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The Action of 22 May 1812 took place off Groix when a small French two-frigate squadron comprising ''Ariane'' and ''Andromaque'', returning from a commerce raiding campaign in the Atlantic, met the 74-gun HMS ''Northumberland'' while trying the slip to Lorient through the British blockade. After a gunnery exchange that left all ships damaged, the frigates attempted to lose the ship of the line by sailing through a shallow pass, but they ran aground. ''Northumberland'', her repairs completed, returned to the scene and bombarded ''Andromaque'' until her rigging caught fire, setting the entire ship ablaze. Unable to refloat herself and trapped by ''Northumberland'', ''Ariane'' was scuttled by fire by her crew, and the French evacuated on the brig ''Mameluck''. Captains Jean-Baptiste-Henri Féretier and Nicolas Morice were found guilty of negligence in the loss of their ships, and forbidden from commanding for three years.〔(Chantier archéologique sous-marin )〕 == Background == By 1812, the Royal Navy enjoyed an absolute supremacy on all seas, and even blockaded French harbours, preventing French squadrons from leaving and conducting naval operations of significance. The French Navy was thus forced into commerce raiding: small frigate squadrons (usually just a pair of frigates) would attempt to slip through the blockade and roam the seas, patrolling to capture lightly armed merchantmen. On 9 January 1812, a French frigate squadron left Nantes to attack British and American shipping in the Atlantic, off the Azores and Bermuda.〔 The squadron comprised the two 18-pounder 40-gun frigates ''Ariane'' and ''Andromaque'', under Captains Jean-Baptiste-Henri Féretier and Nicolas Morice respectively, and the 16-gun brig ''Mameluck'', under Captain Galabert.〔Troude, ''op. cit.'', p. 160〕 Feretier was the commanding officer of the squadron.〔 In the early afternoon of 15 January, the French cruise met a British squadron comprising the 50-gun HMS ''Leopard'' and the large 40-gun HMS ''Endymion'', which mounted 24-pounders.〔James, ''op. cit.'', (p.48 )〕 In the face of overwhelming odds, the French fled and in the evening had successfully outran their pursuers. The French squadron, free to continue on its mission. reached its patrolling area and started preying on merchant shipping. In the course of four next months, it took 36 prizes〔〔James, ''op. cit.'', (p.51 )〕 (9 British, 3 Portuguese, 1 Spanish, 1 Swedish and 11 American), and made 217 prisoners.〔 The British, however, were now informed of the presence of a French frigate squadron, and warned the blockade of Brest, under Rear-admiral Sir Harry Neale, to watch for its return.〔Troude, ''op. cit.'', p. 161〕 Neale tasked the 74-gun HMS ''Northumberland'', under Captain the Honourable Henry Hotham, to attempt to intercept the frigates and bring them into action. ''Northumberland'' detached on 19 May and took position off the point of Isle Groix.〔 Meanwhile, the French squadron was on its course back to France. Through prisoners and logs of captured ships, Feretier had learned of Allemand's escape from Lorient to Brest; he thus expected the British blockading ships to be sailing in pursuit of the French fleet or cruising off Brest, and attempted to seize the opportunity to slip through to Lorient.〔(Report of Captain Le Gouardun )〕〔 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 22 May 1812」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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