Action of 18 October 1806 facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Action of 18 October 1806
Part of the Napoleonic Wars
Capture of the Maria Riggersbergen, Octr. 18th 1806, Thomas Whitcombe
Date 18 October 1806 Location Off Batavia, Pacific Ocean Result British victory
Belligerents
United Kingdom	Holland
Commanders and leaders
Peter Rainier	Claas Jager (POW)
Strength
1 frigate	1 frigate 4 smaller warships
Casualties and losses
9 killed 12 wounded	50 killed and wounded 1 frigate captured

The Action of 18 October 1806 was a small but important naval battle. It took place during the Napoleonic Wars, a time when many European countries were fighting. This battle happened between the British Royal Navy ship HMS Caroline and a group of Dutch warships. The fight occurred near Batavia (which is now Jakarta, Indonesia) on the island of Java.

During the battle, the Dutch frigate Maria Riggersbergen was left alone by its allies. Because it was isolated, it had to give up. The British commander, Captain Peter Rainier, was then free to take his captured ship away. The other Dutch ships refused to fight Caroline and even ran themselves aground to avoid being captured. This battle showed how weak the Dutch navy was in the East Indies.

What Was the Action of 18 October 1806?

This battle was a minor naval fight. It happened when the British frigate HMS Caroline attacked a Dutch group of ships. The Dutch frigate Maria Riggersbergen was captured. This event helped the British gain more control in the Dutch East Indies.

Why Were the British Interested in the Dutch?

By 1806, the French navy had left the Indian Ocean. A British force had also captured the Cape of Good Hope in Africa. This meant that Sir Edward Pellew, the British commander in the eastern Indian Ocean, could focus on a new threat. This threat was the Dutch navy based in the Dutch East Indies, especially at Batavia on Java.

The Dutch ships were mainly used to fight pirates. However, their presence near the Straits of Malacca worried the British. This strait was a very important trade route for British ships. In 1804, a French fleet had used Batavia as a base to attack a British trade convoy. Sir Edward Pellew wanted to get rid of the Dutch ships to protect British trade.

British Naval Power in the East

In the spring of 1806, Pellew sent British frigates to the region. Their job was to disrupt Dutch trade and scout out Dutch ports. In July 1806, HMS Greyhound captured a Dutch frigate and a convoy of ships. This success encouraged more British expeditions.

In October 1806, another frigate, the 36-gun HMS Caroline, arrived. It was commanded by Captain Peter Rainier. Caroline found that the larger Dutch warships had left Batavia. Rainier had already captured several Dutch ships. By mid-October, many of his crew were busy taking these captured ships back to India. This left Caroline with fewer sailors, only 204 men, and many Dutch prisoners on board.

The Battle Begins

On October 18, Captain Rainier was sailing in the Java Sea. He found and captured a small Dutch brig (a type of two-masted ship). From the prisoners, Rainier learned that the Dutch frigate Phoenix was being repaired nearby. Rainier thought Phoenix was in a weak spot and could be easily attacked.

A Clever Plan

Rainier sailed Caroline towards the Dutch ship. But two small Dutch warships spotted him. Rainier attacked them, capturing the 14-gun brig Zeerop without firing a shot. The other ship, Zee-Ploeg, escaped into shallow water. Caroline was too big to follow. This delay allowed Phoenix to reach the safety of Batavia harbor.

The Fight for the Maria Riggersbergen

As Caroline got closer to Batavia, Phoenix entered the well-protected harbor. This made it impossible to chase her further. However, Rainier then saw another frigate anchored outside the harbor. This ship was the 36-gun Maria Riggersbergen, commanded by Captain Claas Jager. It was with a 14-gun corvette (a small warship) and an 18-gun ship.

Even though the Dutch force seemed stronger, Rainier decided to attack. He prepared his ship for battle. He ordered special ropes called "springs" to be attached to his anchor cables. This would allow Caroline to turn easily while anchored, helping it aim its guns.

As Caroline approached, Captain Jager's ships started firing from far away. Rainier told his crew to wait. He held fire until Caroline was very close, only about 40 yards away. Then, he ordered a full broadside (all guns firing at once). The British fire was too strong. Within half an hour, the Dutch flag was struck, meaning they surrendered.

British sailors boarded the Maria Riggersbergen. They found that 50 of the 270 Dutch sailors had been killed or wounded. The ship's masts and ropes were also damaged. The British had three sailors killed and eighteen wounded. Six of the wounded later died. Four Dutch prisoners on Caroline were also killed during the fight.

After capturing Maria Riggersbergen, Rainier looked at the other Dutch ships. But the water was too shallow and full of sandbanks. Caroline did not have good maps to go further. Most of the other Dutch ships, including merchant vessels and warships, ran themselves aground on purpose. They did this to avoid being captured. Rainier decided it was too risky to continue. He put most of the Dutch prisoners, including the wounded, onto the first brig he captured that morning. He sent them back to Batavia. He then ordered Maria Riggersbergen and Zeerop to sail back to Madras.

What Happened Next?

Captain Rainier's victory showed how weak the Dutch navy was at Batavia. Sir Edward Pellew decided to launch a bigger attack on the Dutch capital. In November 1806, he led a strong group of ships to the harbor. Again, the Dutch ran their ships ashore. British boarding parties, led by Admiral Pellew's son, Captain Fleetwood Pellew, then burned the ships.

The next year, Admiral Pellew returned. He found the last Dutch warships at Griessie. The Dutch destroyed these ships themselves to prevent capture. With the Dutch navy gone, the British trade routes were safe. The British then focused on French bases in the Indian Ocean. They waited until 1811 to take over the remaining Dutch colonies in the East Indies.

The Fate of the Captured Ship

The captured ship Maria Riggersbergen was renamed HMS Java by the British. Captain Rainier had said it was a fast ship built in 1800. However, the long journey to Madras showed it was much older and not very stable. Six months later, in February 1807, HMS Java disappeared in a hurricane. It was sailing with another British ship, HMS Blenheim, in the western Indian Ocean.

Rainier stayed in the Pacific for some time. He captured a valuable Spanish ship in January 1807. But his naval career did not advance much after he returned to Europe.