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The Action of 28 June 1803 marked the opening shots〔 of the Blockade of Saint-Domingue after the collapse of the Treaty of Amiens and the outbreak of the War of the Third Coalition in May 1803. A French heavy frigate and a corvette, both partially armed en flûte and unaware of the recently begun war,〔Guérin, p.304〕 met three British 74-gun ships of the line. The corvette was overhauled and captured, but the frigate, sailing close to shore, managed to out-manoeuver her opponent and deliver a devastating raking broadside that put her out of action. The feat of a frigate besting a ship of the line yielded high praise for Willaumez, who had commanded the frigate. A large painting by Louis-Philippe Crépin was commissioned in 1819 to commemorate the event. ==Background== France had been in peace with Great Britain since the Treaty of Amiens in 1801, allowing her to consolidate her grasp on her colonies oversea. This was particularly sensitive in Saint-Domingue, where the Haitian Revolution had raged since 1791. First Consul Bonaparte ordered the Saint-Domingue expedition, under General Leclerc, to curtail the separatist tendencies of General Toussaint Louverture. Meanwhile, the Treaty of Amiens proved to be an unsuitable settlement of Franco-British differences; its application by both parties became erratic and tensions grew. In May 1803, Britain declared war on France, setting the War of the Third Coalition into motion.〔Guérin, p.300〕 In late June, these news had yet to reach the French station of Saint-Domingue. On 27 June 1803, the 40-gun frigate ''Poursuivante'', under Willaumez, departed Les Cayes, bound for Cap-Haïtien,〔Hennequin, p.242〕 in the company of the 16-gun corvette ''Mignonne'',〔Troude, vol.3, p.286〕 under Commander〔Fonds Marine, p.286〕 Jean-Pierre Bargeau.〔James, p.187〕 Neither of the ships was fully armed or manned:〔 ''Poursuivante'', pierced to mount twenty-four 24-pounder long guns on her battery and sixteen 8-pounders on her castles,〔Roche, p.359〕 carried only 22 and 12 respectively and, more critically, had only 25 shots for each gun and a crew of only 150 men;〔Hennequin, p.243〕 ''Mignonne'', nominally carrying sixteen 18-pounder long guns,〔Roche, p.185〕〔Roche, p.309〕 was equipped only with twelve 12-pounders and an 80-man complement.〔 A 50-ship British convoy〔〔 was sailing off Môle-Saint-Nicolas under escort of three 74-gun ships of the line: they were the 74-gun HMS ''Hercules'', ''Cumberland'' and ''Goliath'', under Captain Henry William Bayntun, Captain Charles Brisbane and acting captain John B. Hills respectively.〔 In the early morning of 28 June 1803, the two formations came in view of one another.〔 Spotting two strange sails in-shore, the British escort detached to investigate〔 and Willaumez soon identified the three 74s as British.〔 Unaware of the outbreak of the war〔〔Levot, p.555〕 but suspicious of the intentions of the British, Willaumez prepared a defence in case of attack.〔 At eight, the 74-gun HMS ''Hercules'' came in range; after signaling the other ships in her division, she hoisted the British flag, prompting ''Poursuivante'' to hoist the French colours.〔 Meanwhile, ''Goliath'' chased ''Mignonne'' and taking advantage of the sea wind whereas the corvette was becalmed, quickly overhauled her; after a few token shots, ''Mignonne'' struck her colours to her overwhelming opponent.〔 At nine, ''Hercules'' fired a ball shot at ''Poursuivante'', initiating the battle.〔Hennequin, p.243〕 As ''Hercules'' closed to the shore to engage, she had less and less water under her keel and came into lighter and erratic winds;〔 although these advantaged the shallower and more maneuverable frigate, ''Poursuivante'' lacked the ammunition to energetically answer ''Hercules'' fire,〔 and her diminished crew could not simultaneously man her batteries and handle her sails.〔Guérin, p.306〕 On the other hand, because she had to ration her fire, ''Poursuivante'' aimed careful shots that soon caused significant damage to ''Hercule''s rigging.〔Guérin, p.305〕〔 After two hours of mutual cannonade, at eleven,〔 the wind fell and both ships almost came to a sudden halt,〔 their main sailing resource now the gusts of wind from the shore.〔 Taking advantage of this change in the weather, Willaumez ordered his gunners to cease fire and help manoeuver his frigate,〔 quickly coming in position to rake ''Hercules'', only then firing a devastating broadside at her stern.〔〔 The damage and confusion on ''Hercule'' were such that, probably fearing to run aground,〔Troude, vol.3, p.287〕〔James, p.〕 she effectively dropped out of action.〔 This allowed ''Poursuivante'' to reach the safety of Môle-Saint-Nicolas,〔James, p.188〕 cheered by the crowd and saluted by the artillery of the forts.〔 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Action of 28 June 1803」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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