Action of 22 October 1793 facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Action of 22 October 1793 |
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| Part of the French Revolutionary Wars | |||||||
 Agamemnon engaging four French frigates and a brig near Sardinia, Nicholas Pocock |
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| Belligerents | |||||||
 Great Britain |
 France |
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| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
 Horatio Nelson |
Jean-Baptiste Perrée |
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| Strength | |||||||
| 1 ship of the line | 4 frigates 1 brig |
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| Casualties and losses | |||||||
| 1 killed 6 wounded |
24 killed 50 wounded |
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The Action of 22 October 1793 was a small naval battle. It happened in the Mediterranean Sea during the early French Revolutionary Wars. In this fight, a single British warship, HMS Agamemnon, attacked a French frigate called Melpomène. This happened near the coast of Sardinia.
Agamemnon chased Melpomène for a long time. The British ship caused a lot of damage. However, the French frigate got away when more French ships arrived. These ships were led by Commodore Jean-Baptiste Perrée. The French ships later went to Corsica to drop off soldiers. These soldiers were meant to help the French army there, as the people of Corsica were rebelling.
This battle was the first one for Captain Horatio Nelson in this war. Nelson was a young captain in the British Navy at the time. He later became one of Britain's greatest naval heroes. He won many important battles during the war.
Contents
Why the Battle Happened
War Breaks Out
The new French Republic declared war on Kingdom of Great Britain on February 1, 1793. This happened after many years of growing tension between the two countries. Britain quickly prepared a large fleet to send to the Mediterranean Sea. Their goal was to stop the French fleet based at Toulon.
British Fleet Arrives
The British Mediterranean fleet arrived in parts during the spring of 1793. It was led by Vice-Admiral Lord Hood. The fleet had 21 large warships called ships of the line and many smaller frigates. One of these ships was the 64-gun HMS Agamemnon, commanded by Captain Horatio Nelson.
When Lord Hood's fleet reached Toulon, they found the French naval base in revolt. The people there were against the new French government. Lord Hood made a deal for the port and the French fleet to surrender. He sent many soldiers and supplies to defend Toulon from French attacks.
Seeking a Safe Harbor
Lord Hood knew his position in Toulon was risky. He looked for a safe harbor nearby. He chose the island of Corsica. France had taken over Corsica in 1768. The people there were still unhappy about it. Before Hood arrived, the French tried to arrest the Corsican leader, Pasquale Paoli. This led to a rebellion. The French soldiers on the island were forced into three fortified towns.
Lord Hood sent a group of ships led by Commodore Robert Linzee. Linzee was to try and get these towns to surrender. If that failed, he was to attack the port of San Fiorenzo. The attack failed, and Linzee went to Cagliari in Sardinia. In early October, Agamemnon was sent to join Linzee. Nelson's ship had fewer sailors than usual, with only 345 men.
French Ships at Sea
Some French ships were not in Toulon when the revolt happened. They stayed active at sea. One group of these ships was led by Commodore Jean-Baptiste Perrée. His group included four frigates: Melpomène, Minerve, Fortunée, and Mignonne. It also had a smaller ship called Flèche. In October, these ships sailed to Tunis. Then they left to take more soldiers to the French army in Corsica.
The Battle
First Contact
In the early morning of October 22, Agamemnon was sailing south along the Sardinian coast. At 2:00 AM, Nelson's crew saw other ships. These ships fired rocket signals and turned away from Agamemnon. Nelson thought they might be friendly ships from Naples or Sardinia.
At 4:00 AM, Nelson tried to call out to the last ship, a large frigate. He got no answer. Nelson then fired a single shot in front of the ship. The ship quickly pulled away, showing it was an enemy. Agamemnon raised all its sails and began to chase. The rest of the French ships were behind the lead frigate and Agamemnon.
The Chase and Fight
The lead French ship was the 40-gun frigate Melpomène. As the sun rose, it raised the French Tricolour flag. It began firing its stern-chaser guns. These are cannons at the back of the ship, used to shoot at ships chasing them. Sometimes, Melpomène would get far enough ahead to turn. It would then fire a full broadside (all guns on one side) at Agamemnon. Nelson could only fire a few of his front guns back.
The other French ships had fallen behind during the night. But by 9:00 AM, the wind died down, and the chasing ships came into view again. Melpomène was badly damaged by the British fire. It sent flag signals to the other French ships. Nelson could not stop the frigate from rejoining its friends.
After the Fight
Agamemnon had serious damage to its ropes and sails. If the French ships had attacked together, Nelson would have had trouble moving his ship. Nelson gathered his officers for a meeting. They discussed whether to keep fighting or to pull back. This kind of meeting was unusual in the British Navy. But it meant Nelson had his crew's support if anyone questioned his decision later.
The officers decided to take a break and let the crew eat. But the French commander, Perrée, also decided not to fight again. By 12:00 PM, Melpomène was repaired enough for the French ships to leave. On Agamemnon, one sailor was killed and six were wounded. On Melpomène, 24 were killed and 50 were wounded.
Nelson later believed the French ships had 170 guns and 1,600 sailors in total. He thought they could have easily defeated his damaged ship if they had attacked. He wrote that if the French frigates had been British, his 64-gun ship would never have escaped.
What Happened Next
Corsica and Toulon
After the battle, Nelson joined Commodore Linzee on October 24. They finished their talks in Tunis, which were not successful. Perrée was able to reach Corsica. He landed more soldiers for the French army there. His frigates then anchored at San Fiorenzo and Calvi.
The stronger French forces in Corsica were able to attack around Bastia. They took back the town of Farinole from the Corsican rebels. The Corsican rebels had controlled the bay at San Fiorenzo. They might have stopped the French landings. But Linzee had recently disarmed a tower there called the Torra di Mortella.
In December 1793, the French army took back Toulon. Lord Hood was forced to leave. A plan to invade Corsica was made for 1794. The British successfully attacked San Fiorenzo in February, Bastia in April, and Calvi in July–August. During these attacks, Nelson led the naval teams on land. He lost an eye to cannon-fire at Calvi. Almost all of Perrée's ships were captured or destroyed during these operations.
Nelson's Later Career
Nelson stayed with the British fleet in the Mediterranean for several years. He fought in Agamemnon at the Battle of Genoa in 1795. He played a key role in defeating the Spanish fleet at the Battle of Cape St Vincent in 1797. In 1798, he led the British fleet that destroyed the French Mediterranean Fleet at the Battle of the Nile.
In 1800, during the siege of Malta, Nelson met Perrée again. This was at the Battle of the Malta Convoy. Perrée was killed in action, and Nelson's forces captured his ship. Nelson himself was killed in battle five years later at the Battle of Trafalgar. In that battle, a combined French and Spanish fleet was destroyed. Nelson is remembered as one of Britain's greatest and most successful naval commanders.
See Also
