Battle of the Saints

[shipstamps]

Anguilla, the small West Indian island, issued a set of five stamps in strip form to present a composite picture of the major British victory that ended the French threat to the West Indies on April 12, 1782, the Battle of the Saints. It was named after the Saintes Passage between the islands of Dominica and Guadeloupe during the American Revolution.
A French fleet of 34 ships under the Comte De Grasse, having sailed from Martinique on April 8 to attack Jamaica, was intercepted by a British fleet of 36 ships under the command of Admiral Sir George Rodney. On April 9, the British van, under Rear-Admiral Sir Samuel Hood, having caught up with the French rear, was threatened by De Grasse until the arrival of Rodney with the rest of the fleet relieved it. The French withdrew and on the night of the 10th two of their ships, the Zele (74 guns) ran foul of the Jason (64 guns), damaging her so badly that she had to make for Guadaloupe. Next morning the damaged Zele and a French 80-gun ship disabled aloft could be seen straggling to leeward of their consorts. Rodney signalled a general chase. By afternoon some half-dozen British ships were close enough to the two crippled vessels to induce De Grasse to bear down to their assistance, to prevent them being captured. The French admiral altered course, so that a general action occurred on April 12. The two fleets approached each other on opposite courses and might have passed each other with the customary ineffective carronade had the wind not shifted, so that two French ships were taken aback. This accident created two gaps in the French line of battle, into one of which Rodney, in H.M.S. Formidable, led his centre division, while Capt. E. Afflek, in H.M.S. Bedford, with the rear division, sailed through the other gap.
A line of battle was thus broken for the first time in nearly a century of naval warfare. This is the scene depicted on the set of five stamps. H.M.S. Formidable can be seen well ahead of the other British ships, in the centre (25c stamp), engaging the Ville de Paris, flagship of De Grasse. The Formidable, 90 guns, was considered the best 3-decker in the Royal Navy at that time, according to one naval historian, who states that she was the only ship fit for foreign service when taken over by Rodney in 1781. She was built at Chatham Dockyard in 1777 and was a 2nd Rate of 1,945 tons (b.m), 178 ft. in length, 50 ft. beam. She was made a 3rd rate of 74 guns in 1813 and was broken up at Chatham in that year.
To the left of her in the picture (on the right of the 15c stamp) is H.M.S. Agamemnon, often referred to as "Nelson's Agamemnon". She was laid down at Adams' yard, Buckler's Hard, in May 1777 and launched on April 10, 1781. Her tonnage was 1,384, on dimensions 161 x 44 x 19 ft. Her timbers were of oak from the New Forest, and armament was 26 24-pdr., 26 18-pdr. and 12 12-pdr. guns; with a complement of 491. The Agamemnon had distinguished herself in her first action in December 1781, when under Capt.
Benjamin Caldwell she was one of a fleet of 12 ships of the line and six frigates and small craft, under Rear-Admiral Kempenfeldt, with his flag in the Victory.
They met Rear-Admiral de Guichen with 19 ships of the line and a large convoy 150 miles to the S.W. of Ushant on December 12. De Guichen had allowed his convoy to become scattered and the British ships swooped down and captured 20 of them, including 15 prizes, intended for the West Indies, laden with military stores of great value.
The Agamemnon was under the same captain in the Saints battle. She came under Nelson's command off Toulon in 1793 and later in the same year was in action with three French frigates off Sardinia. The following year she was at the capture of Bastia and Calvi in Corsica, where Nelson lost his right eye. Some of her many honours include a great fight with the Ca Ira in 1795, when Nelson said the Frenchman was large enough to take his ship in her hold. His opinion of the Agamemnon was that she was "without exception the finest '64' in the Service." In 1796 Nelson left his favourite ship for higher duties, after he was promoted. At Trafalgar the Agamemnnon was under command of Capt. Sir Edward Berry. The following year, 1796, she was one of the ships deeply implicated in the Mutiny at the Nore. There was a fierce struggle aboard and eventually the crew hauled down the red flag and gave themselves up. The men demanded more pay, more leave, a more equitable distribution of prize money, a moderation of the harshness contained in the Articles of War, and other things. Many were hanged, some were flogged from ship to ship, and a large number were imprisoned. In 1801 the Agamemnon was at the bombardment of Copenhagen, commanded by Capt. Robert Fancourt. She was at the action off Ferrol on July 22, 1805, commanded by Capt. John Harvey, On October 21. 1805, the Agamemnon, captained by Sir Edward Berry, took part in the Battle of Trafalgar. During the last months of 1807 the Agamemnon, under Capt. Jonas Rose, took part in the blockade of Lisbon. She then proceeded to Brazil, and on June 20, 1809, she was wrecked and lost in the River Plate, a sad end to one of Britain's finest ships.
On the left hand side of the 15c stamp is H.M.S. Duke, a 2nd rate of 90 guns, 1,931 tons (b.m.), length 177'/2 ft., beam 50 ft. She was built at Plymouth Dockyard in 1777, and was known as the "tremendous Duke" because of her figurehead of Butcher Cumberland in his red coat. She was under command of Capt. Gardner, who was startled to discover French ships to his port side and before he realised it, owing to a change of wind, he was sailing through the enemy line. As he confessed later, his first horrified thought was that he might, like Byng, be shot on his own quarter-deck for this appalling transgression. He was relieved, on looking astern, to see his commander-in-chief in the Formidable, followed by other ships, doing exactly the same thing. In the resultant action the Duke's main topmast was shot away, her casualties being 13 killed and 61 wounded. The ship was in service until 1799, and then on harbour duties until broken up in 1843.
Three other ships of the Royal Navy are seen on the stamps. In the centre stamp is H.M.S. Namur, following the Formidable, and in turn being followed by H.M.S. Canada, while on the 50c stamp is H.M.S. St. Albans. The Namur was a 2nd rate of 90 guns, 1,814 tons (b.m.), length 175 ft., beam 49 ft., built at Chatham Dockyard in 1756. She was converted into a 3rd Rate, 74-gun ship in May 1805; and on harbour duties from September 1807, until sold for breaking up, at Chatham in May 1833. At the Battle of the Saints she was under command of Capt. R. Fanshaw. Casualties were six killed and 23 wounded.
H.M.S. Canada, was a 3rd rate, of 74 guns, 1,605 tons (b.m.), 170 ft. long, 47 ft. beam, built at Woolwich Dockyard, 1765. She was converted into a prison ship in March 1810, and was broken up at Chatham in 1834. At the Battle of the Saints she was commanded by rapt. W. Cornwallis Her casualties were two killed and 23 wounded. She accepted the surrender of the French Hector, seen sinking afterwards on the 50c stamp.
H.M.S. St. Albans, another 3rd Rate, 64 guns, 1,380 tons (b.m.) was built at Blackwall, by Perry, in 1764. She was converted into a floating battery in September 1803, and was broken up in 1814. She was under command of Capt. C. Inglis, at the Saints, but although her main topmast was badly damaged, her casualties were only six men injured.
Anguilla SG112-116 St Lucia SG617.

[john sefton]

The Battle of the Saintes (12th April 1782) ended the French hopes or regaining West Indies possessions as well as British islands in the area. In this battle Admiral Sir George Rodney noticed a change in the wind as the two fleets were jockeying for position and he immediately lowered his helm and took advantage of the chance to break through the French line just abaft the centre division. Admiral Hood commanding the rear, emulated his commander-in-chief and sliced through the enemy lines just abaft the van. The French line of battle was turned into three disorganised factions. Their morale broke and the British wrought dreadful havoc. De Grasse and his flagship Ville de Paris were captured. The remainder of the French ships, those which had not been captured or sunk, fled from the scene in disarray. Not only was Jamaica saved but the long string of islands which the French had captured with so much pain and labour were now returned to British control. French Polynesia SG212

[aukepalmhof]

The Saint Lucia stamp issued in 1982 of 35c is designed after a painting made by Thomas Whitcombe painted in 1783 which shows us the "Battle of the Saints" according Wikipedia the painting shows the HMS BARFLEUR attacking the French warship VILLE DE PARIS, the BARFLEUR is in the centre with on the right the VILLE DE PARIS.

Barbuda 1975 35c sg223, scott? Till so far not found after which painting the stamp was designed.