action august action august minor naval engagement french revolutionary wars fought british fourth rate ship french ship line ships engaged battle weeks earlier british fleet rear admiral sir destroyed french fleet bay mediterranean coast egypt french ships survive battle detached british fleet nelson august board captain sailed passenger charged carrying despatches squadron august passing western shore crete intercepted attacked separated rest french survivors day captain initially tried escape larger french ship rapidly clear faster vessel ships exchanged engagement continuing captain unsuccessful attempt board suffering heavy casualties attempt hours battle continued thompson successfully stage ultimately larger warship eventually wounded thompson surrendered ship ordering men wave french pike french sailors took possession british ship encouraged systematic looting sailors personal possessions surgeon tools middle operation established conventions warfare forced captured crew assist bringing safely denied food medical treatment operated captors published account action greatly exaggerated scale success highly praised french press britain conduct thompson british officers exchanged acquitted court martial captains services crew recaptured march russian squadron seized returned british control order survived year mediterranean eventually captured malta british squadron lord nelson background august british fleet ships line fourth rate ship rear admiral sir discovered french fleet ships line frigates anchor mediterranean coast egypt nelson pursuit french months crossing mediterranean times efforts locate fleet convoy protection carried french army commanded intended invasion egypt convoy successfully nelson army landed alexandria june capturing city advancing inland fleet large anchor alexandria harbour instead ordered commander vice admiral station discovering french nelson attacked immediately ordering ships advance french line engage beginning battle closed french line captain lead ship realised gap head french line wide allow ship passage pushing gap attacked french van followed ships nelson engaged van remainder fleet attacked french centre hms grounded stuck smaller ships squadron fourth rate sloop attempted assist soon realised ship determined participate battle captain abandoned stranded joined second wave attack french centre focusing fire bow gun french rate orient hour orient caught fire combined attack ships later exploded effectively concluding engagement nelson favour days lightly damaged employed forcing surrender grounded french vessels afternoon august nelson complete control french ships ships line frigates escaped sailing north bay afternoon august command rear admiral having won battle nelson needed send despatches commander vice admiral reporting destruction french mediterranean fleet messages entrusted captain served nelson flag captain battle thompson ordered escort believed blockade squadron suffered damage battle thompson manning problems casualties july replaced men wounded battle bay officers men detached man captured french prizes left thompson men board following nelson orders thompson sailed august battle fleeing admiral delayed northeasterly winds august decided split forces sailing malta flagship tell frigates captain ordered departed number men transferred carrying survivors ships destroyed giving crew men rounded island western tip crete known following morning reported sail northwest vessel learning strange ship southeast captain thompson ships immediately ordered sails set effort avoid unequal combat carried guns strongly built carrying broadside assisted strong breeze ship carry thompson vessel rapidly gained fourth rate ottoman flags unsuccessful attempt confuse thompson approaching ship inevitable catch thompson responded shortening sail turning northwards aim broadside french ship minutes fired shot bows thompson responded threat ordering broadside replied broadside ships continued firing sailed east gradually closing range smaller british vessel took worst damage combatants close decided attempt board british ship thompson unable manoeuvre battered way bow collided bow french ship swung alongside preparing men board thompson prepared manoeuvre mustered teams sailors armed muskets rail quarterdeck deck musket fire sufficient kill attempted board british ship ships turned southwards main batteries continuing exchange extreme close range gradually strengthening breeze dragged free french ship faster sails rigging intact pulled away west thompson wounded times succeeded turning battered ship broadside directed stern despite collapsed wreckage fore gunnery teams managed cut away fire broadside french vessel inflicted severe damage size power french ship beginning tell able turn southwards ships continued exchanging time crew run regular shot firing scrap metal french ship succeeded bringing bow hailed british ship asking surrendered unable continue fighting wreckage lay forward guns thompson ordered french flag raised pike sufficient cease firing french initially unable possession fourth rate single boats board smashed british shot end french sea swam british ship formal surrender lost crew men killed wounded including thompson times piece human skull lodged arm ship completely fore main masts leaking badly dozens shot holes damaged losing losing foremast losses crowded decks far severe casualties estimated killed wounded approximately total aftermath french sailors reached immediately began systematic british officers personal effects men sea historian suggests thompson instead ordered british boats repaired launched transport french ship bring captain belief end looting french captain arrived immediately joined officers captain thompson shirts wounded officer captain complained pair ornamental pistols stolen summoned thief quarterdeck took sailors accompanied equally things taken ship surgeon operating tools stolen middle operation correct equipment surgeon assist wounded including captain thompson musket ball embedded deeply arm captain complained replied est les sorry fact french good dividing captured british sailors transferred half left half french prize crew direct established conventions war sets prisoners immediately ordered effect repairs vessels ships ready journey prisoners given bread water wounded denied medical attention days engagement battered ships sailed northwards wind forced attach tow avoid leaving prize august sail appeared south panic broke ordered prisoners confined preparations abandon speed new arrival fact gun british sloop lieutenant carrying second copies nelson despatches britain sighted ships north assumed tell passed displaying french colours disguise pursue small vessel continuing passage sailed sight prisoners confined wounded provided treatment thompson able musket ball removed arm smuggled aboard harbour knowledge permission british officers eventually returned britain carpenter detained refused supply specifications masts ship regular seamen held prisoner subsequently encouraged join french_navy attempting enlist russian squadron blockaded port demands met response named called damned french little ship fight sink subsequently escaped anchored killed artillery fire castle overlooking town ship captured battle february squadron nelson malta captured russian force seized march returned royal_navy sailors held island account battle captain sent france inaccurate number important features describing gun ship claiming men actually boarded british ship subsequently retreat coming soon disaster battle encouraged highly inaccurate reports french newspapers exaggerated scale victory publishing imaginative accounts months battle despite defeat action celebrated britain thompson praised defiance larger vessel criticised losing ship conduct treatment prisoners derided popular press december thompson ship officers brought court martial loss ship acquitted court announcing court having heard evidence brought forward support captain thompson narrative capture having deliberately considered opinion unprecedented defence captain thompson majesty late ship superior force praise country court conduct officers men command reflects highest honour country large court captain thompson officers ship company acquitted accordingly thompson subsequently voted thanks parliament december given freedom city london chest worth subsequently commander new gun early returned mediterranean operate nelson flag captain siege malta thompson january given pension returning service spring captain attached channel_fleet lord captain commanded bomb ship chartered ferry thompson staff wrote letter answer charges stated men french prize crew unarmed having swim boats destroyed battle men able stopped effects captain surgeon ship complained ship seen thompson personal effects members staff france accuses accusations originally published allegations present thompson account
Action of 18 August 1798