The Battle of Grand Port, Mauritius (August 24-26, 1810) Print

The Battle of Grand Port was fought between squadrons of French and British Royal Navy frigates over possession of the natural harbor of Grand Port at the Southwestern end of Ile de France (now Mauritius) in the Indian Ocean. Beginning Aug 20, 1810 the British captured the Ile de la Passe fort guarding the approaches to the harbor and the British commander, Captain Samuel Pym, attempted to lure the French squadron into coastal waters where his superior numbers could be brought to bear against the French ships. Four of the five French ships managed to break past the British blockade, taking shelter in the protected anchorage, which was only accessible through a series of complicated reefs and sandbanks that were impassable without an experienced harbor pilot. When Pym ordered his frigates to attack the anchored French on 22 and 23 August, his ships became trapped in the narrow channels of the bay: two were irretrievably grounded; a third, outnumbered by the combined French squadron, was defeated; and a fourth was unable to close to within effective gun range. Although the French ships were also badly damaged, the battle was a disaster for the British: one ship was captured after suffering irreparable damage, the grounded ships were set on fire to prevent their capture by French boarding parties and the remaining vessel was seized as it left the harbor by the main French squadron from Port Napoleon under Commodore Jacques Hamelin.

Print:Giclee on Fine Art Paper

Size:10 W x 8 H x 0.1 D in

Size with Frame:15.25 W x 13.25 H x 1.2 D in

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