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{{Infobox military conflict
|conflict=Action of 10 August 1805
|partof=the [[Trafalgar campaign]] of the [[War of the Third Coalition]]
|image=File:Francis Sartorius - H.M. frigate Phoenix, 36 guns, attacking the French frigate La Didon, 44 guns, 10 August 1805 CSK 12016.jpg
|caption=H.M. frigate ''Phoenix'', attacking the French frigate La ''Didon''. [[Francis Sartorius|Francis Sartorius the younger]].
|date=10 August 1805
|place=off [[Cape Finisterre]]
|coordinates=
|result= British victory
|combatant1= {{flagcountry|United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland}}
|combatant2= {{flagcountry|First French Empire}}
|commander1= {{flagdeco|United Kingdom|naval}} [[Thomas Baker (Royal Navy officer)|Thomas Baker]]
|commander2= {{flagdeco|First French Empire}} Pierre Milius
|strength1=1 frigate
|strength2=1 frigate
|casualties1=12 killed<br/> 28 wounded<ref name="NMSB">{{cite book|title=The Naval and military sketch book, and history of adventure by flood and field|publisher=Oxford University|pages=228–29|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=L4cEAAAAQAAJ&q=Didon+phoenix+1807}}</ref>
|casualties2=1 frigate captured<br> 27 killed<br/> 44 wounded<br/> 260 captured<ref name="LG2">{{London Gazette|date=3 September 1805 |issue=15840|page=1115}}</ref>
|map_type=Europe
|map_relief=1
|map_size=300
|campaignbox={{Campaignbox Trafalgar Campaign}}
{{Campaignbox Trafalgar}}
}}

The '''action of 10 August 1805''' was a minor naval engagement between two [[frigate]]s of the British [[Royal Navy]], {{HMS|Phoenix|1783|6}} and the [[French Navy]] {{HMS|Didon|1805|2}} as part of the [[Napoleonic wars]].<ref name="LG1">{{London Gazette|date=27 August 1805|issue=15838|page=1091}}</ref> After an hour of action ''Didon'' surrendered to ''Phoenix''.<ref name="NMSB"/>

==Background==
[[Thomas Baker (Royal Navy officer)|Thomas Baker]] took command of HMS ''Phoenix'' on 28 April 1803.<ref name="Winfield130">{{cite book |last=Winfield |title=British Warships of the Age of Sail 1794–1817|page=130}}</ref><ref>Tracy (2006), 20.</ref> He was assigned to the [[Channel Fleet]] under Admiral [[William Cornwallis]], and on 10 August 1805 he came across the 40-gun French frigate {{HMS|Didon|1805|2}} off [[Cape Finisterre]].<ref name="Winfield130"/><ref name="Tracy 2006, 20">Tracy (2006), 20</ref>

Prior to the sighting ''Phoenix'' had intercepted an American merchant, en route from [[Bordeaux]] to the United States. The American [[Sea captain|master]] had been invited onto ''Phoenix'', sold the British some of his cargo of wine, and had toured ''Phoenix'' before being allowed to continue on his way.<ref name="James164">{{cite book|last=James|title=The Naval History of Great Britain|page=164}}</ref> ''Phoenix'' had at this time been altered to resemble from a distance a large [[sloop-of-war]]. ''Didon'', which was carrying despatches instructing Rear-Admiral [[Zacharie Allemand]]'s five ships of the line to unite with the combined Franco-Spanish fleet under Vice-Admiral [[Pierre-Charles Villeneuve]], intercepted the American merchant and from him received news that a 20-gun British ship was at sea and might be foolish enough to attack ''Didon''.<ref name="James164"/>

''Didon''{{'}}s commander, Captain Captain Pierre Milius, decided to await the arrival of the British ship, and take her as a prize.<ref name="James164"/>

==Battle==
On 10 August 1805, the two vessels met off [[Cape Finisterre]]. ''Phoenix'' was able to approach and engage ''Didon'' before the French realised that she was a larger frigate than they had anticipated.<ref name="James164"/>  At 8am ''Didon'' hoisted French colours and an hour later the fighting commenced. ''Didon'' opened fire upon ''Phoenix'' still coming down but ''Phoenix'' made no return and Captain Baker intended to pass and engage to [[leeward]] of the French ship. In the meantime ''Didon'' [[Raking fire|raked]] the British frigate while Baker therefore determined to close with his adversary.<ref name="James164"/> ''Phoenix'' ranged up alongside ''Didon'' and engaged within pistol shot but was to far [[windward]] and having too much way upon her soon drew ahead of the French ship.<ref name="NMSB"/> ''Didon'' took advantage of this by luffing across the stern of ''Phoenix'' and poured in a raking [[Broadside (naval)|broadside]].<ref name="LG2"/> She then bore up and again raked ''Phoenix'' and was about to do this again but Baker counteracted the movement. The French crew then made a vigorous but unsuccessful attempt to board in which the [[Royal Marine]]s were able to repel the French boarders.<ref name="James168-9">{{cite book |last=James|title=The Naval History of Great Britain|pages=168–9}}</ref> After this had lasted about three quarters of an hour a breeze sprung up and caused ''Didon'' to forge ahead by which more guns from ''Phoenix'' were brought to bear and they became again engaged broadside to broadside. The superiority of the fire of ''Phoenix'' however soon began to tell and after a short time the two ships separated.<ref name="NMSB"/>
[[File:Francis Sartorius - The capture of La Didon by H.M. frigate Phoenix CSK 12016.jpg|thumb|The capture of La ''Didon'' by ''Phoenix''. Francis Sartorius the younger]]
''Phoenix'', having repaired her damages, was about to renew the action when ''Didon''{{'}}s [[foremast]] soon toppled over. This caused more damage to the already damaged foremast leaving her an unmanageable wreck.<ref name="James168-9"/> With this situation and the heavy casualties ''Didon'' soon struck her colours at {{coord|43|16|N|12|14|W}}.<ref name="LG1"/>

The action lasted several hours, with Baker on one occasion having his hat shot off his head.<ref name="James168-9"/> ''Phoenix'' had twelve killed and 28 wounded; the French sustained losses of 27 killed and 44 wounded.<ref name="LG2"/>

==Consequences==
By intercepting the ship carrying the despatches for Allemand, Baker had unwittingly played a role in bringing about the [[Battle of Trafalgar]], but he was to play an even greater role a few days later, possibly even staving off an [[Napoleon's planned invasion of the United Kingdom|invasion of England]].<ref name="NMSB"/><ref name="Tracy 2006, 20"/> In 1847 the Admiralty awarded the [[Naval General Service Medal (1847)|Naval General service Medal]] with clasp "Phoenix 10 Augt. 1805" to all surviving claimants from the action.

While sailing to Gibraltar with his prize in tow, Baker fell in with the 74-gun {{HMS|Dragon|1798|6}} on 14 August.<ref name="Tracy 2006, 20"/><ref name="James170">{{cite book|last=James|title=The Naval History of Great Britain|pages=170}}</ref> The following day the combined fleet under Villeneuve, heading for [[Brest, France|Brest]] and then on to [[Boulogne]] to escort the French invasion forces across the [[English Channel|Channel]] sighted the three British ships. Villeneuve mistook the British ships for scouts from the Channel Fleet and fled south to avoid an action.<ref name="Tracy 2006, 20"/><ref name="Adkin57">{{cite book|last=Adkin |title=The Trafalgar Companion |page=57}}</ref><ref name="Mostert470">{{cite book |last=Mostert|title=The Line Upon the Wind|page=470}}</ref> A furious [[Napoleon I of France|Napoleon]] raged 'What a Navy! What an admiral! All those sacrifices for nought!'<ref name="Adkin57"/> Villeneuve's failure to press north was a decisive point of the [[Trafalgar Campaign]] as far as the invasion of England went, for abandoning all hope of fulfilling his plans to secure control of the Channel Napoleon gathered the Armée d'Angleterre, now renamed the [[Grande Armée]], and headed east to attack the Austrians in the [[Ulm Campaign]].<ref name="Adkin57"/><ref name="Mostert471">{{cite book |last=Mostert|title=The Line Upon the Wind|page=471}}</ref>

The British ships altered their course and made for [[Plymouth]], where they arrived on 3 September, having prevented an attempt by their French prisoners to capture ''Phoenix'' and retake ''Didon''.<ref name="James171">{{cite book |last=James|title=The Naval History of Great Britain|pages=171}}</ref>

==Citations==
{{Reflist}}

==Bibliography==
* {{cite book|last=Adkin|first=Mark|title=The Trafalgar Companion: A Guide to History's Most Famous Sea Battle and the Life of Admiral Lord Nelson|location=London|publisher=Aurum Press|year=2007|isbn=978-1-84513-018-3|url-access=registration|url=https://archive.org/details/trafalgarcompani0000adki}}
* {{Cite book|first=James|last=Dodsley|title=[[Annual Register]]|year=1854|location=London|publisher=F. J. Rivington|volume=95}}
* {{cite book|last1=Barton|first1=Mark|editor1-last=McGrath|editor1-first=John|title=British Naval Swords and Swordsmanship|date=2013|publisher=Seaforth Publishers|isbn=9781848321359}}
* {{cite book |first=William|last=James|authorlink=William James (naval historian)|title=The Naval History of Great Britain: From the Declaration of War by France in 1793 to the Accession of George IV|year=1837|publisher=R. Bentley|location=London|volume=4}}
* {{cite book|last=Mostert|first=Noel|title=The Line Upon a Wind: The Greatest War Fought At Sea Under Sail: 1793-1815|location=London|publisher=Vintage Books|year=2008|isbn=978-0-7126-0927-2}}
* {{cite book |first=Nicholas|last=Tracy|title=Who's who in Nelson's Navy: 200 Naval Heroes|year=2006|publisher=Chatham Publishing|location=London|isbn=1-86176-244-5}}
* {{cite book |first=Rif|last=Winfield|title=British Warships of the Age of Sail 1794–1817: Design, Construction, Careers and Fates|publisher=Seaforth|year=2007|isbn=978-1-86176-246-7}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:}}

[[Category:Conflicts in 1805]]
[[Category:August 1805 events]]
[[Category:Battles of the War of the Third Coalition]]
[[Category:Naval battles of the Napoleonic Wars involving France]]
[[Category:Naval battles of the Napoleonic Wars involving the United Kingdom]]