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Action of 5 November 1813

The action of 5 November 1813 was a brief naval clash during the Napoleonic Wars, between part of the British Mediterranean Fleet led by Vice-Admiral Sir Edward Pellew, and a French force under Rear-Admiral Julien Cosmao-Kerjulien. The engagement took place outside the French port of Toulon.

Action of 5 November 1813
Part of the Napoleonic Wars

The Blockade of Toulon, 1810-14: Pellew's Action, 5 November 1813, Thomas Luny
Date5 November 1813
Location
Off Toulon, Mediterranean Sea
43°02′48″N 5°59′03″E / 43.0466°N 5.9841°E / 43.0466; 5.9841
Result Inconclusive
Belligerents
 United Kingdom  France
Commanders and leaders
Edward Pellew Julien Cosmao
Strength
13 ships of the line 5 ships of the line
4 frigates
Casualties and losses
15 killed and wounded 17 wounded

The clash occurred when a French fleet under Vice-Admiral Maxime Julien Émeriau de Beauverger took advantage of a favourable wind and the temporary absence of the British blockading force, to leave port to carry out exercises. Émeriau abandoned the exercises when the wind changed, but while returning to port his rear came under attack from the recently returned British inshore squadron. The British attack was reinforced by newly arrived ships from the main fleet, but the French were able to escape into Toulon after exchanging cannon fire with the British. Casualties on both sides were light.

Background

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The French Mediterranean Fleet had been blockaded in their principal base at Toulon for several years. Their commander from early 1811, Vice-Admiral Maxime Julien Émeriau de Beauverger made occasional sorties from the port in order to exercise his fleet, but preferred to avoid any chance of action with the patrolling British fleet under Vice-Admiral Sir Edward Pellew.[1] Émeriau instead preferred to make brief sorties when the wind was in his favour and the British were absent, undertake exercises, and then return to Toulon when Pellew's fleet appeared. Pellew in turn hoped to tempt the French out and then cut them off from their homeport, forcing a decisive battle upon them. To this end he kept the main part of his fleet, including his largest ships, some distance from Toulon, and relied on a small inshore squadron composed of 74-gun ships to maintain the blockade. Strong gales in late October 1813 had forced both the inshore squadron and the main battlefleet off their stations, and Émeriau decided to make a sortie to exercise his fleet off Cape Sicié.[1][2]

The French fleet, consisting of between twelve and fourteen ships of the line, six frigates and a schooner duly put to sea at 9:30 am on the morning of 5 November.[1][3][a] Émeriau, flying his flag aboard the Impérial, was assisted in his manoeuvres by a strong east-north-east wind and made for the usual exercise area.[3] The British inshore squadron, commanded by Captain Henry Heathcote, had only arrived back on their station the night before, and the main British fleet under Sir Edward Pellew was some distance to the south.[2] Heathcote, commanding four 74-gun ships, was observing the French movements, when at 11:30 am, the wind suddenly changed direction, shifting to the north-west.[3][4] Concerned about the sudden arrival of the British and unfavourable winds, Émeriau abandoned the exercises and ordered the fleet to make for Toulon. The advanced squadron of the French fleet, commanded by Rear-Admiral Julien Cosmao-Kerjulien and consisting of five ships of the line and four heavy frigates, now found itself to leeward, beating back to port.[3] Heathcote immediately saw a chance to cut off the French rear, and ordered his squadron to attack.[3][4]

Engagement

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Fight of the Wagram, by Auguste Mayer

Heathcote, commanding HMS Scipion, took his ship in and at 12:34 pm passed the French rear, firing on them with her port guns, as the French stood in for Toulon on the starboard tack. The rest of the squadron, joined by the 74-gun HMS Pompee from Pellew's fleet, followed in succession.[3] The British ships then turned about and tacked across in the opposite direction, cannonading the fleeing French with their starboard batteries. At 1:00 pm the advance ships of Pellew's fleet, HMS Caledonia, HMS San Josef and HMS Boyne arrived and opened fire on the rear-most French ship, the Wagram.[4][5] The British ships tacked and wore, exchanging fire with the French until the wind carried Cosmao-Kerjulien's squadron under the safety of the shore batteries covering the approach to Toulon.[5]

Casualties and damage on both sides were light. On the British side, twelve men were wounded by French fire, while one man was killed and another two wounded in accidents, bringing total British casualties to 15.[5] Caledonia sustained a shot to her mainmast and three or four in her hull, as well as some damage to her shrouds and backstays. Her launch and barge were also destroyed.[5] The French had a total of 17 men wounded to varying degrees, mostly aboard the Agamemnon, which suffered damage to her masts, hull and rigging, and had nine men wounded. The Borée had her wheel shot away, and the frigates Pénélope and Melpomène were damaged in their sails, masts and rigging.[5] Pellew sailed for Menorca soon afterwards, reducing the inshore squadron to a minimum, but Émeriau declined to come out.[4]

Order of battle

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Admiral Pellew's Fleet
Ship Rate Guns Navy Commander Casualties Notes
Killed Wounded Total
HMS Caledonia First rate 120   Vice-Admiral Sir Edward Pellew
Rear-Admiral Israel Pellew
Captain Jeremiah Coghlan 		0 3 3
HMS Hibernia First rate 110   Captain Thomas Gordon Caulfield 0 0 0 Not in action
HMS San Josef First rate 112   Rear-Admiral Sir Richard King
Captain William Stewart 		0 4 4
HMS Royal George First rate 100   Captain Thomas Fraser Charles Mainwaring 0 0 0 Not in action
HMS Boyne Second rate 98   Captain George Burlton 0 1 1
HMS Prince of Wales Second rate 98   Captain John Erskine Douglas 0 0 0 Not in action
HMS Union Second rate 98   Captain Robert Rolles 0 0 0 Not in action
HMS Barfleur Second rate 98   Captain John Maitland 0 0 0 Not in action
HMS Pompee Third rate 74   Captain James Athol Wood 0 2 2
Inshore squadron
HMS Scipion Third rate 74   Captain Henry Heathcote 1 1 2
HMS Mulgrave Third rate 74   Captain Thomas James Maling 0 0 0
HMS Pembroke Third rate 74   Captain James Brisbane 0 3 3
HMS Armada Third rate 74   Captain Charles Grant 0 0 0
Casualties: 1 Killed, 14 Wounded, 15 Total
Rear-Admiral Cosmao-Kerjulien's Squadron
Ship Rate Guns Navy Commander Casualties Notes
Killed Wounded Total
Wagram First rate 118   Rear-Admiral Julien Cosmao-Kerjulien
Captain François Legras 		0 2 2
Agamemnon Third rate 74   Captain Jean-Marie Letellier 0 9 9
Ulm Third rate 74   Captain Charles-Jacques-César Chaunay-Duclos 0 2 2
Magnanime Third rate 74   Captain Laurent Tourneur 0 0 0
Borée Third rate 74   Captain Jean-Michel Mahé 0 3 3
Pauline Fifth rate 40   Captain Etienne-Stanislaus Simiot 0 0 0
Melpomène Fifth rate 40   Commander Charles Béville 0 1 1
Pénélope Fifth rate 40   Captain Edme-Louis Simonot 0 0 0
Galathée Fifth rate 40   Captain Jean-Baptiste Bonafoux-Murat 0 0 0
Casualties: 17 wounded
Sources: James, p. 155.

Notes

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a. ^ French accounts list the fleet strength as twelve ships of the line, Pellew in his report stated that there were fourteen.[3]

Citations

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  1. ^ a b c Woodman. The Victory of Seapower. p. 55.
  2. ^ a b James. The Naval History of Great Britain. p. 153.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g James. The Naval History of Great Britain. p. 154.
  4. ^ a b c d Woodman. The Victory of Seapower. p. 56.
  5. ^ a b c d e James. The Naval History of Great Britain. p. 155.

References

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