Adriatic campaign Murray Maxwell

la pomone contre les frégates hms alceste et active, pierre julien gilbert

maxwell s notable service came during adriatic campaign of 1807–1814. alceste despatched adriatic sea support james brisbane in absence of william hoste, had been wounded @ battle of lissa in march 1811. on 4 may, maxwell , brisbane led attack on parenza, brig carrying supplies ragusa had taken shelter. seizing island @ mouth of harbour, british established mortar position overlooking anchorage, , sank brig heavy bombardment. in november 1811, temporary absence of brisbane, maxwell became senior officer in adriatic. 7 months later, convoy of french frigates carrying cannon corfu trieste spotted attempting slip past base of operations on island of lissa. ashore in port st. george, maxwell informed telegraph, , led alceste , rest of squadron—hms active , hms unite—in pursuit.

on 29 november, after night s chase, british caught opponents near pelagosa. french force consisted of large frigates pauline , pomone, , armed storeship persanne. in battle followed, unite pursued and, after lengthy chase, seized smaller persanne, while maxwell , james alexander gordon in active engaged frigates. action bitterly contested, british taking 61 casualties, including gordon lost leg. however, alceste , active isolated pomone, , when british ship, hms kingfisher, appeared in distance, pauline fled. alone , having lost heavily, pomone surrendered. prizes later sold along cargo of 200 cannon. maxwell, despite attributing of credit victory wounded gordon, rewarded in 1812 command of hms daedalus, former italian frigate captured @ battle of lissa.