Capture of Abmoyna, 9th February 1810 - 17th February 1810

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Capture of Abmoyna

9th February 1810 - 17th February 1810
Part of : The Napoleonic Wars (1803 - 1815)
Previous action : Capture of Guadeloupe 26.1.1810 - 6.2.1810
Next action : Capture of Santa Maura 21.3.1810 - 16.4.1810
 

United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland

 
British Squadron,
Edward TuckerBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1799-1816
Ship NameCommanderNotes
Dover (38) 1805-1811
British 38 Gun
5th Rate Frigate
1807 Renamed "Dover"
Edward TuckerBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1799-1816
Fleet Flagship
Cornwallis (50) 1805-1862
British 50 Gun
4th Rate Frigate
1811 Renamed "Akbar"
Christopher ColeBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1780-1828
Samarang (18) 1807-1814
British 18 Gun
Unrated Sloop
1808 Renamed "Samarang"
 
 

Kingdom of Holland

 
Ship NameCommanderNotes
Madurense (12) 1810-1810
Dutch 12 Gun
Unrated Brig
 
Name Unknown (12) 1810-1810
Dutch 12 Gun
Unrated Cutter
 
San Pan (10) 1810-1810
Dutch 10 Gun
Unrated Cutter
 
 

Notes on Action


DescriptionTRN5
Rear-Admiral William O'Brien Drury decided to attempt the capture of the important Dutch settlement of Amboyna, in the Moluccas; and on February 9th, in compliance with his directions, the Dover, 38, Captain Edward Tucker, Cornwallis, 44, Captain William Augustus Montagu, and Samarang, 18, Commander Richard Spencer, anchored before the place, which was strongly defended by Victoria Castle, mounting, with its outlying batteries, 215 guns, Wagoo battery, mounting 9 guns, a detached battery, built on piles in the sea and also mounting 9 guns, and two highly placed works, Wannetoo, with 9, and Batto-Gautong, with 5 guns. On the 16th, after the defences had been reconnoitred, the ships weighed, as if intending to relinquish their project and to proceed to sea. Tucker had previously put a landing force into boats, which he kept carefully concealed behind his vessels; and he so managed his squadron that, while it appeared to be working out, it was in reality drifting towards the landing place which had been already selected. When the situation was favourable the boats were slipped by signal, and a force of four hundred and one men, drawn from the Madras European regiment, and from the seamen and Royal Marines of the squadron, was successfully thrown ashore. Wannetoo battery was soon carried, and, after some arduous marching by the troops, the enemy was induced to abandon Batto-Gautong. The fall of these works enabled the ships, which had been exposed in the interval to a heavy fire, to anchor in Portuguese Bay in positions where they could be no longer annoyed. That night Commander Spencer landed with a party and a couple of field-pieces; and, on the following day, the British fire obliged the foe first to abandon Wagoo and the pile battery, and finally to surrender Victoria Castle and the entire island. The only loss on the part of the Navy during the operations was two killed and four or five wounded. The loss on the part of the troops was almost equally insignificant. Three Dutch vessels of war had been sunk in the inner harbour before the surrender. One of these, the Mandarin, 12, was subsequently weighed by the captors.
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