Action of 22 May 1812

22 May 1812, Off Lorient, Brittany

British victory; both French frigates destroyed

Ariane and Andromaque, with the brig Mameluck, had slipped out of Nantes in January 1812 and taken 36 prizes in the Atlantic. The blockading fleet off Brest sent the 74-gun Northumberland under Henry Hotham to wait for them off Lorient. The French met her on the afternoon of 22 May, and an officer of Andromaque who knew the coast offered to take them in by a shallow passage inside the rocks. Under fire from Northumberland, with the shore batteries firing back, the pilot was killed, and both frigates and then the brig ran aground; the passage was only fit for boats. Northumberland drew off to repair her rigging, then came back with the gun-brig Growler, anchored, and bombarded the stranded ships for two hours as the tide fell and they heeled over. Andromaque caught fire and blew up; Ariane, holed and flooding, was burned by her crew. Mameluck was got off the next day. Both captains were found guilty of incompetence. The 80-gun Diadème watched from Lorient, held in by the wind.