188 NAPOLEON SENDS HIS FLEET TO SEA. [A.D. 10. NAVAL WAR-THE FRENCH ADMIRAL WILLAUMEZ SAILS OUT OF BREST TO ROCHEFORT. Although Napoleon had been unable to keep the sea against the British fleets, he never for a moment gave up the hope that with his immense power he could in time equip fleets which might be as successful as his armies had been, and in the end overwhelm his most formidable rival on her own element, and destroy her commercial wealth and greatness. Accordingly, not only at Toulon, but at Rochefort and Antwerp, the most active industry was known to prevail in their ship yards and arsenals this year. At Brest a fleet was always awaiting the opportunity of going to sea, either to seek adventures, or, at all events, to practise the crews; and, with one or other or both of these views, Rear-Admiral Willaumez weighed anchor on the 21st of February with the following ships: "L'Océan," 120, Captain Rolland, bearing his flag; "La Foudroyant," 80, Captain Henri, bearing the flag of Rear Admiral Gourdon; 66 La Varsovie," 80, Captain Bergeret; "Le Tourville," 74, Captain Lacaille; "Le Jean Bart," 74, Captain Lebozee; "Le Tonnerre," 74, Captain de la Roncière; “L'Aquilon,” 74, Captain Maingon; "Le Regulus," 74, Captain Lucas; "L'Indienne," 40, Captain Proteau; and "L'Elbe," 40, Captain Bellenger. It has since transpired that the orders given to Admiral Willaumez were to unblock the port of Lorient, and there to unite with his fleet the squadron of Commodore Troude, thence to proceed to anchor in the roads of Isle d'Aix, where he was to await further instructions. On the 23rd, the British ships "Revenge," 74, Hon. Captain Paget; Theseus," 74, Captain John Beresford; "Triumph," 74, Captain Masterman Hardy; Valiant," 74, Captain Kerr; "Cæsar," 80, Captain Richardson; 'Defiance," 74, Captain Henry Hotham; Donegal," 74, Captain Peter Heywood; with the frigates "Amethyst," 36, Captain Michael Seymour; Naiad," 38, Captain Dundas; and "Emerald," 36, Captain Frederick Maitland, were in the wake of the French fleet, and saw them in the act of entering Basque Roads on the 24th. Shortly after Willaumez and his British followers had passed Isle Groix, the three French frigates "La Créole," 40, Commodore Jurien; "La Concorde," 40, Captain Jacob; and Le Révanche," 40, Captain Cocault, stood to sea, but did not know that they were cut off by the British squadron from the fleet of Admiral Willaumez till they made the Tour de Baleine at daylight on the 24th. Commodore Jurien immediately signalled his squadron to steer for the Sales d'Olonne, which he reached safely, and anchored in that dangerous roadstead under the guns of some powerful batteries. 'The" Defiance," "Cæsar," and " Donegal," dared the dangerous shore in pursuit, but the former, as drawing the least water, was the only one which approached within reach of fire, when a cannonade ensued on both sides, which lasted for about an hour and a half, in which Commodore Jurien was wounded. 66 66 66 66 189 1809.] ATTACK ON THE FRENCH FLEET IN BASQUE ROADS. Admiral Stopford, however, coming up in command, signalled Captain Hotham to withdraw. The three frigates, on seeing this, redoubled their fire on the 74, and flattered themselves they had done some serious mischief, which had occasioned her to lower her flag, so that the French crews exclaimed, "Le vaisseau est rendu! le vaisseau vient d'amener.' But no such thing, the "Defiance" got clear; but with the falling tide the three frigates ran on shore, still, however, keeping their flags flying; but, having taken the ground near high water, they could not get off, and all three were accordingly wrecked after five days' fruitless exertions. 11. THE FRENCH FLEET ATTACKED BY FIRE SHIPS IN Admiral Willaumez on arriving in Basque Roads added to his fleet "Le Cassard," 74, Captain Faure; Le Jemappes," 74, Captain Faiveau; "Le Patriote," 74, Captain Mahy; "Le Calcutta," 74, Captain Lafou; "Le Pallas," 40, Captain Le Bigot; and "L'Hortense," 40, Captain Halget; but the " Jean Bart," 74, had grounded and become a wreck near Isle Madaque, so that only nine line-of-battle ships remained here strictly blockaded by Admiral Stopford till the 3rd of March, when Admiral Lord Gambier arrived and assumed the command of the British fleet, consisting of 13 sail of the line, besides frigates and smaller vessels. On reconnoitring the enemy's position, the Admiral saw and reported to the Admiralty "that the French fleet lay very much exposed to the operation of fire ships," which, in direct opposition to the opinion of French writers, though a hazardous and horrible mode of warfare, is as admissible as bombardments, or mines, or any other means of destruction in war. The British Government had, however, anticipated Lord Gambier's request, and having consulted with Lord Cochrane, who was supposed to know the Rochefort harbour better than any other officer, had suggested a plan for "an attack of fire ships, bombs, and rockets, covered by the squadron." The gallant Lord was accordingly sent out forthwith in the "Impérieuse," with twelve transports fitted up as fire ships; and the great fire master himself, M. Congreve, accompanied the expedition to direct the bomb vessels, which were fitted up with a supply of rockets of his new invention, and men well skilled in the management of them were placed under his orders. The fire vessels and explosion vessels were externally alike, but the latter were fitted for this service in a new and singular manner; they were filled with every kind of injurious projectile, and were to be each manned by a few volunteers, who were to lead them into action, and lay them as close as practicable to the enemy's ships. Another novelty in this projected attack by fire ships and explosion ships was the number employed; the use of as many as five or six such fearful machines against wooden ships had been known to nautical experience, but a fleet of 30 flaming antagonists was new, and calculated to inspire terror from their uncertain approach, and, like all gigantic operations, had in their very appearance something 190 FIRE SHIPS FORMIDABLE ENGINES OF WARFARE. [A.D. awful. All these vessels were assembled in Basque Roads on the 10th of April. Meantime, a change in the command of the French fleet had taken place, and Willaumez had been succeeded by Vice-Admiral Allemand. A new disposition had been in consequence given to the fleet, which was now anchored with two cables in a doubleindented line bearing NNE. and SSW., and abutting at the southern extremity near the battery of the Isle d'Aix. A boom half-a-mile in length, composed of cables and secured by anchors, was thrown across the channel leading from Basque to Aix Roads. 50 guns of great calibre, placed in batteries, protected the anchorage; near the Isle d'Oleron were also mortar batteries of great power. Admiral Allemand well knew the nature of the attack contemplated, and prepared 70 or 80 armed launches and boats for the purpose of boarding or towing off the fire ships on their approach. On the 11th, in the afternoon, the "Impérieuse" ran down to within a gunshot-and-a-half of the boom and anchored, as did all the vessels in the stations assigned to them. The 11 line-of-battle ships lay at a distance of 8 or 10 miles, also unmoored, to be ready to co-operate when necessary. The wind blew fresh, but as favourably as possible, and the tide flowed at an easy current right into the harbour. The night was uncommonly dark. Lord Cochrane ran his own ship as near as he deemed expedient, and then went with a lieutenant and his gig's crew on board one of the explosion vessels, which he had undertaken to conduct himself. It contained 1,500 barrels of gunpowder jammed together with wedges, on the top of which lay 300 or 400 live shells, and as many thousands of hand-grenades. The largest and strongest of the fire ships was called the " Mediator," and it was commanded by a dashing young fellow, Captain Wooldridge. At half-past 9 the "Lyra," the first of these floating devils, exploded against the boom, and filled the air with every species of firework. In a quarter-of-an-hour afterwards, Captain Wooldridge ran his ship on the boom at a right angle, and by its great weight and the aid of the wind and tide in its favour, broke through the formidable barrier, and thus afforded a clear passage to the remainder of the fire ships to follow. The gallant young Captain nearly perished in the explosion that followed, and got badly scorched, but many of the Captains, fearing this result, ignited their ships too soon, and they had not, accordingly, all the effect expected from them. The sky soon became illuminated by the glare of many vast fires; and with the flashes of guns from the forts and ships, the flight of shells and of Congreve rockets rushing with their flaming tails through the air, formed a scene awful, hellish, and sublime. Singularly enough, nevertheless, the noise did not reach the British fleet in the offing. The French frigate "La Hortense," under the first impulse, made sail towards the fire ships, and passing to windward of some of them, discharged her broadsides into them; but she did not dare to remain long in the open, and retreated behind the French fleet. "Le Regulus," 74, and the flag ship "L'Océan," had 3 fire ships floated against them. So long as they were ordinary fire ships there were many means of evading them, 1809.] EXHAUSTED CONDITION OF FRENCH FLEET. دو 191 but it was impossible to discriminate between those that only burnt and those which exploded, and this occasioned such terror, when a fleet of flaming bodies approached, that every French ship of war, except "Le Foudroyant," slipped its cable and went adrift. When day broke, 7 French men-of-war lay on shore, and in the morning light the fire ships were seen also on shore burning to the water's edge. "L'Océan was very deep in the water, having on board a quan. tity of stores, and lay in the mud off the Aix road; "La Varsovie" and " L'Aquilon were upon the rocks of Charenton; "Le Regulus" and "La Jemappes on the Palles shoal; Le Tonnerre" near the rock of Pontra; "Le Calcutta" was burning close to the wreck of "Le Jean Bart; "Le Patriote" and "Le Tourville " lay off Isle Madame; and the four frigates were all of them ashore at the entrance of the Charente. The Captains of the several menof-war, in obedience to signal, all drowned their powder, so that none of them exploded. It does not appear that the fire ships burned any of them, but, though they had not caused the actual destruction of a single vessel, yet the entire French fleet were more or less upon the heel, and lying in a very desperate condition, and so unequivocal was the consternation that they might every one of them have been taken possession of by a few boats' crews led on by some daring young midshipmen. After the officers had performed their arduous duty they had a most difficult task to execute to get back to the "Impérieuse," which was the nearest ship placed to receive them; and many, both officers and men, were found to be much injured and exhausted from fatigue, having been four hours in the boats. The falling tide obliged this line-of-battle ship to weigh her anchor at daylight and stand out, when Lord Cochrane signalled to Lord Gambier: "Half your fleet can destroy the enemy, for only 2 ships are afloat; 11 are on shore." Lord Gambier, who had ordered his fleet to prepare and get their anchors up, ran to within 3 miles of the Isle d'Aix, when he suspended the order, and afterwards called a conference of the Captains on board the "Caledonia," when he abandoned the idea of employing the men-of-war to cannonade the grounded ships, but directed by signal the "Etna" bomb, covered by the gun brigs, to do so. As the tide flowed, all the French ships which had foundered righted themselves, and succeeded in removing into deep water, towards the entrance of the Charente; but "L'Océan," "Le Regulus," "Le Patriote," and "La Jemappes grounded again in the mud almost as soon as they moved. Lord Cochrane, however, seeing the French ships gradually getting beyond the reach of attack, and that the nearest ships, "Le Calcutta," " L'Aquilon," and "La Varsovie," were laying out their anchors for removal, would not wait for any order or signal from the admiral, but dropped down towards the enemy, and opened fire upon the nearest ship, "Le Calcutta." The "Impérieuse" commenced upon that ship, but occasionally directed shot upon the others; but while thus engaged with these 3 French men-of-war, the gallant Lord, finding that the shots of the "Etna" and the gun-boats were dropping short and producing no effect, signalled دو 192 ANTIQUITY OF FIRE SHIPS IN NAVAL WARFARE. [A.D. them to go in nearer, and, finding they would not do so by his order, he, in a manner more decisive than courteous, ordered the maindeck guns of his frigate to be fired at them, when they took the hint, and dropped down to a more effective position. Lord Cochrane had his hands pretty full with all these demands upon the hostile qualities of the frigate, so that it was past 2 o'clock when Lord Gambier ordered the " Indefatigable to weigh and join him, and soon afterwards the "Valiant" and "Revenge" got under way, and proceeded in the direction of the firing; the " Impérieuse," however, continued her attack on "Le Calcutta," which she forced to surrender. All the ships then turned their attention on "La Varsovie" and "L'Aquilon," but it was nearly half-past 5 before they could be brought to show the customary token of submission. The "Theseus now came up, but before she could open her guns "Le "" Tonnerre was set fire to by her own officers and crew, and exploded about half-past 7. "Le Calcutta" also blew up with a tremendous explosion. at half-past 8, owing to the mistake of a midshipman; and "L'Indienne was burned by the enemy as she lay on her beam-ends on shore. The " Impérieuse" had 3 killed and 9 wounded from the batteries, and 4 killed and about 8 wounded on board the fire ships. On the French side the "Calcutta" is said to have lost 12 wounded, and the "Varsovie" 100 killed and wounded altogether, and the "Aquilon " lost her Captain only, who was killed after he was prisoner on board the " Impérieuse," by a shot from one of the French ships. The British vessels " Impérieuse and "Indefatigable" were the only vessels out of the 14 engaged that suffered. But it is true that the whole of the fire ships and explosion ships were sacrificed, which afforded M. Thiers the satisfaction that "la rage des Anglais n'avait détruit que des richesses Anglaises." It is perhaps, not worth while to raise questions of national prejudices, or to dispute with French writers what may be considered barbare in war. Of course all violence is unchristian, and to be denounced by statesmen and patriotic historians such as M. Thiers; but it must be admitted that the expedient which is attended with the least loss of life is the least reprehensible in war, and on this occasion the number of British killed and wounded was few compared with the very great injury inflicted on the enemy. The employment of fire ships in naval warfare is as old as the Phoenicians and Trojans, the Greeks and Romans, and they have been used in modern times by Venetians and Turks, Russians and Swedes; but it was not alone fire ships which peculiarly distinguished Lord Cochrane's plan of attack in Basque Roads. The construction of large explosion vessels to be taken by boats into the midst of an enemy's fleet, and rendered as effectual against the foe as mines in land operations, was a novel expedient in naval war. The plan of making both fire ships and explosion ships of the same external character, was also an ingenious feature, because calculated to excite a mixture of alarm and hesitation how to act, and to meet the emergency, in ignorance of which was which; so that |