Action of 19 February 1801 facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Action of 19 February 1801
Part of the French Revolutionary Wars
Location of the start of the action of19 February 1801
Date 19 February 1801 Location Off Ceuta, Spanish North Africa Result British victory
Belligerents
United Kingdom	French Republic
Commanders and leaders
Captain Robert Barlow	Commodore Saulnier   †
Strength
Frigate HMS Phoebe	Frigate Africaine
Casualties and losses
1 killed, 12 wounded	200 killed, 143 wounded, Africaine captured

The Action of 19 February 1801 was a small but important naval battle. It happened near Ceuta, a town in North Africa, in February 1801. This fight was between two warships called frigates. One was from the French Navy and the other from the Royal Navy (British Navy).

This battle was part of the French Revolutionary Wars. These wars involved France and many other European countries. The fight was also part of a bigger plan. The British wanted to stop France from sending supplies to its army in Egypt. This French army had been stuck in Egypt since 1798. That's when the British destroyed most of the French fleet at the Battle of the Nile. Napoleon Bonaparte, a famous French general, had left his army in Egypt. He promised to send them help. So, France sent several ships with supplies and soldiers.

One of these ships was the French frigate Africaine. It had left France in early 1801. It was carrying over 400 soldiers for the army in Egypt. By February, it had reached the Mediterranean Sea. The French commander, Commodore Saulnier, tried to sail along the North African coast. He hoped to avoid British warships. But on the afternoon of February 19, the British ship HMS Phoebe spotted the Africaine. The French ship was very heavy with all its cargo. The Phoebe quickly caught up to it.

The battle lasted about two hours. The Phoebes cannons fired many shots. These shots badly damaged the Africaines hull and sails. They also hit the soldiers packed on its decks. By the time the Africaine gave up, 200 French sailors and soldiers were dead. Another 143 were wounded. The British captured the ship. They took it to their base in Port Mahon on the island of Menorca. The Africaine later joined the British Royal Navy.

Why This Battle Happened

In 1798, a large French army led by General Napoleon Bonaparte invaded Egypt. At that time, Egypt was part of the Ottoman Empire. This invasion was part of the ongoing French Revolutionary Wars. The French fleet that brought the army to Egypt anchored near Alexandria. On August 1, a British fleet led by Vice-Admiral Sir Horatio Nelson found them.

The Battle of the Nile

The battle that followed was called the Battle of the Nile. In this battle, the British almost completely destroyed the French fleet. This meant the French army in Egypt could not get regular supplies or messages from France. It also made it impossible for the French army to leave Egypt. After a difficult campaign in Syria, Napoleon went back to France without his army. He later took control of the French government.

French Army in Trouble

By 1801, the French soldiers in Egypt were in a very bad situation. They had very few supplies. Help from France was almost non-existent. Many soldiers were also sick. On top of that, Ottoman and local Egyptian forces kept attacking them. Their general, Jean Baptiste Kléber, was even killed. Napoleon remembered his promise to send help to his army. He planned several trips to the region. These trips would bring more soldiers and boost morale.

The biggest group of ships was led by Rear-Admiral Honoré Ganteaume. It had 5,000 soldiers and nine ships. This group sailed from Brest in January 1801. But before them, two frigates had already left Rochefort. These were the Africaine and the Régénérée.

Ships and Their Mission

Each of these frigates carried about 400 soldiers. They also had many muskets, cannons, and ammunition. All this was meant to help the French army in Egypt. The ships sailed south without any problems at first. They separated before entering the Mediterranean Sea. Each took a different path to Egypt.

Commodore Saulnier commanded the Africaine. He had fought in earlier battles, including the Battle of the Nile. He decided to sail along the North African coast. He wanted to avoid British ships in the open sea. By February 19, his ship was passing Ceuta. This town is about 6 miles (10 km) east of Gibraltar.

The Africaine and Phoebe

The Africaine was a large, modern frigate with 40 guns. It had 715 men on board. But with so many supplies, the ship was slow and hard to steer. This made it an easy target for a faster ship. Also sailing near Ceuta that afternoon was the British frigate HMS Phoebe. It had 36 guns and was commanded by Captain Robert Barlow. The Phoebe had 239 men on board. It was on a regular patrol from its base in Port Mahon on Menorca. At 4:00 PM, a lookout on the Phoebe spotted the Africaine.

The Battle Begins

Captain Barlow immediately turned his ship to investigate. He steered directly towards the slow-moving French ship. Commodore Saulnier did not try to escape. The Africaine kept sailing on its original path. By 7:30 PM, it was clear the Phoebe would catch the Africaine. Saulnier then slowed his ship to prepare for the fight.

Barlow was still not sure who the other ship was. He fired a warning shot over the Africaine. Saulnier responded by turning his ship and firing a full broadside (all the cannons on one side) at the Phoebe. But his aim was poor. Most of the shots missed and landed in the sea.

At this point, Barlow moved the Phoebe next to the Africaine. He then fired a much more powerful broadside from a short distance. The two frigates then began to exchange fire very closely.

A Fierce Fight

The Phoebe's cannon fire hit the French ship very hard. For two hours, the Africaine slowly moved north. The Phoebe kept firing at it. The French ship could not fire back effectively. Even as they were hit by cannon fire, French soldiers kept coming from below deck to join the fight. Their muskets were useless at that distance. The many bodies on deck also made it hard for the French sailors to use their cannons.

Commodore Saulnier was killed. General Edme Étienne Borne Desfourneaux was badly wounded. Many other officers, including all the naval lieutenants, were also hurt. Almost all of the Africaine's sails and ropes were torn away. Most of its cannons were smashed. The decks were covered with dead bodies. Even the lowest deck, usually the safest place, was hit. Three surgeons were killed while trying to help the wounded.

Finally, the highest-ranking officer still alive, Captain Jean-Jacques Magendie, decided to surrender. He had a severe head wound. He ordered the ship's flag to be lowered at 9:30 PM. This happened about 60 miles (97 km) east of Gibraltar. The Phoebe, on the other hand, was only lightly damaged. Its main damage was to its masts. Only one British sailor was killed, and 12 were wounded.

After the Battle

Captain Barlow took control of the damaged French ship. His men quickly made repairs before the weather got worse. Their first job was to deal with the dead and wounded on the French ship. Captain Magendie reported that 200 men had been killed. Another 143 were seriously wounded or dying. Barlow thought these numbers were probably even higher.

Once repairs were done, Barlow headed towards Gibraltar. But a westerly wind made progress slow. After four days, he gave up and turned back to Menorca. He was worried about the wounded men and the many French prisoners on both ships. However, the wind died down near the coast of Majorca. The Phoebe and Africaine did not reach Port Mahon until March 5.

Captain Manley Dixon, the station commander, highly praised Barlow's actions. He wrote to the British Admiralty on March 10, 1801. He said that "more Skill or effective Gunnery were never displayed in any Combat than in the present Instance."

Rewards and New Roles

Barlow was later made a knight for his success. He moved from the Phoebe to a faster frigate, HMS Concorde. Later that year, he moved to a larger warship, HMS Triumph. His first lieutenant, John Wentworth Holland, was promoted. All the other officers and sailors were also praised.

The Royal Navy bought the Africaine. It was briefly renamed Amelia before going back to Africaine. The ship served the British for a long time during the Napoleonic Wars. It took part in many battles, including the Action of 13 September 1810. This was part of the Mauritius campaign of 1809–1811.

Almost 50 years later, this battle was honored. A special medal clasp, "PHOEBE 19 FEBY. 1801", was given out. It was attached to the Naval General Service Medal. This medal was given to any British sailors from the Phoebe who were still alive in 1847.

The Other French Frigate

The other French frigate, Régénérée, reached Egypt without any problems. It arrived on March 1. This was just one day before the British army began a close blockade of the coast. The Régénérée was the only major French warship to reach the French army in Egypt. Ganteaume's larger group of ships was repeatedly turned back. Without more supplies and soldiers, the French army in Egypt could not fight off the big British invasion in March 1801. After a short campaign, they were forced to surrender at Alexandria in August.

Lessons from the Battle

Historians have praised Captain Barlow's actions. He did not let the French ship get close enough to board his vessel. This turned the French advantage in numbers into a disadvantage. Historian William James praised this tactic. Another historian, Tom Wareham, noted that the British usually aimed for the enemy's hull. The French often aimed for the rigging (sails and ropes). This gave Barlow an advantage against the crowded decks of the Africaine.

Commodore Saulnier has also been praised. He tried to avoid fighting because his ship was so overloaded. His crew and the soldiers fought very bravely for two hours. They faced terrible odds and suffered "truly dreadful" casualties. However, Saulnier was also criticized in France. It was found that he had removed parts from his cannons. This was to force his men to fire at the British rigging instead of the hull. Napoleon later ordered that his ships should aim "not to dismast the enemy, but to do him as much harm as possible."