Java campaign of 1806–1807: Difference between revisions

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| conflict = Java campaign of 1806–1807

| partof = the [[Napoleonic Wars]]

| image = Capture of the Maria Riggersbergen, Octr. 18th. 1806.jpg

| image_size = 300

| caption = ''Capture of the Maria Riggersbergen, Octr. 18th 1806'' <br /> [[Thomas Whitcombe]], 1817

| date = June 1806 – December 1807

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}}

The '''Java campaign of 1806–1807''' was a [[military campaign]] of the [[Napoleonic Wars]] in which the [[Royal Navy]] destroyed a squadron of the [[navy of the Kingdom of Holland]] based on [[Java]]. In 1806, [[Rear admiral (UnitedRoyal KingdomNavy)|Rear-admiral]] [[Edward Pellew, 1st Viscount Exmouth|Sir Edward Pellew]] determined that the Dutch squadron, consisting of three [[Ship of the line|ships of the line]] and several smaller warships under [[Vice admiral|Vice-admiral]] [[Pieter Hartsinck]], posed a potential threat to British merchant shipping passing through the [[Strait of Malacca]]. As Pellew lacked the strength to invade Java outright, he instead established a [[blockade]] of the [[Dutch East Indies]]' capital of [[Batavia, Dutch East Indies|Batavia]] and made preparations to engage in targeted naval strikes to isolate and destroy Hartsinck's squadron.

Although he was delayed by inadequate resources and the [[Vellore Mutiny]], Pellew sent the frigate [[HMS Greyhound (1783)|HMS ''Greyhound'']] to the [[Java Sea]] in July 1806. There, she [[Action of 26 July 1806|destroyed a Dutch convoy]] near [[Sulawesi|Celebes]] on 26 July. Nearly three months later, another British frigate, [[HMS Caroline (1795)|HMS ''Caroline'']], captured a Dutch frigate and brig [[action of 18 October 1806|on 18 October]] off Batavia. Building on this momentum, Pellew brought his main force to the region and on 27 November [[Raid on Batavia (1806)|raided Batavia]], destroying the last frigate and several smaller warships of Hartsinck's squadron. As the three ships of the line had escaped to [[Gresik Regency|Griessie]] prior to the raid, Pellew returned in October 1807. His forces [[Raid on Griessie|raided Griessie]] in early December, during which all three ships of the line were scuttled.

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===Attack on Batavia===

{{further|Raid on Batavia (1806)}}

[[File:Thomas Luny - The Frigates Sir Francis Drake and Terpsichore Attacking the Dutch Frigate Phoenix and Other Shipping in Batavia Roads, 1806.jpg|thumb|The British [[Raid on Batavia (1806)|raid on Batavia]] on 27 November 1806]]

Encouraged by the success of his frigates in the Java Sea, Pellew mustered a significant force in the early autumn of 1806, including four ships of the line, two frigates and a brig with which to eliminate the remaining Dutch squadron.<ref name="LG1">{{London Gazette|issue=16044|page=893|date=4 July 1807}}</ref> Reaching the [[Sunda Strait]] on 23 November, Pellew passed by the port of [[Bantam (city)|Bantam]] and on 27 November reached Batavia, splitting his forces so that the lighter vessels sailed close to shore and the ships of the line remained in deeper water outside the channel entering the harbour. A corvette was captured, and the rest of the Dutch squadron was taken by surprise, mistaking Pellew's force for a French squadron.<ref name="WLC392">Clowes, p. 392</ref> By the time their mistake was revealed, the harbour was already blocked and so Captain [[F. W. C. van de Sande]] drove ''Phoenix'' ashore, followed by six other warships and 22 merchant ships.<ref name="WJ268">James, Vol. 4, p. 268</ref>

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Java, campaign of 1806-1807}}

[[Category:Java campaign of 1806–1807| ]]

[[Category:1806 in the Dutch East Indies]]

[[Category:1807 in the Dutch East Indies]]

[[Category:19th century in Java]]

[[Category:Naval battles involving the Netherlands]]

[[Category:Naval battles of the Napoleonic Wars involving the United Kingdom]]