Background Raid on Griessie

in 1804, @ start of napoleonic wars, powerful french squadron operating batavia harbour on dutch island colony of java attacked large , valuable british merchant convoy sailing china near straits of malacca in battle of pulo aura. french attack failure, threat posed british trade passing through strait of malacca french or dutch warships had been demonstrated. determined eliminate threat, commander of royal navy forces in indian ocean—rear-admiral sir edward pellew—ordered frigates reconnoitre dutch naval activity in east indies during summer of 1806. dutch maintained small squadron in region under rear-admiral hartsinck, principally intended operate against pirates, consisting of 3 68-gun ships of line, 3 frigates , number of smaller vessels. despite obsolete nature of many of these ships, nevertheless constituted threat british trade , pellew s frigates raided dutch harbours , merchant shipping extensively during patrols.

at action of 26 july 1806, dutch convoy sailing along southern coast of celebes attacked , defeated 1 of pellew s reconnaissance frigates, hms greyhound. among captured ships dutch frigate pallas , 2 large merchant vessels. 3 months later, frigate hms caroline entered batavia harbour itself, seizing dutch frigate maria riggersbergen @ action of 18 october 1806. these successes encouraged pellew conduct larger scale operation, launching major raid on batavia harbour on 27 november 1806. large squadron sailed bay, surviving dutch ships driven on shore avoid capture, boarding parties under admiral pellew s son captain fleetwood pellew completing destruction setting wrecks on fire.

a number of vessels, including of dutch ships of line, had escaped raid. hartsinck had sought divide forces shortly before pellew s attack , consequently sent number of vessels eastwards along javan coast under american-born dutch officer named captain cowell. cowell s force sheltered in protected anchorage @ town of griessie near sourabaya, 570 mi (500 nmi; 920 km) west of batavia. there squadron rapidly deteriorated 1 ship of line—kortenaar—had broken down sheer hulk , 2 others—pluto , revolutie—were disarmed, cannon transferred batteries on shore.

admiral pellew unable return java in 1807, ships dispersed on separate operations across indian ocean, deploying far west red sea. however, during summer responsibility blockade of french island bases of Île bonaparte , isle de france (now mauritius) passed pellew rear-admiral albemarle bertie @ cape of hope , pellew once again free concentrate against remainder of dutch squadron. during absence of main force, admiral pellew had sent 2 frigates javan waters: caroline under captain peter rainier , hms psyche under son captain fleetwood pellew. these ships rapidly established location , state of dutch ships of line, , separated raid dutch merchant shipping, psyche having considerable success @ semarang on 31 august when captain pellew destroyed 2 dutch vessels, , captured three, including dutch 24-gun corvette scipio, british renamed samarang.