Action of 14–17 April 1809

Troude's expedition to the Caribbean: Action of 14–17 April 1809
Part of the Napoleonic Wars
Intrepid behaviour of Captn Charles Napier, in HM 18 gun Brig Recruit for which he was appointed to the D' Haupoult. The 74 now pouring a broadside into her. April 15, 1809, by G. W. Terry
Date 14–17 April 1809 Location Began near Îles des Saintes, concluded off Cape Rojo, Puerto Rico Result British victory
Belligerents
United Kingdom	French Empire
Commanders and leaders
Vice-Admiral Sir Alexander Cochrane	Commodore Amable-Gilles Troude
Strength
Five ships of the line and several smaller vessels.	Three ships of the line and two frigates.
Casualties and losses
11 killed, 40 wounded	80–90 casualties, Hautpoult captured.

Troude's expedition to the Caribbean: Actions of 14–18 June and 6 July 1809
Part of the Napoleonic Wars
Capture of La Furieuse, Aug' 6th 1809
Date 14 June – 6 July 1809 Location Began near Basse-Terre, concluded in the North Atlantic Result British victory
Belligerents
United Kingdom	French Empire
Commanders and leaders
Captain William Mounsey	Lieutenant Gabriel Kerdaniel
Strength
Variously sloop HMS Bonne Citoyenne, frigate HMS Latona and other vessels	frigates Félicité and Furieuse
Casualties and losses
1 killed, 5 wounded	35 killed, 57 wounded, Félicité and Furieuse captured

Troude's expedition to the Caribbean was a naval operation by a French force under Commodore Amable-Gilles Troude during the Napoleonic Wars. The French squadron departed from Lorient in February 1809 in an attempt to reach and resupply the island colony of Martinique in the Caribbean Sea, then under invasion from a British expeditionary force. The force arrived much too late to affect the outcome of the successful invasion and took shelter from a British squadron in the Îles des Saintes, where they were blockaded by part of the British invasion fleet, led by Vice-Admiral Sir Alexander Cochrane. Two weeks after the French ships arrived, British troops invaded and captured the Saintes, constructing mortar batteries to bombard the French squadron. With his position unsustainable, Commodore Troude decided to break out.

Attempting to escape under cover of darkness on 14 April, the French squadron was spotted by a number of small British ships stationed close inshore. These ships raised the alarm and the main British squadron followed in pursuit. The rearmost French ship of the line, Hautpoult, was closely followed by the small brig HMS Recruit, which succeeded in delaying Hautpoult long enough that the main British squadron was able to attack and overwhelm her in a running battle that lasted three days and ended off the coast of Puerto Rico. The British suffered 45 casualties, the French nearly 100. The remainder of the French squadron escaped, with the two surviving ships of the line sailing directly for France, eventually reaching Cherbourg in May.

The French expedition's two frigates, both only partially armed, were detached during the action and took shelter in harbour at Guadeloupe. In June, heavily laden with trade goods, they attempted to escape to Europe, but were pursued by elements of the British blockade force. Félicité was overrun after four days of manoeuvre, submitting to the more powerful British frigate HMS Latona without a fight. Furieuse was able to escape immediate pursuit, but was subsequently discovered on 3 July by the smaller British ship HMS Bonne Citoyenne. In a fierce engagement two days later, the small British ship was able to defeat and capture the French vessel, which was later commissioned into the Royal Navy.

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