The Long Fight
by D. A. Rayner
SNT 1969-07-26
64K - Mono
It is nearing midnight on March 1st in the year of Napoleon, 1808. Relentlessly, the aged 38-gun British warship, San Fiorenzo, a
third of her crew laid low with fever, forges her way westward across the unseasonably gale-swept Bay of Bengal. Recalled from
patrol by fast Dhow sent out by the Governor of Ceylon, she is bound for the Port of Galle and to an encounter which will become
part of British naval history.
In the path of a convoy of three India merchantmen bound for the British Port of Galle, Ceylon, lurks the French raider Piémontaise
with five hundred fighting fit men on board. Guarding the convoy is the elderly frigate San Fiorenzo under her young, inexperienced
Captain Hardinge, out gunned, out manned, her crew weakened by malaria. But in the thrust and parry of their epic sea battle, it is
the young Britisher who dares all to win.
A fictional account of a factual battle between HM Frigate San Fiorenzo and the French raider Piémontaise off the coast of Mauritus
in 1808.
Dramatised for radio by Philip Barker from D. A. Rayner's 1958 novel, "The Long Fight".
With William Fox [Captain George Nicholas Hardinge], John Bentley [William Dawson, his first lieutenant], John Gabriel [Mons.
Epron, Capitaine de Vaisseaux, his French advasary], John Brining [Lieutenant Donovan], David Spencer [Lieutenant Bowers],
Harry Webster [Surgeon Ward], Michael Deacon [Marsingall], Garard Green [Bosen / ADC], Charles Leno [Senior Hand
Glencarrow], Brian Haines [John Booth], Peter Williams [Stower / Governor of Ceylon], Kevin Flood [O'Donnell], Malcolm Hayes
[Lieutenant Charles Morerau], Nicholas Amir [Lieutenant Shoy], Michael Deacon [Lieutenant Le Poisson], Peter Baldwin [Pierre],
and Leonard Fenton [Andre].
Produced by Archie Campbell
Note: D. A. Rayner was the first RNVR Officer given command of a Destroyer in WWII.
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The St. Fiorenzo and the Piémontaise - 1808
For two years, 1806 to 1808, the French frigate Piémontaise,46, cruised the Indian Ocean disrupting British trade. On 21 June 1806
she fell in with the East Indiaman Warren Hastings, Thomas Larkins, Master, south of Réunion, and reduced her to a wreck in four
and a half hours. Out of control, the Indiaman ran aboard the French ship as boats were being lowered to take possession of her
and, in a rage a French party under Lieut. Charles Morerau, who was said to be drunk, dashed on board the merchantman and
stabbed Larkins, the Surgeon, the Second Officer, a midshipman and a boatswain`s mate with daggers. On 24 September she
captured British East Indiaman Fame, James Jameson, Master. The French lost 6 killed and 11 wounded, the British ship 1 killed
and 6 wounded.
The following letter was received at the Admiralty Office, London, on 17th of December 1808 from Rear-admiral Sir Edward Pellew,
Bart. Commander-in-Chief of his Majesty`s ships and vessels in the East Indies, to the Hon.H. W. W. Pole. First Secretary of the
Admiralty
His Majesty`s Ship CULLODEN in Bombay Harbour.
13th of April 1808.
SIR,
I request you will submit to the Right Hon. the Lords Comissioners of the Admiralty, the enclosed letter from Lieutenant William
Dawson, acting in the command of his Majesty`s ship St. Fiorenzo, stating the particulars of the capture of la Piedmontaise, French
frigate, mounting 50 guns, on the 8th ult. in the Gulph of Manaar.
In making this communication to their Lordships I am desirous of expressing those mingled sentiments of admiration and concern
which I experience in the loss of Captain George Nicholas Hardinge, who fell in the moment of victory, after having exerted, during
three successive days, the most remarkable zeal, gallantry, and judgment in the conduct of this very brilliant action. His Majesty`s
Service has been thus deprived of a most excellent and distinguished officer, of whom the highest expectations have been justly
formed, from a knowledge of his many great and excellent qualities.
The merits of Lieut. Wm. Dawson, upon whom the command devolved after the death of Captain Hardinge, is already well known
to the board by his gallant behaviour on a former occasion, when he was severely wounded at the capture of the Psyche frigate by
the St. Fiorenzo, in which nearly the whole of her present officers and crew had the honour to share.
The manner in which he continued the action, which had been so nearly concluded by his lamented captain, and finally conducted it
to a successful issue, will, doubtless secure to him the high approbation and recompense of their Lordships.
The undaunted bravery, the animated and persevering exertions of every officer, seaman, and marine on board the St. Fiorenzo,
have been truly worthy of the beloved country in whose cause they have been so nobly engaged; the public gratitude will be
commensurate with their eminent services.
I learn that the St. Fiorenzo has arrived with her prize in safety at Columbo, from whence she may shortly be expected at this port.
I have the honour to be &c.
EDWARD PELLEW
His Majesty`s Ship St. FIORENZO, at Sea,
6th of March, 1808.
SIR,
It is with great regret I have to inform you of the death of Capt. Hardinge, late of His Majesty`s ship St. Fiorenzo, who fell gloriously
in the early part of an action on the 8th instant, between his Majesty`s ship St. Fiorenzo, and the French national frigate la
Piedmontaise.
The St. Fiorenzo sailed from Point de Galle on Friday the 4th inst. at half past eleven A.M.. On The 6th, at seven A.M passed three
Indiamen, and shortly after, saw a frigate bearing N.E.. We immediately hauled our wind in chase, and made all sail, being at that
time in lat. 7 deg. 32 min. long 77 deg. 58 min. We made the private signal, which was not answered; and at five showed our colours,
which the enemy took no notice of. At forty minutes past eleven P.M. we ranged alongside of him on the larboard tack, and received
his broadside. Alter engaging till fifty minutes past eleven P.M. within a cable`s length, the enemy made sail ahead, out of the range
of our shot; we ceased firing, and made all sail after him; continuing to come up with him till daylight, when finding he could not avoid
an action, he wore, as did we also. At twenty-five minutes past six recommenced the action, at the distance of half a mile, gradually
cIosing with him to a quarter of a mile. The fire was constant and well-directed on both sides, though that of the enemy slackened
towards the later part of the action. At a quarter past eight P.M. the enemy made all sail away. Our main-topsail-yard being shot
through, the main-royal-mast, and both main-topmast-stays, the mainspring-stay, and most of the standing and running rigging, and
all our sails shot to pieces, and most of our cartridges fired away (as our guns were directed at his hull he was nut much disabled
about his rigging), we ceased firing, and employed all hands in repairing the damage sustained, and fitting the ship again for action.
From the great injury our masts, yards and sails had received, I am sorry to observe that it was not in our power to chase to renew
the action immediately; We however, succeeded in keeping sight of him during the night; and at nine A.M. on the 8th. the ship being
perfectly prepared for action, we bore down upon the enemy under all sail; he did not endeavour to avoid us till we hauled athwart
his stern, for the purpose of gaining the weather gage, and bringing him to close fight, when he hauled up also, and made all sail;
but perceiving that we came fast up with him, and that an action was inevitable, he tacked, and at three we passed each other on
opposite tacks, and recommenced action within a quarter of a cable`s length. With grief. I have to observe that our brave captain
was killed by a grape-shot the second broadside. When the enemy was abaft our beam he wore, and, after an hour and twenty
minutes close action, struck their colours, and waved their hats for a boat to be sent them. She proved to be Ia Piedmontais,
commanded by Mons. Epron, Capitaine de Vaisseaux ; she mounted 50 guns, long 18-pounders on her main-deck, and
36-pounder carronades on her quarter- deck. She had 366 Frenchmen on board, and nearly 200 Lascars, who worked their sails,
She sailed from the Isle of France on the 30th December. In the action she had 48 killed and 112 wounded. The St. Fiorenzo has 13
killed and 25 wounded; and most of the latter are in a most promising way. A list of them I have the honour to inclose for your
information. The enemy was cut to pieces in his masts, bowsprit, and rigging; and they all went by the board during the night.
It is now a pleasing part of my duty to recommend to your particular notice the cool, steady, and gallant conduct of Lieutenants
Edward Davies and Henry George Moysey; the latter, I am sorry to add, was severely wounded about ten minutes before the
enemy struck. I also experienced very great assistance from Mr. Donovan, the master, by the judicious and seamanlike manner
in which he laid us close alongside the enemy. To Lieutenant Samuel Ashmore, of the royal marines, I am much indebted for the
cool and determined courage evinced by him through the whole action. Indeed, every officer, petty officer, seaman, and marine in
the ship behaved in the most brave and gallant manner, and nobly maintained the preminence of the British flag. In the first boat
from the prize came Mr. W. F. Black, assistant surgeon of his Majesty`s 86th regiment, capturedby the Piedmontaise on his
passage to Madras, who rendered the surgeon great assistance.
I am also much indebted to the officers of the army, and the captains and officers of the country ships, who were prisoners on board
the enemy, for the great assistance they afforded us with their lascars in erecting jury masts, and working the ship into port, as from
our weak state, and the great number of prisoners on board us, we could spare but few hands from our own ship to send on board
the prize.
I have the honour to be, &c.
WILLIAM DAWSON.
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To Sir Edward Pellew, Bart. Rear-admiral
of the Red, and Commander in Chief of
all his Majestey`s ships and vessels in the East
Indies.
List of Officers, Seamen, and Marines killed and wounded on board his Majestey`s Ship St. Fiorenzo, in Action with Ia. Piemontaise
French National Frigate, on the 6th, 7th, and 8th March, 18O8.
Wounded on the 6th.
William Pitt, seaman, sIightly ; John Treacy, supernumerary seaman, ditto; William Miller, seaman, ditto.
Killed on the 7th.
Thomas Martin, seaman; Charles Smallwood, ditto; Robert Currell, ditto ; John Middleton, ditto ; William Mcad, supernumary
seaman; William Martin, marine; John Luff, ditto ; Joseph Litchfield, ditto.
Wounded on the 7th.
John Meadows, seaman, dangerously, since dead; William Baldwin, seaman, lost a leg since dead; George Byng, seaman,
severelv ; John Finch, seaman, ditto; Francis Jackman, seaman, ditto; Walter Boze seaman, ditto; William Long, seaman, ditto ;
John Acton, seaman, lost two arms; Philip Ulrick, seaman, severely; Willian Wakefield, seaman, lost an arm; Richard Lock,
seaman, slightly ; William John Brown, quartermaster, ditto; John Collier, seaman, ditto; Benjamin Pool, marine ditto.
Killed on the 8th.
George Nicholas Hardinge, Esq. captain; John Beer, seaman; John Burn, ditto; Evan Jones, marine.
Wounded on the 8th.
Henry George Moysey, lieutenant, severeIy; Thomas Gadsby, carpenter`s mate, ditto; Thomas Clerk, seaman, dangerously; Johu
M`Ewen, corporal of marines, ditto; Charles Richards, marine, lost an arm; Wm. Pope, marine, dangerously, since dead; Henry
Thorn, boatswain`s mate, slightly; William Davis, seaman, ditto; Ceorge Auger, seaman, ditto.
W. DAWSON
Some notes - Hardinge was born on 11 April 1781 and he had been a post captain since April 1804. Lieut. Dawson was posted on 9
March 1809 but he died on 29 September 1811. The French say that they had fired off all their 18 pdr and 8-pdr shot when they
surrendered, but Piémontaise had been cruising since early in 1806, so it is not surprising. Her gunlocks were also supposed to
been out of order during the final action and the slow match was poor. Fifty Frenchmen were absent in prizes. San Fiorenzo also
had prize crews detached and there was sickness on board. One of her lieutenants was ill ashore.
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The factual record:
On the 4th of March, at 11 h. 30 m. A. M., the British 18-pounder 36-gun frigate San-Fiorenzo, Captain George Nicholas Hardinge,
sailed from Pointe de Galle, Ceylon, on her return to Bombay. On the 6th, at 7 A. M., latitude 7° 32' north, longitude 77° 58' east, the
San-Fiorenzo passed, off Cape Comorin, the three East India Company's ships, Charlton, Captain George Wood, Metcalfe, Captain
Matthew Isacke, and Devonshire, Captain James Murray, from Bombay bound to Columbo ; and shortly afterwards discovered on
her starboard beam, in the north-east, the French 40-gun frigate Piémontaise, Captain Epron, advancing to intercept the Indiamen.
The San-Fiorenzo immediately hauled to the wind in-shore, under all sail, and the French frigate, finding herself pursued, changed
her course and stood away. The Piémontaise had sailed from the Isle of France on the 30th of the preceding December. Her
intended mode of attack upon the Indiamen is represented to have been, to board the first with 150 men, and then stand on and
cannonade the two others until they surrendered.
At 5 P. M., having previously made the private signal, the San-Fiorenzo hoisted her colours, but the French frigate paid no attention
to either. Captain Hardinge now pressed forward in pursuit ; and at 11 h. 40 m. P. M., being still on the larboard-tack, the
San-Fiorenzo ranged alongside the Piémontaise and received her broadside. After a ten minutes' action fought within 200 yards,
the Piémontaise made sail ahead out of the range of her opponent's shot. The San-Fiorenzo, whose loss, owing to the high firing of
the Piémontaise, amounted to only three seamen slightly wounded, made sail in chase, and by daylight on the 7th had so gained
upon the French frigate, that the latter, seeing a renewal of the engagement was unavoidable, hoisted her colours and wore, in
order to bring her broadside to bear.
At 6 h. 20 m. A. M., being within half a mile of the San-Fiorenzo, who had also wore, the Piémontaise fired her broadside, and the
action recommenced, the two frigates gradually closing to a quarter of a mile. The fire was constant and well-directed on both
sides, until 8 h. 5 m. A. M., when that of the French frigate visibly slackened. At 8 h. 15 m., having discharged her whole broadside,
the Piémontaise ceased firing, and made sail before the wind, leaving the San-Fiorenzo with her maintopsail yard shot through,
main royal-mast shot away, both main topmast-stays, the spring-stay, and the greater part of the standing and running rigging and
sails, cut to pieces, and therefore not in a condition for an immediate chase. Under these circumstances, the fire of the British
frigate could only continue while her retreating opponent remained within gun-shot. The San-Fiorenzo's loss, by the morning's
action, amounted to eight seamen and marines killed and 14 wounded. The remainder of the day was occupied by the
San-Fiorenzo in repairing her damages, and in a vain pursuit of the Piémontaise, who crowded sail to the eastward, and at 9 P. M.
disappeared.
At midnight the French frigate again showed herself, bearing east, and at daylight on the 8th was about four leagues distant. At 9
A. M., being perfectly refitted, the San-Fiorenzo bore up under all sail. At noon the Piémontaise hoisted a Dutch jack but at 2 h. 15 m.
P. M. changed it to an English ensign. The San-Fiorenzo was now fast approaching ; nor did the Piémontaise avoid the British
frigate until the latter hauled athwart her stern, in order to gain the weathergage and bring on a close action. To frustrate this
manoeuvre, the French frigate, who now appeared with her proper colours, hauled up also, and made all sail. Perceiving, however,
that the superior sailing of the San-Fiorenzo rendered a battle unavoidable, the Piémontaise tacked ; and at 4 P. M. the two frigates,
when passing each other, on opposite tacks, at the distance of not more than 80 yards, reopened their fire.
In the second broadside from the French frigate a grape-shot killed Captain Hardinge; whereupon the command of the
San-Fiorenzo devolved upon Lieutenant William Dawson. As soon as she had got abaft her opponent's beam, the Piémontaise
wore; and at 5h. 49 m. P. M., after a well-fought action, one hour and one hour and 20 minutes of it close, and during which she had
all her rigging and sails cut to pieces, her three masts and bowsprit badly wounded, and a great proportion of her numerous crew
placed hors de combat, the French frigate hauled down her colours ; some of her people, at the same time, waving their hats for
a boat to be sent to them.
The loss sustained by the San-Fiorenzo in the third day's action, although numerically less than that on the second day, was more
serious, as it included among the killed her truly gallant captain : * the remaining killed of that day consisted of four seamen and
marines, and the wounded, of one lieutenant (Henry George Moysey, severely) and seven seamen and marines. This made the
total British loss, on the three days, 13 killed and 25 wounded. The Piémontaise, besides her regular crew of 366 Frenchmen, had
200 Lascars (prisoners taken out of some captured Indiamen), to work the sails. Out of these 566 in crew and supernumeraries, the
French frigate lost 48 officers, seamen, marines, and Lascars killed, and 112 wounded.
The force of the San-Fiorenzo, in guns and men, has already appeared. In her armament there was no alteration ; but, it respect to
crew, the ship was so greatly deficient, owing to the sickness of some men and the absence of others in prizes, as to muster no
more than 186 men and boys; a circumstance which, singular enough, the British official account has omitted to notice.
The force of the Piémontaise has also been fully stated at a former page ; but, instead of 46 guns, as there particularized, Lieutenant
Dawson, in his letter, says : " She (the Piémontaise mounts fifty guns, long 18-pounders on the main deck, and 36-pound
carronades on her quarterdeck " No other of the few accounts that have been published is more precise; and yet, according to the
navy-office draught of the Piémontaise the ship could mount 24 carriage guns only of a side, 14 on the main deck, seven on the
quarterdeck, and three on the forecastle. Her two maindeck bow-ports, if filled, would make 50 guns in all, but even this would add
nothing to her broadside-force. Under these circumstances, and particularly as it is a French ship whose force is to be stated, we
shall consider the Piémontaise in her action with the San-Fiorenzo, to have mounted the same guns as she did a year and nine
months before, in her action with the Warren-Hastings.
We cannot pay a higher compliment to the victorious party in this case, than to rank the action of the San-Fiorenzo and Piémontaise
with that of the Phoenix and Didon. § The odds in each action, except in point of crew, were nearly the same. The Piémontaise was
certainly not so manfully fought as the Didon.
The former began to run from the first ; and it was that constant avoidance of her opponent, which protracted the contest to the third
day. The actual engagement, however, did not, as it appears, last altogether more than four hours and five minutes ; ten minutes on
the first day, two hours and five minutes on the second, and one hour and 50 minutes on the third. The action, on the part of the British
frigate, was conducted with as much skill as gallantry ; but neither skill nor gallantry would have availed, had the San-Fiorenzo not
excelled her antagonist in a third quality, swiftness of sailing.
Soon after daylight on the morning of the 9th the three masts of the Piémontaise fell over her side. In this state she was taken in tow
bye the San-Fiorenzo ; and on the 13th the two frigates cast anchor in the road of Columbo, island of Ceylon, where, by order of the
governor, Lieutenant-general Maitland, the highest military honours were paid to the remains of the San-Fiorenzo's late youthful
captain. Her present commanding officer received, we believe, the customary promotion, but did not long survive the reward of his
gallantry. The Piémontaise was afterwards purchased for the British navy, and classed among the large 38s.
Aware of the latitude allowed to a " Biographical Memoir " in the " Naval Chronicle," we should not feel disposed to find fault with its
editor for stating, even in the high-flown, and not always intelligible, language of the Reverend James Stanier Clarke, one of the
co-authors of the " Life of Nelson, " that " a superannuated frigate of thirty-eight guns, " had captured a French frigate armed with "fifty
long 18-pounders;" * but our duty compels us to reprobate the introduction of so gross a falsehood into a solemn memorial
presented to the king in council. A document of this kind, presented by Mr. George Hardinge, uncle to the deceased captain,
praying for an augmentation to the armorial bearings of the family, contains the following statement : " Your memorialist represents
to your majesty, that your ship, the St. Fiorenzo, carried thirty-eight guns, and mustered 186 men, including officers ; that la
Piémontaise carried fifty guns, long 18-pounders, and had on board 566 men. " It is not added, that 200 of these were Lascars and
prisoners. Had this, memorial met the fate of thousands of others, no harm would have been done ; but, unfortunately for the cause
of truth, in the next London Gazette appears an order, in which the king himself is made to declare, that his frigate carried " only thirty
eight guns. "
Replies
Rick -
Thanks for filling my mp-3 player with the best offerings ever!!!
Bob
Thank you.
Thanks for sharing
I have the play, but all the text material is excellent.
Thanks