ships watching the Norwegian ports. HMS Pegasus and HMS Sylph were among them.
In early May, Argo was ordered home. It sailed from Flekkerøy, Norway, on May 11. Three smaller Batavian ships, called brigs, sailed with it. These were Echo, Mercury, and Gier.
The Chase Begins
The British ships Pegasus and Sylph saw them leave. They followed the Batavian ships south. They lost sight of them on May 11. But they guessed where the Batavian ships were going. They knew they were heading for Texel.
The British ships met up near Duncan's main fleet. They still hadn't found the Batavian ships. Meanwhile, Argo and its brigs sailed close to the coast. They even captured a British trade ship. It was a small cutter named Duke of York. By dawn on May 12, the Batavian ships were near their own coast. They were heading for Texel.
The Battle of May 12
When Admiral Duncan heard the news, he sent a squadron of ships. Captain Lawrence Halstead led them in HMS Phoenix. Pegasus, Sylph, and HMS Leopard joined him. They set off at 5:00 AM. Soon after, they saw the Batavian ships. The Batavian ships were heading for Texel.
Halstead decided to split his ships. The faster Pegasus and Sylph chased the smaller Batavian brigs. Halstead's Phoenix and Leopard went after the frigate Argo. Duncan's main fleet also saw the Batavian ships. They joined the chase too.
Phoenix vs. Argo
The Batavian captain saw the large British force. He ordered his brigs and cutter to escape. He tried to get Argo away from Phoenix. But he kept changing his mind. This slowed his ship down. By 8:15 AM, Phoenix caught up. Phoenix had a better position for fighting.
Halstead fired a warning shot. He wanted Argo to surrender. But the Batavian captain refused. He opened fire on Phoenix. Phoenix had bigger and more powerful guns. It had 36 large cannons. Argo had smaller cannons. In just 20 minutes, Phoenix badly damaged Argo. It tore its sails and masts. Many Batavian sailors were hurt. Eight were killed and 28 were wounded.
With his ship ruined and Duncan's fleet nearby, the Batavian captain surrendered. This happened at 8:35 AM. Halstead took control of Argo.
Chasing the Rest
Soon after, HMS Powerful joined Phoenix. They secured the captured frigate. The chase for the other Batavian ships continued. Two of the brigs, Gier and Echo, headed for the coast. They tried to find safety. Pegasus and HMS Leander chased them.
The British ships drove Gier and Echo ashore. This happened near the village of Bosch. British sailors checked the grounded ships. One was too damaged to be saved. The other was pushed over a sandbank into deeper water. A storm the next day likely destroyed it.
The last Batavian ships were still being chased. Sylph caught the 16-gun brig Mercury. It forced Mercury to surrender just before 11:00 AM. The Batavian captain had thrown 14 cannons overboard. He hoped to make his ship lighter and escape. But it didn't work. Later that day, Halstead's Phoenix captured the British cutter Duke of York. This completed the destruction of the entire Batavian squadron.
What Happened Next
Captain Halstead brought the captured ships back to Britain. The Royal Navy bought Argo and Mercury. They renamed them HMS Janus and HMS Hermes.
The British had very few losses. Only one man was killed. Three were wounded. All these casualties happened on Phoenix during the fight with Argo. No other British or Batavian sailors were hurt.
This battle was the only big fight off the Batavian coast in 1796. Duncan's fleet kept the main Batavian fleet trapped. But in October 1797, the Batavian fleet finally broke out. Duncan met them on their way back. He won a huge victory at the Battle of Camperdown.
See Also
