1809 battle between a French Navy squadron of three frigates and a larger British squadron of ships of the line.
A British blockade squadron destroyed three French frigates sheltering under shore batteries, contributing to France's naval defeat in the Biscay region in early 1809.
Key Facts
- Date of attack
- 24 February 1809
- French frigates involved
- 3
- French squadron origin port
- Lorient
- British squadron commander
- Rear-Admiral Robert Stopford
- French commander
- Commodore Pierre Roch Jurien
- Outcome for French ships
- All three driven ashore, destroyed or damaged beyond repair
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
A French squadron of three frigates sailed from Lorient on 23 February 1809 intending to rendezvous with Admiral Willaumez's fleet from Brest. Missing the rendezvous, the French ships were pursued by a British blockade squadron under Rear-Admiral Stopford, forcing Commodore Jurien to anchor his frigates under the shore batteries of Les Sables-d'Olonne for protection.
On 24 February 1809, ignoring the shore batteries, Stopford ordered his ships of the line to attack at 09:00, with HMS Defiance leading. The heavier British broadsides overwhelmed the French frigates one by one, and by shortly after noon all three had been driven ashore with heavy casualties, with British accounts stating they were destroyed.
The loss of the three frigates left Willaumez's fleet without the reinforcement it sought. That fleet was subsequently trapped at the anchorage of Basque Roads on 26 February and suffered a decisive defeat at the Battle of Basque Roads in April 1809, compounding France's naval losses in the region.
Belligerents & Mobilization Analysis
Side A
1 belligerent
Commodore Pierre Roch Jurien.
Side B
1 belligerent
Rear-Admiral Robert Stopford.