On the 20th of September 1811, the HMS Naiad, under the command of Captain Philip Carteret, was engaged by a flotilla of French gunboats off the coast of Boulogne. The French ships were comprised of seven praams, under the command of Rear-Admiral Baste, each mounted with twelve 24-pounders, ten brigs, each mounted with four long 24-pounders, and one sloop, mounted with two long 24-pounders. The praams approached the Naiad, which remained at anchor. During the first 45 minutes of action, the praams fired upon the Naiad, after which the remaining ships reinforced them. The French continued to fire for two more hours, only to disengage and return under the protection of shore batteries. Carteret weighed anchor an attempted to close with the flotilla, but the wind calmed and the Naiad took up its original position. The Naiad did not suffer any casualties.

For more on today’s event, see http://www.london-gazette.co.uk/issues/16524/pages/1861