Action of 6 April 1809 facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Action of 6 April 1809
Part of the Napoleonic Wars
Combat de la frégate Niemen contre les frégates Aréthusa et Amethyst, by Jean-Baptiste Henri Durand-Brager
Date 6 April 1809 Location Bay of Biscay, off Northern Spain Result British victory
Belligerents
United Kingdom	French Empire
Commanders and leaders
Michael Seymour	Jean Dupotet
Strength
Frigate HMS Amethyst, with HMS Emerald and Arethusa in support	Frigate Niémen
Casualties and losses
8 killed, 38 wounded	47 killed, 73 wounded, Niémen captured

The Action of 6 April 1809 was a small but important naval battle. It happened between the French frigate Niémen and several British frigates. The main British ship was HMS Amethyst. This battle was part of a larger plan by the British to block French ports during the Napoleonic Wars.

The British wanted to stop France from getting food and military supplies. They also wanted to hurt the French economy. To do this, British warships constantly watched the French coast. They attacked any ships trying to enter or leave French ports.

Even with this danger, France needed to send supplies to its colonies. In late 1808, a French naval group went to Isle de France (now Mauritius). This group needed more supplies and ships from France. The Niémen was one of the first new frigates sent to help them.

The Niémen was a new and very fast ship. It carried 40 guns and many important naval supplies. To leave its home port of Brest, it had to avoid British ships. In April 1809, HMS Amethyst and Emerald were watching the port. They were specifically looking for the Niémen.

When the Niémen sailed out on April 5, it was quickly spotted. The British ships began to chase it. The Amethyst stayed close all night. On the morning of April 6, the battle began. It was a fierce fight, and both ships were badly damaged. They also had many injured sailors.

While the battle was still going on, another British frigate arrived. This was HMS Arethusa. The French captain saw he was outnumbered and had no choice but to surrender. The late arrival of Arethusa caused a big argument. Its captain, Robert Mends, claimed the victory. This led to a long-lasting disagreement between Mends and Captain Michael Seymour of Amethyst.

The Niémen failing to reach Isle de France had big problems for the French ships there. Without enough naval supplies, they could not stay at sea for long. By late 1810, most of their ships were not able to sail.

Why the Battle Happened

Naval Power in the Napoleonic Wars

During the Napoleonic Wars, the British Royal Navy was very strong. By 1809, they controlled the seas almost completely. Few French ships even left port. This was because British warships blocked every major French harbor.

Brest was the biggest port in France. So, the most British warships were gathered there. The main group of ships was called the "Offshore Squadron." These were large ships of the line. They stayed far from the coast to avoid rocky shores.

Closer to the coast was the "Inshore Squadron." This group had mostly frigates and brigs. Their job was to watch the many ways to enter Brest and other ports. These frigates often sailed alone or in small groups. They kept in touch using signals and small boats.

French Needs and British Plans

Even though they were weaker at sea, French Navy frigates still had to leave port. They went on missions to attack British trade ships. They also carried supplies and extra soldiers to French colonies. These colonies were important bases for French ships.

In 1808, France tried to build a strong group of raiding ships. These were based in the Indian Ocean territories of Isle de France and Île Bonaparte. These ships, led by Commodore Jacques Hamelin, needed regular supplies from France. They could not fix damage or get enough ammunition and food from the islands alone.

So, in early 1809, France decided to send the new frigate Niémen from Brest. Captain Jean Dupotet was in charge. His mission was to bring supplies and strengthen the squadron.

In January 1809, Captain John Tremayne Rodd of HMS Indefatigable learned that the Niémen was getting ready to sail. He told the Admiralty (the British Navy's leaders). The Admiralty quickly planned to stop the French ship.

They chose Captain Michael Seymour of HMS Amethyst and Captain Frederick Lewis Maitland of HMS Emerald. These captains knew the Brest area well. Seymour had even lost an arm in an earlier battle. He was well-known for capturing another French frigate recently.

Seymour and Maitland had an agreement. They would share any prize money from captured ships equally. This agreement continued for their new mission. They were very protective of their hunting area. When Seymour saw another British ship, HMS Naiad, in their area, he was very angry and told her to leave.

The Battle Begins

The Chase

On April 3, 1809, the Niémen left Brest. It was full of supplies for Isle de France. It sailed through the rocky passages at night to avoid being seen. Captain Dupotet sailed west quickly, covering almost 100 miles in two days. He hoped to escape the British patrols in the Bay of Biscay and reach the open Atlantic.

At 11:00 AM on April 5, Dupotet saw two sails to the northwest. He guessed they were British ships. So, he turned south, hoping to outrun them. The ships were indeed Amethyst and Emerald. They immediately started chasing the Niémen.

All day, the three ships sailed south. The Amethyst slowly gained on the Niémen. But the Emerald fell far behind. By 7:20 PM, as darkness fell, Maitland's ship was out of sight.

Dupotet tried to lose the Amethyst during the night. He turned west again. But Seymour expected this move and turned his ship west too. At 9:40 PM, he found the Niémen just a few miles ahead.

The Fight

Seymour quickly closed the distance. He started firing his bow-chasers. These were small guns at the front of the frigate. He wanted to damage the Niémen's rigging so he could turn his ship and fire all his side guns. Dupotet fired back with his stern-chasers (guns at the back).

By 1:00 AM on April 6, it was clear the Amethyst would catch the French frigate. The chase had been tiring. The Niémen had traveled over 140 miles. It was only 12 miles from the Spanish coast when it was caught.

At 1:15 AM, the Amethyst opened fire. The Niémen fired back right away. It turned northeast to try and get away. Seymour followed. At 1:45 AM, he was close enough to fight again. The frigates fired at each other from a short distance for over an hour.

At 2:45 AM, the Amethyst managed to cross in front of the Niémen. This allowed the Amethyst to fire a devastating raking fire along the French ship's length. This caused terrible damage. The Niémen then crashed into the Amethyst, but it caused little harm. At 3:00 AM, the Amethyst again fired along the Niémen's side.

The ships were so close that shots from the Amethyst started fires on the Niémen's deck. At 3:15 AM, the Niémens mizenmast and main topmast fell. Another fire broke out. But the Amethyst was also badly damaged. At 3:30 AM, its mainmast fell. This was due to battle damage and strong winds. The Niémens mainmast also fell a few minutes later. Both frigates stopped firing at 3:25 AM to deal with the chaos on their decks.

Arrival of Arethusa

The Niémen was very badly damaged. The Amethyst was almost impossible to control. Seymour tried his best, but he could not get close enough to force the Niémen to surrender. Meanwhile, Dupotet was making quick repairs. He hoped to escape before the Amethyst could recover.

At 3:45 AM, a new ship appeared in the darkness. It was the British frigate HMS Arethusa. The Arethusa was part of the group blocking ports in Northern Spain. Its commander, Captain Robert Mends, was a successful officer. He had been praised just two weeks earlier for a raid on the French-held port of Lekeitio.

Mends immediately pulled his ship next to the Niémen. Dupotet fired one shot at the Amethyst and one at the Arethusa. The shot at Amethyst missed. But the one at Arethusa hit the ship and caused splinters. Mends was hit on the forehead and badly wounded. He was the only person on his ship to be hit. Both the Amethyst and Arethusa then opened fire. The Niémen surrendered right away.

Aftermath

Casualties and Disputes

Besides Captain Mends on Arethusa, many sailors were hurt on both sides. The Amethyst had 8 killed and 37 wounded out of 222 crew members. The French ship lost 47 killed and 73 wounded out of 339 crew members.

Arguments among the British officers started quickly after the French surrender. Mends took control of the Niémen. He sent a note to Seymour saying he had taken the valuable French maps and the French captain's personal items. The note also asked Seymour to send back Arethusa's surgeon. The surgeon had gone to the Amethyst to help the wounded. Mends wanted to be ready to leave quickly.

Seymour was still making repairs and dealing with his wounded. He responded angrily. He forced Mends to give back the items. Seymour was also annoyed that Mends arrived late. This meant Arethusa was entitled to half the prize money from the captured frigate. But Arethusa had not done any of the fighting.

Repairs were finished on April 7. The Amethyst and Niémen slowly sailed back to Plymouth. They arrived on April 13.

Rewards and Lasting Rivalry

When Seymour arrived in Britain, he was celebrated. He was given a special honor called a baronetcy. This was for his second victory in less than six months. All of his officers were promoted.

The Niémen was bought by the British Navy for a large sum of money. This money was split among the government, the crew, and others. The share that went to the captors became a problem. Mends did not want to follow Seymour's agreement with Maitland. He refused to let Emerald share in the prize money.

Seymour and Maitland took Mends to court. The legal battle lasted for years. Mends publicly exaggerated his role in capturing the Niémen. (Though privately, he admitted Seymour had won the battle alone.) Seymour and Mends became bitter enemies. Their bad feelings continued throughout their lives. However, both stayed in the Navy and had successful careers.

Forty years later, this battle was one of the actions recognized by a special medal. It was called the Naval General Service Medal. It was given to all British sailors still alive in 1847 who had fought in the battle.

French Reaction and Impact

In France, the battle was famous for a report supposedly sent by Dupotet. This report was later printed in the newspaper Le Moniteur Universel after being edited. The report, which Mends later used in his argument with Seymour, claimed that the Niémen was mostly undamaged before Arethusa's arrival. It even said that Seymour had surrendered to the French captain before Mends arrived. This story was almost completely made up. But many people in France believed it at the time.

The defeat of the Niémen did not immediately affect the Mauritius campaign. Hamelin's squadron continued to be a threat to British shipping into 1810. However, after the damaging Battle of Grand Port, the French could not repair their ships. This was because they lacked naval supplies. Their ability to fight declined. They could not resist the Invasion of Isle de France in November 1810. This problem was directly linked to the fact that almost all the French frigates sent to resupply the island were either captured or forced back.

See Also

• List of ships captured in the 19th century