Action of 9 July 1806 facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Action of 9 July 1806
Part of the Napoleonic Wars
Location of the capture of Bellone
Date 9 July 1806 Location Little Basses Reef, off the Southern coast of Ceylon Result British victory
Belligerents
United Kingdom	France
Commanders and leaders
Captain Robert Plampin	Captain Jacques Perroud
Strength
Ship of the line HMS Powerful and brig HMS Rattlesnake	Privateer frigate Bellone
Casualties and losses
2 killed, 11 wounded	1 killed, 6–7 wounded, Bellone captured

The Action of 9 July 1806 was a small but interesting naval battle. It happened between a French privateer ship and British forces. This fight took place off the coast of Ceylon (which is now Sri Lanka) during the Napoleonic Wars.

French privateers were like armed ships owned by private people, not the navy. They had special permission (called letters of marque) from their government to attack enemy ships. These privateers, sailing from French islands like Mauritius, were a big problem for British trade ships in the Indian Ocean.

To stop them, the British tried different tactics. One clever idea was to make their warships look like regular merchant ships. This way, they hoped to trick privateers into attacking them. On July 9, 1806, this plan worked. A British brig, HMS Rattlesnake, spotted a French privateer frigate named Bellone. Rattlesnake started chasing the larger French ship. Soon, a third ship appeared: the powerful British warship HMS Powerful. It was disguised as a merchant ship.

Even though Bellone was usually faster, the light winds and Rattlesnake's chase kept her from getting away. Powerful got close enough to start firing. The battle lasted for almost two hours. Even though Bellone was much smaller, she fought bravely. In the end, the British captured Bellone. This battle later made people wonder about how well British cannons were being used.

What Led to the Battle?

During the French Revolutionary Wars and the Napoleonic Wars, Britain was very strong in the Indian Ocean. But French privateers kept challenging this power. These privateers sailed from French colonies like Réunion and Mauritius. They were a big threat to British trade.

Privateers were not part of the official navy. They were private ships given permission to attack enemy vessels. Some privateers were small, but others were very large. One of these big privateers was the Bellone. She had 34 cannons and a crew of almost 200 men. Her captain was Jacques François Perroud, a famous privateer. He had caused a lot of trouble for British trade. For example, in 1803, he captured a valuable British merchant ship called Lord Nelson.

Bellone capturing the merchant ship Lord Nelson in 1803.

The main targets for these privateers were East Indiamen. These were huge merchant ships run by the Honourable East India Company. They often weighed over 1,000 tons and carried many cannons. But their crews were not trained soldiers. These ships carried goods worth thousands of pounds. For example, the annual convoy from China was worth over $8 million in 1804!

To fight the privateers, the British Navy tried different plans. They tried to block the French islands, but this was hard because of the long distances. They also used armed convoys to protect valuable ships. Another idea was to disguise Royal Navy warships as East Indiamen. This way, they hoped to trick French privateers into attacking them.

In December 1805, two French groups of ships left Brest. They were ordered to attack British trade in the Atlantic Ocean. The British sent their own ships to chase them. One of these British ships was HMS Powerful. It was a large 74-gun ship of the line. Captain Robert Plampin commanded it. Powerful was sent to join the British forces in the Indian Ocean.

The Battle Unfolds

On July 9, 1806, the small British brig HMS Rattlesnake was sailing off the southern coast of Ceylon. Commander John Bastard was looking for French privateers. The Bellone was known to be in the area.

In the early afternoon, lookouts on Rattlesnake saw sails near the Little Basses Reef. As Rattlesnake got closer, the other ship turned and sailed away. Bastard immediately chased it. Soon, he realized it was the Bellone. Even though Bellone was much bigger, Captain Perroud didn't want to fight Rattlesnake. He tried to escape.

But at 3:15 PM, a large ship appeared directly ahead. This new ship was Captain Plampin's Powerful. Powerful had arrived in the Indian Ocean a month earlier. Captain Plampin had learned about Perroud's actions. He had arranged to meet Rattlesnake near the Little Basses Reef. He had also disguised Powerful to look like an East Indiaman.

Captain Perroud quickly saw through the disguise. He also noticed that Powerful was further out at sea and seemed stuck without wind. He decided to try sailing between Powerful and the shore. He turned east. But the wind slowly picked up for Powerful. By 5:00 PM, the large ship was close enough to fire its front cannons (called bow chasers) at Bellone.

Even though he faced a much stronger enemy, Perroud did not give up. He kept firing his own rear cannons (called stern chasers) at Powerful. He also occasionally turned to fire all his cannons from one side (a broadside). The changing winds kept Rattlesnake from joining the fight. They also slowed Powerful's approach. Bellone managed to injure some of Powerfuls crew. But she couldn't damage Powerfuls sails or ropes (called rigging), which would have helped her escape.

The battle continued for an hour and 45 minutes. Neither ship could land a decisive blow. Finally, at 6:45 PM, it was clear that Powerful would soon be close enough to fire her full broadside. Captain Perroud surrendered rather than see his ship destroyed.

After the Battle

Even though Bellone was defeated by much stronger warships, her resistance was impressive. Powerful had two men killed and 11 wounded. Bellone had one dead and six or seven wounded. Bellone was not badly damaged. She only surrendered when Powerful was ready to fire all her main cannons.

After the battle, Bellone was taken to port. The British then added her to their own navy as HMS Blanche. She was made into a smaller 28-gun frigate. The British sailors received "head-money," which was a reward for capturing or killing enemy crew members.

Historians have looked at this battle in two ways. They praise Captain Perroud's bravery for fighting such a strong British force. But they also point out that Captain Plampin's gunnery (how well his cannons were fired) was not very accurate. A historian named William James called Perroud's actions "extraordinary." He also noted that this was the second time in 1806 that British gunnery seemed weak. Another historian, William Laird Clowes, agreed. He said the battle showed "the lamentable decline in British gunnery."