Action of 15 July 1805 facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Action of 15 July 1805 |
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| Part of the Napoleonic Wars | |||||||
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| Belligerents | |||||||
 France |
 United Kingdom |
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| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
| Commander Joseph Collet |
Georges Ker James Garrety |
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| Strength | |||||||
| 8 vessels | HMS Plumper HMS Teazer |
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| Casualties and losses | |||||||
| None, Collet slightly wounded by a splinter | Two gun-brigs captured | ||||||
The Action of 15 July 1805 was a small sea battle during the Napoleonic Wars. It happened near Chausey, an island off the coast of Normandy, France. This fight involved two British gun-brigs and several French ships. The British ships got stuck because there was no wind. This made them easy targets for the French gunboats, which could move using oars. The French ships also had bigger guns than the British ones, which helped them win the battle.
The Battle Begins
In July 1805, two British gun-brigs, Plumper and Teazer, were part of the Royal Navy fleet. Their job was to block the French coast. On July 15, these two ships were near Granville, Manche when the wind suddenly stopped. To avoid being pushed onto the shore by the ocean current, they dropped anchor near Chausey in the afternoon.
News of the anchored British ships reached Commander Joseph Collet. He was in charge of the French gunboat division stationed in Granville. Collet decided to attack. He left Granville at 9:00 PM on July 15. He led seven gunboats and a larger boat called a dogger. Some reports say he had six gunboats, a schooner, and a ketch.
The Fight at Sea
A thick fog rolled in during the night. At 2:30 AM on July 16, French ships appeared out of the darkness. Plumper tried to get closer to Teazer so they could fight together, but it couldn't move. The French force, which included six brigs, a schooner, and a ketch, stayed a bit away. They fired their guns at Plumper.
Plumper fired back, but its main weapons were carronades. These guns were not as powerful and couldn't shoot as far as the French cannons. During the fight, Lieutenant James Henry Garrety, Plumper's captain, was badly injured. Four other sailors were also hurt. After about an hour, Sub-Lieutenant Richards took command because Captain Garrety was taken below deck. Richards then decided to surrender the ship. Later, some of Plumper's crew felt that Richards had given up too quickly.
After capturing Plumper, Commander Collet anchored his ships. This allowed his rowers to rest. When the sun came up, Collet continued his attack on Teazer. Teazer fought for a while but surrendered at 7:30 AM.
What Happened Next
The French took the two damaged British gun-brigs to Granville. Plumper was in very bad shape and almost sank before reaching the port. Commander Collet was only slightly hurt by a small piece of wood from the battle. No other French injuries were reported.
The French Navy repaired Plumper and used it as their own ship until 1827. After 1815, its name was changed to Argus. Teazer also joined the French Navy. It served under the same name until August 15, 1811. On that day, two British ships, HMS Diana and HMS Semiramis, recaptured it.
