The Diamond’s escape from the River Seine – 16 May 1798
In May 1798, the ever-impetuous Sir Richard Strachan’s immoderate reaction to a perceived snub from the French commandant at Le Havre saw his frigate carried into the River Seine and placed at peril from the enemy’s batteries and gunboats.
On 12 May 1798, Captain Sir Richard Strachan in command of the frigate Diamond 38 sailed to resume command of his small squadron off Le Havre, having in company the sloop Fly 14, Commander William Cumberland, and bombs Sulphur 10, Commander James Keith Shepard, and Vesuvius 8, Commander Robert Lewis Fitzgerald. Two days later, Strachan was off the port where he joined the Arethusa 38, Captain Thomas Wolley. Within Le Havre were reportedly four frigates and six sloops ready to sail. According to contemporary British sources, Captain Wolley informed Strachan that he had received a challenge from the French to the effect that they would bring their ships out to fight if they were met by an equal force; however, French sources would later insist that the ‘challenge’ was made solely at the instigation of Captain Strachan.
Whatever the origin of the challenge, ‘Mad Dick’ Strachan was always up for a fight, and at 11 a.m., on 15 May, following a morning of strong breezes and squally showers, the Diamond hove to, hoisted out a cutter, and a lieutenant by the name of Rogers set off for Le Havre under a flag of truce to advise that on Strachan’s word of honour, he would provide a force equal to any that which the French wished to send out, that he would dispatch his other ships away, and that in the event of a British ship being defeated, he would suffer no compatriot to interfere with the French entering port with their prize. An accompanying letter that was also delivered by the lieutenant was written in French and roughly translated as follows:
‘On board the Diamond before Le Havre 15 May 1798.
Sir, I learned that the number of English frigates that used to show up before your harbour prevented your warships from coming out. Consequently, to facilitate their exit, I will take care from now on that there is in your vicinity only the number of forces approximately equal to those you propose to send out’,
Early the next morning, Lieutenant Rogers returned with the disappointing news that the French commandant in Le Havre, a Citoyen Labretèche, had decided not to fight, claiming that it was ‘not in his department to comply’ with the challenge. Apparently irritated with the enemy’s sudden change of heart, and no doubt with his blood up, the impulsive Strachan decided to take his ire out on a number of gunboats and sloops which were logged as standing out from Le Havre, although another source claimed that they were congregated near the pier-head. This move brought the Le Havre batteries into play, and their shot was returned by the Diamond. It left the frigate with many shot in her hull, damage aloft to her rigging and sails, two man shrouds shot away, her mizen topmast and wheel splintered, and one of her main deck guns disabled As darkness set in she steered with the strong flood tide and came to anchor some three miles up the River Seine close to the town of Honfleur on the opposite bank to Le Havre.
British sources later reported that whilst the Diamond was in this predicament, a fort summoned her to strike her colours. Given Strachan’s irascible nature, the vehemence of his reply can only be guessed at, although the newspapers merely reported that ‘he returned for answer, he would beat the town about their ears if they dared to fire a shot at his ship’. Meanwhile, Captain Mathew Henry Scott of the Niger 32 had resolved to assist the Diamond by moving inshore to tackle one of the batteries, but once his frigate got over the bar he realised that she was destined to share the same fate as Strachan’s command, and so having given the Diamond up for as good as lost, the Niger retired back out to sea.
The Diamond was eventually able to tack, but whilst she was still about a mile above Le Havre, eleven French gunboats coming out of the harbour assembled in battle order and moved into the attack. Fearful of the possibility of being overwhelmed by the hordes of troops that were available to Commandant Labretèche, Strachan ordered his men to prepare to receive boarders. At 8.30 p.m. the gunboats began firing at the Diamond and a seventy-five -minute action then ensued, during which the British frigate fired several broadsides from her starboard battery and apparently sunk four of her assailants whilst dispersing the remainder. During this engagement she sustained further superficial damage to her rigging and sails and plenty of shot in her hull, whilst two men were slightly wounded.
.
Even so, when the Diamond ceased firing at about 9.45 p.m. it was the French onshore who were under the conviction that the frigate had either been captured or destroyed. Thus, their shock the next morning at discovering the Diamond back on patrol off the river mouth was no doubt equal to the surprise, but certainly not the delight, that Captain Scott had experienced when observing a blue light coming out of the river at midnight to reveal the fleeing British frigate – with the aid of a breeze that had fortuitously sprung up, the Diamond had been able to stand out and make good her escape with the tide
Despite her injuries, the Diamond was able to remain on station, and shortly afterwards Captain Strachan demanded that the magistrates in Le Havre give up the gunboats. When they unsurprisingly refused, he ordered the bombs to throw some shells into the town to demonstrate that he meant business, although in reality this appears to have been a half-hearted affair, for he had previously let it be known that he would spare all those inhabitants who had not left the town already. The French responded with fire of their own and several men on the British ships were wounded. Thereafter there were sporadic exchanges of fire throughout the rest of the year until Strachan’s command was designated other duties in November, and the hot-headed captain left the coast.