Key Facts
- Departure
- Lorient, February 1809
- British casualties
- 45
- French casualties
- ~100 (D'Hautpoul action alone)
- French ships of the line lost
- 1 (D'Hautpoul captured)
- French frigates lost
- 2 (Félicité and Furieuse captured)
Strategic Narrative Overview
Troude's squadron arrived too late; Martinique had already fallen. Seeking shelter at the Îles des Saintes, the French were blockaded by Vice-Admiral Cochrane's fleet. British troops then seized the Saintes and erected mortar batteries, making the anchorage untenable. On 14 April, Troude attempted a night breakout. The brig HMS Recruit delayed his rearmost ship, D'Hautpoul, long enough for the main British squadron to overtake and capture her after a three-day running battle off Puerto Rico.
01 / The Origins
During the Napoleonic Wars, Britain launched an expeditionary force to seize the French colony of Martinique in early 1809. In response, France dispatched a naval squadron under Commodore Amable Troude from Lorient in February 1809, tasked with reaching and resupplying the besieged island. The operation reflected France's broader effort to sustain its Caribbean colonies amid mounting British naval pressure in the region.
03 / The Outcome
The two surviving French ships of the line escaped to Cherbourg in May 1809. The two detached frigates sheltered at Guadeloupe but were subsequently lost: Félicité surrendered to HMS Latona without resistance, while Furieuse was defeated and captured by the smaller HMS Bonne Citoyenne on 5 July. Both frigates were later commissioned into the Royal Navy, completing Britain's decisive victory over the entire expedition.
Belligerents & Mobilization Analysis
Side A
1 belligerent
Commodore Amable Troude.
Side B
1 belligerent
Vice-Admiral Sir Alexander Cochrane.
Kinetic Engagement Axis
Scroll horizontally to view full axis. Events plotted relatively.