Java campaign of 1806–1807: Difference between revisions

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Observing two ships at anchor in Semarang roads, Pellew sent in his ship's boats on the morning of 31 August under the command of Lieutenant Kersteman. Despite heavy fire from batteries on shore, Kersteman successfully towed the vessels out without suffering any casualties, capturing an 8-gun [[schooner]] and a merchant brig.<ref name="LG3"/> While the boats were engaged at Semarang, Pellew sighted three vessels cruising off the mouth of the harbour and hastily set fire to the prizes and reclaimed his boats, setting off in pursuit. At 15:30, with ''Psyche'' rapidly overtaking the Dutch ships, their captains deliberately drove the vessels ashore approximately {{convert|9|nmi|mi km|lk=on|abbr=on}} west of Semarang. ''Psyche'' closed with the grounded ships and exchanged fire with them at long range, the shallow coastal water preventing a close range engagement. At 16:30, just as Pellew was hoisting out his boats in preparation for a boarding action, one of the ships surrendered. Within minutes, the others followed, firing final broadsides and [[striking the flag|hauling down their colours]].<ref name="WLC239">Clowes, p. 239</ref> The surrendered ships were boarded and refloated, their identities established as the 24-gun [[corvette]] Scipio, the armed merchant ship ''Resolutie'' and the 12-gun Dutch East India Company ship ''Ceres''. Dutch casualties are unknown but the commander of the convoy—Captain Carriage—was killed in the brief engagement, while ''Psyche'' survived the action without a man killed or wounded. All of the prisoners were landed at Semarang under terms of parole, as many of Pellew's men were away from the ship in prizes and men could not be spared to watch the Dutch prisoners.<ref name="LG4">{{London Gazette|issue=16137|page=537|date=16 April 1808}}</ref>

In the summer of 1807, responsibility for the blockade of the French Indian Ocean bases passed from Pellew at Madras to Rear-Admiral [[Sir Albemarle Bertie, 1st Baronet|Albemarle Bertie]] at the [[Cape of Good HopeColony]]. This enabled Pellew to concentrate on the Dutch East Indies and temporarily relocate his base to [[Malacca Town|Malacca]] on the [[Malay Peninsula]].<ref name="RG82"/> Following the reports of his scouting frigates, Pellew sailed from Malacca with a squadron of ships on 20 November, intending to destroy the remaining Dutch vessels on Java. Arriving at the [[Madura Strait]] on 5 December, Pellew sent a small boat party to Griessie with a demand that the Dutch authorities surrender the ships. However, Captain Cowell—the[[William Cowell (naval officer)|William Cowell]], an American-born officer in the Dutch navalnavy, commander—refusedrefused the demand and arrested the boat party, notifying Pellew of his actions and preparing his defences. The following day, Pellew sailed his squadron into the Straits, exchanging fire with a gunDutch shore battery at Sambelangan on [[Madura Island]].<ref name="WLC240">Clowes, p. 240</ref>

As Pellew's squadron neared Griessie, a message arrived from the Dutch civilian governor at Sourabaya, reversing Cowell's orders and offering a full surrender. Pellew accepted the message and on 7 December his ships entered Griessie. However, during the time it had taken to exchange messages, Cowell had ordered thatthe scuttling of all shippingships in Griessie harbour be destroyed to prevent thethem Britishfrom gainingfalling controlinto ofBritish ithands.<ref name="WJ358">James, Vol. 4, p. 358</ref> The ships were scuttled in shallow water, leaving only wrecked hulls for the British to claim. Pellew ordered the hulls burned, and British landing parties investigatedentered the town, burning and destroying all military supplies and cannon they found. Another British party landed at Sambelangan and demolished the battery there. Pellew withdrew on 11 December, his ambition of destroying the Dutch naval presence in the East Indies squadron complete.<ref name="RG83">Gardiner, p. 83</ref>

==Aftermath==