Battle of Maguelone facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Battle of Maguelone |
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Part of the Peninsular War | |||||||
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Belligerents | |||||||
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Commanders and leaders | |||||||
Cuthbert Collingwood | François-André Baudin | ||||||
Strength | |||||||
15 ships 5 frigates |
3 ships 2 frigates A number of lightly-armed transports |
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Casualties and losses | |||||||
France:
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The Battle of Maguelone was a small naval fight in October 1809. It happened during the Peninsular War. This battle was between French ships protecting a convoy and a British Royal Navy squadron.
The French ships tried to escape by sailing close to the shore near Maguelone. But two of their biggest ships got stuck in the shallow water. Their crews had to leave the ships and set them on fire. This was done after taking out important equipment. The other French ships managed to get away to Toulon. Later, British boats attacked the French convoy in Baie des Roses. They destroyed most of the convoy and captured three ships.
Contents
Why the Battle Happened
On October 21, 1809, French Rear-Admiral François-André Baudin left Toulon. He was leading a group of ships (a convoy) heading to Barcelona. On October 23, near Cape Saint Sebastian, they saw five British ships.
The wind was light, so Baudin told his convoy to hide in Baie des Roses. His warships then sailed out to sea. By noon, 14 British ships were in sight. The weather got worse that night, making it hard to sail.
On the morning of October 24, the French squadron was close to the coast. Baudin ordered his ships to drop anchor. He planned to sail to Sète soon for safety.
Meanwhile, British Admiral Collingwood knew about the French plan. He had left Cape Sicié with 15 warships and five frigates. His goal was to surprise the French convoy near Cape Saint Sebastian. Two British frigates were also watching Toulon.
The Battle Begins
On October 25, 1809, the French ships left Baie des Roses. They sailed west, staying close to the shore. The wind was light. The British ships chased them. The wind was stronger further out at sea, helping the British catch up.
Baudin ordered the French frigate Pauline to sail to Sète. She was to warn the town and get their coastal defenses ready. At 11:30 AM, the French ships started to hit the bottom. Baudin told his captains they could now act on their own.
The French ship Borée managed to reach deeper water. But Robuste and Lion ran aground.
Ships Get Stuck
Robuste and Lion were stuck on rocks and hard sand. Lion was east of Robuste. Both ships were too far for the British to shoot at them. Meanwhile, Pauline and Borée came closer to the British. They exchanged some shots with HMS Tigre and Leviathan.
Captain Senez of Borée wanted to anchor near Sète. A local pilot, Ensign Vallat, offered to guide Borée into the harbor. They succeeded, and Borée was safe from the British. Pauline did the same and also entered the port.
Abandoning the Ships
The sea became rougher. The British stayed away from Baudin's ships. But Robuste and Lion were getting more damaged and taking on water. It became clear that the ships could not be saved. They had to be left behind and destroyed.
General Frégeville, who led the local national guard, helped. He found boats and brought guards from Montpellier to help rescue the crews. Early on October 26, Frégeville met Baudin on Robuste. They decided to set up cannons on the shore. They also lit fires to stop British boats from attacking.
They started moving the crews off the ships. They also took off all useful equipment. In the afternoon, British ships came closer and sent out boats. The French fired at them with small cannons. They also sent their own boats to fight the British. At 6:30 PM, Baudin signaled that he was going to set his ships on fire. Robuste and Lion exploded during the night.
Attack on the Convoy
On November 1, British boats attacked the convoy in Baie des Roses. These boats came from ships like HMS Tigre and Cumberland. The convoy was protected by the 18-gun ship Lamproie and other smaller ships.
Some British boats suffered many injuries in the fight. Still, they captured three merchant ships. They also set ten ships on fire, including Lamproie. The French ship Victoire fought hard, stopping three attempts to board it before it was destroyed.
What Happened Next
The French frigate Amélie had a broken front mast. She escaped to Marseille and returned to Toulon on November 3. Borée and Pauline arrived at Toulon on November 19.
In January 1813, the British sailors who took part in the battle received prize money. This was for capturing the ships Grondeur and Normande, and the transports Dragon and Indien. In 1847, a special medal was given to surviving sailors from this action.
Ships in the Battle
Here are some of the ships that took part in the Battle of Maguelone.
French Squadron (Rear Admiral François-André Baudin) | ||||||||||
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Ship | Type | Guns | Navy | Commander | Casualties | Notes | ||||
Killed | Wounded | Total | ||||||||
Robuste | Large warship | 80 | ![]() |
Captain François Legras | Ran aground and was destroyed | |||||
Lion | Warship | 74 | ![]() |
Captain Eustache-Marie-Joseph Bonamy | Ran aground and was destroyed | |||||
Borée | Warship | 74 | ![]() |
Captain Louis-André Senez | Escaped to Sète | |||||
Calypso | Frigate | 40 | ![]() |
Captain François-Gilles Montfort | Escaped to Sète | |||||
Amélie | Frigate | 40 | ![]() |
Captain Marie-Jean-François Meynard-Lafargue | Escaped to Sète | |||||
Casualties: |
British Squadron (Vice-Admiral Cuthbert Collingwood) | ||||||||||
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Ship | Type | Guns | Navy | Commander | Casualties | Notes | ||||
Killed | Wounded | Total | ||||||||
HMS Canopus | Large warship | 80 | ![]() |
Rear-Admiral George Martin Captain Charles Inglis |
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HMS Renown | Warship | 74 | ![]() |
Captain Philip Charles Durham | ||||||
HMS Tigre | Warship | 74 | ![]() |
Captain Benjamin Hallowell | ||||||
HMS Sultan | Warship | 74 | ![]() |
Captain Edward Griffith Colpoys | ||||||
HMS Leviathan | Warship | 74 | ![]() |
Captain John Harvey | ||||||
HMS Cumberland | Warship | 74 | ![]() |
Captain Philip Wodehouse | ||||||
Casualties: | ||||||||||
Sources: Troude, p. 56 |