Action of 31 May 1809 facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Action of 31 May 1809
Part of the Napoleonic Wars
Location of the action of 31 May 1809
Date 31 May 1809 Location Bay of Bengal, Indian Ocean 9°15′N 90°30′E / 9.250°N 90.500°E / 9.250; 90.500 Result French victory
Belligerents
France	East India Company
Commanders and leaders
Jean Féretier	John Dale
Strength
1 frigate	3 armed merchantmen
Casualties and losses
1 killed 4 wounded	6 killed 4 wounded 2 armed merchantmen captured

The Action of 31 May 1809 was a small naval battle. It happened in the Bay of Bengal during the Napoleonic Wars. A French warship attacked a group of British merchant ships. These ships were carrying very valuable goods. The French ship, a fast frigate called Caroline, won the battle.

The British ships were called East Indiamen. They belonged to the Honourable East India Company. They tried to fight back with their own cannon. But the French frigate was stronger and faster. Its crew was also better trained. Only one of the three British ships managed to escape. This battle was the first of many attacks. French ships often targeted British trade convoys in the Indian Ocean.

Background to the Battle

In late 1808, a group of strong French frigates sailed to Île de France. Their leader was Commodore Jacques Félix Emmanuel Hamelin. Their mission was to attack British ships in the Indian Ocean. They especially wanted to capture or destroy East Indiamen. These large merchant ships carried goods worth millions of pounds. They sailed from British India and the Far East to Britain.

The Honourable East India Company (HEIC) ran British India. It also had its own army and navy. These forces protected the colony and its trade routes. During the Napoleonic Wars, France wanted to hurt Britain's economy. They used fast frigates to attack British merchant ships. This forced the Royal Navy to send warships far away to protect trade.

In the spring of 1809, the hurricane season ended. Commodore Hamelin sent his ships to the Bay of Bengal. One of these ships was the Caroline. It was a 40-gun frigate built in 1806. Its new captain was Jean-Baptiste-Henri Féretier. He had just been promoted.

On May 31, Féretier spotted three ships. They were a British convoy of East Indiamen. They had left the Hooghly River on May 2. These ships were full of silk and other goods. Their cargo was worth over £500,000. This made them very important to the HEIC.

The convoy had started larger. It included five Indiamen and smaller ships. The sloop-of-war HMS Victor was guarding them. But on May 24, a storm hit. Victor and the smaller ships got separated. Two other Indiamen also broke away on May 25. One of them, Monarch, had a bad leak.

The three remaining Indiamen were Streatham, Europe, and Lord Keith. Streatham and Europe were large ships. They each carried 30 cannon. Lord Keith was smaller, with 12 guns. Years before, East Indiamen had fought off French warships. They did this by forming a line and firing together. However, the crews on these ships were not like the Royal Navy. Many sailors were from different countries. They were not well-trained for battle.

The Battle Begins

An American merchant ship, Silenus, had also been in the storm. It met the Caroline near the Nicobar Islands. The American captain told Féretier about the British convoy. He also told him how valuable it was. Féretier quickly sailed his ship towards the convoy.

At 5:30 AM, he saw the British ships. The British ships were led by John Dale on Streatham. At first, they thought the French frigate was their missing guard ship, Victor. It took another 30 minutes for Dale to realize the danger. He then ordered his ships to form a line for battle.

Dale placed Streatham in the middle. The smaller Lord Keith was in front. Europe was behind. But the British crews lacked naval experience. Their ships sailed too far apart. This meant they could not help each other effectively.

The Caroline could attack each British ship alone. At 6:30 AM, Caroline sailed next to Europe. The French ship began firing heavily. Europe fired back sometimes. But within 30 minutes, Europe's sails were torn. Many of its guns were broken. Many crew members were hurt or killed.

Féretier then moved past the damaged Europe. He attacked Streatham. Streatham had slowed down to try and help Europe. Now Streatham was alone against the frigate. At 7:00 AM, Streatham came under heavy fire. By 8:00 AM, it was badly damaged. Many crew members were hurt. Its guns were all broken. Many of its sailors were hiding. John Dale saw that fighting was useless. He lowered his company flag and surrendered.

During the fight between Streatham and Caroline, Lord Keith and Europe had fired. But their shots had little effect. Féretier moved away from the surrendered Streatham. He then fired on Lord Keith. Its captain, Peter Campbell, knew his ship had no chance. He turned his ship eastward. He sailed away as fast as he could. Lord Keith's sails were badly damaged as it escaped.

William Gelston, captain of Europe, also tried to flee. But his damaged ship could not outrun the untouched frigate. He surrendered at 10:00 AM. Lord Keith safely reached Penang on June 9. The British ships had six killed and at least four wounded. The French lost one killed and three wounded.

Aftermath of the Battle

Féretier repaired the captured ships at sea. He returned to Île de France two months later, on July 22. He found a British frigate group near Port Louis. So Féretier went to Saint Paul on Île Bonaparte instead.

The valuable silk, worth £500,000, was taken from the ships. It was stored in warehouses near the docks. Later, on September 21, 1809, the British attacked Saint Paul. They burned the warehouses and their contents. They also captured Caroline, Streatham, and Europe.

Even with these later losses, Féretier was praised for his leadership. Governor Charles Decaen promoted him. The captains of Streatham and Europe also sent him letters. They thanked him for being kind to their crews and passengers while they were prisoners.