Battle of the island of Aix

This naval Battle, between English and French, takes place the 11 and April 12th 1809.

The situation.

Geographical.

The combat will be held between the mouth of the Charente and the island of Oléron, between which one finds the island of Aix.

The military port of Rochefort is located a little upstream, on Charente.

Soldier.

In 1809, Napoleon instituted the continental Blockade. But the British fleet blocks each port of the Empire.

The colonies of the Antilles are threatened. It is envisaged to send a squadron to it to carry provisioning and reinforcements. For this purpose, the ships leave Brest, under the command of the admiral Wuillaumez, to gain Rochefort, place of the departure. They must recover, with the passage, of the ships in Lorient, but those are not ready. The squadron does not wait and carries on its road. It reaches Rochefort without encumbers.

The French ships, anchored to the mouth of Charente, are monitored by the squadron of Lord Gambier, who wets a little in north, in the roads of the Basques.

They are anchored to the east of the island of Aix.

Adversaries.

Admirals.

Lord James Gambier was born the October 13rd 1756. He very early embraces the career of sailor (1767) and knows the war of American independence. He also takes part in the combat of Meadow, ordering one 74 guns, the Defense . In 1795, he becomes rear-admiral. In 1799, vice-admiral. In 1807, it orders the fleet charged to bombard Copenhagen with, under its orders, one named Nelson… Since 1808, it orders the fleet of blockade. After the business of the island of Aix, it will pass, with its request, before a martial court which will discharge it. In 1830, he will become Admiral. He dies the April 19th 1833.

It is also necessary to speak about Lord Thomas Cochrane . 10th count de Dundonald, it was born the December 14th 1775. In 1793, it engages on HMS Hind . In 1795, he is lieutenant. In 1800, it orders sloop HMS Speedy . With its 14 guns and 54 sailors, it delivers combat and seizes Spanish Gamo , 32 guns and 319 men of crew. Commander (" Post-captain") in 1801, it will order HMS Pallas and Pressing HMS. It is with the latter that it will take part in the combat of the island of Aix. After this combat, he will seek to be opposed to Lord Gambier. Without too many success, not obtaining more command with the sea. It will continue a political career and will also be useful in the Chilean, Brazilian and Greek navy. In 1832, it turns over to the British Navy and receives the rank of rear-admiral. He dies the October 31st 1860 and is buried with the abbey of Westminster.

The characters of C.S. Forrester, Captain Hornblower, and of P.O' Brian, Captain Jack Aubrey, were, of the consent even authors, inspired partly by Lord Cochrane.

German Zacharie was born with Port Louis on May 1st 1762. Orphan at 11 years, he becomes foam and will take part in the combat of Suffren. He will return one-eyed from there. In 1792, he is lieutenant. Its bad character makes him lose its command in 1797. It finds one of them two years later, before reperdre for the same reason. In 1805, it orders a squadron which seizes an English convoy and Calcutta , 54 guns.

He becomes rear-admiral in 1806. In 1808, it is ordering squadron of the Mediterranean. The departure of Willaumez, makes him take the command of the squadron assembled in Rochefort.

It receives the title of count in 1810, and large Officer of the Legion of Honor in 1813.

He dies the March 2nd 1826, in Toulon. He had written itself his epitaph: " 29 campaigns in sub-orders, 37 years of services including 26 pennies veils, ordered 13 cruisings, 3 divisions on mission, 5 squadrons, an army, taken part in 17 combat and receipt 3 wounds graves".

Character often described like a courtier towards his superiors and a tyrant for his subordinates, his role in the business of the island of Aix will be appreciated hard by his pars. Thus, when it receives the command of the squadron of Toulon, in July 1809, it will not find anybody to agree to be his captain of house. This one will have to be named by the minister, Decrès.

Fleets.

The British align 34 ships including 11 ship of the lines. The vessel-admiral is the Caledonia, 120. The others are vessels of 3rd rank, 74 guns, 80 guns for three of them.

They align 7 frigates, from 44 to 32 guns. The Mediator , 32, is armed in flute and will play a big role in the combat. The frigate Imperieuse is that of Lord Cochrane.

They have 40 other ships of transport among which those which will be transformed into Brûlot S. They have also 3 " ship-machines infernales" (sic) prepared by the colonel Congrève.

A chartered goélette, Whiting , and two cutters, Nimrod & King Georges , are equipped with slopes for the rockets " with the Congrève ".

The French have 11 ship of the lines and 4 frigates. The vessel-admiral is the Océan , 118. Three of 80 guns, of which the City-of-Warsaw considered, even by English, like a splendid ship. Six linerships of 74 guns, to which one can add the Calcutta, taken English, ex-Indiaman, of 54 guns. It is armed in flute and carries many equipment for the Antilles, like mortars, barrels of powder, flour, etc

The 4 frigates are of the 44 guns, Elba , Hortense , Indienne and Pallas .

The film of the events.

Premises.

The idea to set fire to the French squadron seems to be an idea of the British Admiralty. This idea is not approved by Gambier. Also Lord Mulgrave will propose with a head burned to undertake the operation. It is as that which Thomas Cochrane will be mingled with this business. In spite them precautions taken to spare susceptibilities, its arrival will not be too well perceived on the spot. It is well-known not to feel too much dependant by the received orders. It will still show it on April 12th.

One transforms into Brûlot S all the possible ships, of transport to the small captured fish-wagons. On the coasts of Downs, the press announces even the preparation of 12 additional Brûlot S. To make good measure, one will sacrifice even a frigate, the Mediator , which will be transformed into floating bomb and whose mass should make it possible to reverse any obstacle placed by French.

The French ships are anchored to the south-east of the island of Aix, on three lines. The first with the four frigates ( Indian , Hortense , Pallas . The fourth, Elba , is shifted and is almost on the level of the third line says the English report/ratio). The second line with six vessels (in the order, Striking down , Town of Warsaw , the Ocean , Régulus , Cassard , Calcutta ), the third with the last five vessels ( Patriotic Thunder , , Jemmapes , North wind , Tourville ). They are moored on two anchors which preserve them nose at the North-West, and sufficiently close to the island of Aix to be sure that English will not be able to slip between the ships and the ground, as with Aboukir.

It is obvious for French whom their enemies prepare an attack. They can even observe the preparation of Brûlot S. It is not a secrecy, the British press announces even the operation.

To make good measure, English checked the currents by releasing ignited tar barrels. Those arrived right on the squadron to the anchor. Let us notice that does not seem to have moved the French admiral.

The German admiral, to make safe his damping, makes establish a pier of almost 900 measuring apparatuses length. He envisaged to establish two of them, but the required equipment was not delivered. The pier made up mainly of espars provided by the ships themselves, is thus maintained in place by anchors removed with the same vessels. The arsenal of Rochefort almost did not provide anything.

German also chooses to equip with the launches of a gun of 36 or a caronade. He decides to prepare 73 of them, the major part is provided by the squadron. They will have to patrol to avoid any bad surprise.

Lastly, it with the idea to make dismount part of the mast, déverguer veils to offer less possible food to a caused fire, for example, by a Scathing attack.

If these various measurements do not seem abnormal, a priori, they will be strongly criticized. The pier? Insufficient and too not very solid because of its impromptu construction. And it is too close to the damping of the squadron. Armed launches? The gun carried is too heavy for them. They can only with difficulty move and if the sea is a little strong, they embark to run-bâs. And the vessels will be deprived, thus losing effective means of deviating of the scathing attacks. To reduce the mast? It is to be sure that the ships will not be able that with difficulty to operate if they were to leave their damping.

April 11th.

The weather is been overcast, large sea. The wind is of the North-West, high expenses. The tide, in evening, rising.

During the day, English frigates came to wet just in extreme cases of range of the guns of Aix and Oléron. They are joined by other buildings. German thinks of the Brûlot S and orders to send the armed launches. But those will not be able to fight against the wind and the tide.

At the night fallen from the 11, the British attack, with the assistance of about thirty Brûlot S.

As always with these machines, it occurs a little anything. Thus a early Brûlot will put fire at the one of the three " ship-machines infernales" of Congrève, others are failed or flamed prematurely. But of the Catamaran S explode against the pier. It resists however until the arrival of the Mediator . It is led by Lord Cochrane in person, with an officer and four sailors. They escape from accuracy and the Brûlot explodes destroying the pier which then will be able to cross a flight of others Brûlot S.

A light disorder opposes the action of French. They let one after the other spin or cut their cables of anchor to avoid the Brûlot S or one of the other ships. The wind, the tide and the lack of aerofoil will be combined to obstruct their operation. The majority of the ships will be failed. The German admiral restricted himself to give the order: " freedom of maneuver".

April 12th.

At the small day, there remain only two vessels anchored under the island of Aix, the Striking down and the Cassard . The others are scattered, failed on about all the rocks or mud banks of the corner. Each crew frantically tries to get clear, with more or less of success. They will pass over edge part of their artillery to try to become lighter. Thus there will be at the bottom of bay 385 guns or caronades

If Cochrane burns to start again the attack and to complete the destruction of the enemy squadron, Gambier prefers to temporize, estimating that it is not any more one threat. At the end of crossbred, light buildings and some frigates will come to bombard the ships without defense. Their position makes that it will be able to generally answer the shootings only by their stern chasers. I.e. two parts in general, although the Océan can align eight of them.

That is all the more easy for them as no French building comes to help the attacked ships.

the North wind , the Town of Warsaw , the Calcutta , the Tonnerre will be thus set fire to, by their crew or English. The April 15th, the frigate the Indian will end up breaking on the rock from where it could not get clear.

Let us note that it will be also reproached the German admiral for having retained around its own ship nearly 30 launches which were to be used for evacuating it (and in particular its personal businesses; the commander of the Regulus , CV Lucas, in the annotations which it made on the report/ratio of German recalls treacherously that " you mislaid your diamants" there; …), having even given the order to draw on the launches which would move away.

Consequences.

This battle shows an indisputable English victory, destroying a frigate and four vessel X of the French Escadre, without other losses which the scathing attacks which they used and ruining the hopes of reinforcements for the colonies threatened in the Antilles.

Among French: a lawsuit.

Fault of being able, or to want, blame the admiral and, therefore, the minister who named it, Decrès, four of the French commanders will be returned in front of military justice.

(a partial lawsuit?)

The September 9th 1809, ordering it Jean-Baptiste Lafon, which ordered the Calcutta , will be condemned by the Conseil of war wanted by the Empereur Napoleon, and passed by the weapons on board ship-admiral, the Océan .

Among British: a martial court

Following the controversy between Gambier and Cochrane.

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