Unit/ Formation: Royal Marines
Location: Cruxhaven
Period/ Conflict: Napoleonic Wars
Year: 1809
Date/s: 8 July 1809
A small force consisting of Musquito, the two Cherokee-class brig-sloops Briseis and Ephira, five gun-brigs, including Basilisk, and Patriot and Alert entered the Elbe. There was a battery at Cuxhaven so they anchored out range of its cannons on the 7th July.
Next morning at daylight Goate led a landing party of Marines and Sailors ashore. They were fired on by an advnaced post of the French who then retreated to the battery, before they could attack the battery its 80-man garrison retreated, abandoning their guns.
The British then loaded the battery’s six 24-pounders into vessels lying in the harbour, together with all the shot and military stores they could find and some other small guns.
Next, they blew up the fort and seized two French gunboats, each of two guns. Lastly, the landing party handed the town of Cuxhaven back to the civil governor before returning to its vessels.
Later, Mosquito, Basilisk and Aimable would share in the prize money. Read More/ Web Link: The Naval Chronicles Vol 22