Action of 12 December 1782

HMS Mediator engaging French and American vessels, 12 December 1782 L’Aimable Eugénie on the right captained by Nicolas Baudin is seen fleeing from the action.

Date	12 December 1782
Location	Off Ferrol, Spain
Result	British victory

Belligerents

Great Britain

France

United States

Commanders and leaders

James Luttrell

Nicolas Baudin

Strength

1 Roebuck-class fifth rate

1 ship of the line (en flûte)
1 frigate
1 armed transport
2 American privateers

Casualties and losses

7 casualties

1 ship of the line captured
1 privateer captured
9 killed
16 wounded
340 captured

The Action of 12 December 1782 was a naval engagement fought off the coast of Spain near Ferrol, in which the British 40-gun fifth rate HMS Mediator successfully attacked a convoy of five armed ships. Mediator succeeded in capturing one American privateer, the Alexander, and then captured the French ex-ship of the line La Ménagère. The convoy was part of Pierre Beaumarchais's supply chain to the American colonists.

The Frenchman Pierre Beaumarchais founded a commercial enterprise, Roderigue Hortalez and Co., supported by France and Spain. The French and Spanish supplied the American rebels with weapons, munitions, clothes, and provisions that would never be paid for. Beaumarchais contracted for the transport of the supplies in convoys. Even so, the Royal Navy captured many of the transport vessels.

Baumarchais assembled one convoy in December 1782. He met his captains in Bordeaux and then supervised the loading of his vessels. The plan was to sail for Port-au-Prince, Saint Domingue and then on to America to supply the American colonists.

The convoy consisted of five ships.

On 9 December 1782 the convoy sailed from the mouth of the Gironde for the West Indies and from there America. On 12 December, at 7:00am, HMS Mediator, under the command of James Luttrell, was sailing off Ferrol when she sighted the convoy.

At 8:00am the convoy formed in line of battle. Notwithstanding this formidable array, Captain Luttrell continued bearing down and at 10:00am Ménagère initiated the action. Luttrell saw that the shot came from the upper deck only and rightly concluded that the French vessel had no lower-deck guns. Mediator bore up in order to bring the rear ship to action.

At 10:30 Mediator opened fire on Dauphin Royal when that ship and the Alexander bore up out of the line.Aimable Eugénie, Ménagère and the American brig then wore and endeavored to protect the two rear ships.

...
Wikipedia