Action of 22 February 1812

Infobox Military Conflict
conflict=Action of 22 February, 1812
partof=the Napoleonic Wars


caption=A fog over Venice harbour, similar to that on the morning of the battle. ["After Turner: Venice, Fog Blowing up from the Adriatic", Alfred East. Although painted many years after the engagement, this painting clearly illustrates weather conditions at the start of the action.]
date=22 February 1812
place=Adriatic Sea, south of Venice.
result= British victory
combatant1= United Kingdom
combatant2=
commander1= John Talbot
commander2= Jean-Baptiste Barré
strength1= HMS "Victorious", 1 brig-sloop
strength2= "Rivoli", 3 brigs, 2 gunboats
casualties1= 27 killed, 99 wounded
casualties2= Over 400 casualtiesTemplate:Campaignbox Adriatic campaign of the Napoleonic WarsThe Action of 22 February 1812 was a minor naval battle of the Adriatic campaign of the Napoleonic Wars fought between a British and a French ship of the line in the Adriatic Sea. The French "Rivoli", named for Napoleon's victory 15 years earlier, had been recently completed at Venice. The French naval authorities intended her to bolster French forces in the Adriatic, following a succession of defeats in the preceding year.

To prevent this ship challenging British dominance in the theatre, the Royal Navy ordered a ship of the line from the Mediterranean fleet to intercept and capture "Rivoli" on her maiden voyage. Captain John Talbot of HMS "Victorious" arrived off Venice in mid-February and blockaded the port. When "Rivoli" attempted to escape under cover of fog, Talbot chased her and forced her to surrender in a five hour battle, "Rivoli" losing over half her crew wounded or dead.

Background

The Treaty of Tilsit in 1807 had resulted in a Russian withdrawal from the Adriatic and the French takeover of the strategic island fortress of Corfu. The Treaty of Schönbrunn with the Austrian Empire in 1809 had further solidified French influence in the area by formalising their control of the Illyrian Provinces on the Eastern shore.Gardiner, p. 153] To protect these gains, the French and Italian governments had instigated a shipbuilding program in Venice and other Italian ports in an effort to rebuild their Mediterranean fleet and challenge British hegemony. These efforts were hampered by the poverty of the Italian government and the difficulty that the French Navy had in manning and equipping their ships. As a result, the first ship of the line built in the Adriatic under this program was not launched until 1810 and not completed until early 1812.James, p. 44]

By the time this ship, "Rivoli", was launched, the Royal Navy had achieved dominance over the French in the Adriatic Sea. Not only had the regional commander Bernard Dubourdieu been killed and his squadron destroyed at the Battle of Lissa in March 1811, but French efforts to supply their scattered garrisons were proving increasingly risky.Gardiner, p. 174] This was demonstrated by the destruction of a well-armed convoy from Corfu to Trieste at the Action of 29 November 1811.Gardiner, p. 178] "Rivoli's" launch was therefore seen by the French Navy as an opportunity to reverse these defeats, as the new ship of the line outgunned the British frigates that operated with in the Adriatic and would be able to operate in the Adriatic without the threat of attack by the frigate squadron based on Lissa.

The Royal Navy was aware of the threat that "Rivoli" posed to their hegemony and were warned in advance by spies in Venice of the progress of the ship’s construction.Gardiner, p. 179] As "Rivoli" neared completion, HMS "Victorious" was dispatched from the Mediterranean Fleet to intercept her should she leave port. "Victorious" was commanded by John Talbot, a successful and popular officer who had distinguished himself with the capture of a French frigate in 1805 and his service in the Dardanelles Operation of 1807. Talbot was accompanied by the 18-gun brig HMS "Weazel" under Commander John William Andrew.

Battle

"Rivoli" departed Venice on 21 February 1812 under the command of Commodore Jean-Baptiste Barré, accompanied by five smaller escort ships, the 16-gun brigs "Mercure" and "Iéna", the 8-gun brig "Mamelouck" and two small gunboats, strung out in an improvised line of battle. Barré hoped to make use of a heavy sea fog that had descended, to break out from Venice and elude pursuit. "Victorious" had held off from the land during the fog and by the time Talbot was able to observe Venice harbour at 14:30, his opponent had escaped. Searching for Barré, who was sailing to Pola, Talbot spotted one of the French brigs at 15:00 and gave chase.

The French head-start had enabled "Rivoli" to gain a substantial distance on the British ship, and so it was not until 02:30 on 22 February that Talbot was able to close with her quarry and its escort. Not wishing to be held up by the escort ships protecting "Rivoli", Talbot ordered "Weasel" ahead to engage them while "Victorious" fought Barré's flagship directly. At 04:15, "Weasel" overhauled the rearmost French brig "Mercure" and opened fire from close range, "Mercure" replying in kind.James, p. 64] "Iéna" also engaged "Weasel" but the greater distance between these ships allowed Commander Andrew to focus his attack on "Mercure", which fought hard for twenty minutes before being destroyed in a catastrophic explosion, probably caused by a fire in the magazine. "Weasel" immediately launched her boats to rescue any survivors, but only three were saved.

Following the explosion aboard "Mercure", "Iéna" and the other French brigs scattered, briefly pursued by "Weasel", who chased "Iéna" and "Mamelouck" but was unable to bring them to a decisive action. The loss of the French escorts allowed "Victorious" to close with "Rivoli" unopposed and at 04:30 the two large ships began a close range artillery duel. This combat continued unabated for the next three and a half hours, both ships being severely damaged and suffering heavy casualties. Captain Talbot was struck on the head by a flying splinter and had to quit the deck, temporarily blinded, command passing to Lieutenant Thomas Peake. To assist in subduing "Rivoli", Peake recalled "Weasel" to block the French ship's attempts to escape, Commander Andrew sailing his ship in front of "Rivoli" and repeatedly raking her.James, p. 65]

urrender and aftermath

At 08:45 "Rivoli", which had been struggling to reach the harbour of Trieste, lost her mizzenmast under fire from both "Victorious" and "Weasel". Fifteen minutes later, with his ship unmanageable and battered, Commodore Barré surrendered. "Rivoli" had suffered over 400 killed and wounded from her crew of over 800, who had only assembled for the first time a few days before and had never sailed their ship in open water. [British accounts claim there were 862 sailors aboard "Rivoli", French 810. (James p.64)] Losses aboard "Victorious" were also heavy, with one officer and 25 sailors and marines killed and six officers (including Captain Talbot) and 93 men wounded.James, p. 66]

French losses on "Mercure", although unknown exactly, were severe, only three sailors surviving. "Weasel", despite being engaged with three different French ships for a considerable time, had not one man killed or wounded during the entire engagement. "Rivoli's" scattered escorts were not pursued, British efforts being directed instead at bringing the shattered "Rivoli" back to port as a prize.James, p. 67] As a result the remaining French ships were able to make their way to friendly ports unopposed. "Rivoli" was a new and well-built ship and, following immediate repairs at Port St. George, she and "Victorious" traveled together to Britain. There they were both repaired, "Victorious" returning to the fleet under Talbot for service against the United States Navy during the War of 1812, and "Rivoli" commissioned as HMS "Rivoli" for service in home waters.

The crews of "Victorious" and "Weasel" were well rewarded with both promotions and prize money, the junior officers either promoted or advanced and Commander Andrew of "Weasel" made a post captain. Captain Talbot was rewarded at the end of the war, becoming Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath in recognition of his success. [http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/26934?docPos=4 Talbot, Sir John] , "Oxford Dictionary of National Biography", J. K. Laughton, Retrieved 28 May 2008 ] This was the last significant ship-to-ship action in the Adriatic, and its conclusion allowed British raiders to strike against coastal convoys and shore facilities unopposed, seizing isolated islands and garrisons with the aid of an increasingly nationalistic Illyrian population.Gardiner, p. 180]

Notes

References

*cite book
last = Gardiner
first = Robert
authorlink =
year = 2001 [1998]
chapter =
title = The Victory of Seapower
publisher = Caxton Editions
location =
id = ISBN 1-84067-359-1
*cite book
last = James
first = William
authorlink = William James (naval historian)
year = 2002 [1827]
chapter =
title = The Naval History of Great Britain, Volume 6, 1811–1827
publisher = Conway Maritime Press
location =
id = ISBN 0-85177-910-7