The Atlantic campaign of 1806.

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Captain. Jean-Michel Mahé.





Born: 12 October 1776
Entered naval service either commercial or military position: 1789
Captain de fregate: 9 November 1804
Captain de vaisseau 2nd class: 12 July 1808
Member of the Legion d’Honneur: 28 March 1812
Wounds recieved while in the service of France: None
Died: 20 February 1833.

Mahé started his career in the merchant Navy in 1789, and became an Midshipman in the Navy on 16 April 1794. He served on the fluyt Duras before embarking on Montagne, flagship of Villaret-Joyeuse on which he took part in the Glorious First of June.

From October 1794, he served on the frigate Fraternité, on which he took part in the Battle of Groix on 23 June 1795 under Lieutenant Florinville. He then served on the brig-aviso Impatient, the lugger Titus and the felucca Fort.
On 7 July 1797, he was promoted to Ensign and given command of the schooner Gentille, escorting convoys off Bretagne. He served twice on the corvette Réolaise, captained the gunboat Caroline in the summer of 1800, and returned on Impatient from October 1800 to January 1801.

In February, he embarked on the frigate Chiffone and took part in the capture of the Portuguese frigate Hirondelle on 16 May 1801. On 16 June, Chiffone captured the East Indiaman Bellona on her way from Bengal to London. Mahé was given command of the captured ship, and a prize crew took Bellona to Mauritius where she arrived a month later. Mahé then returned to France on the merchantman Aventure.
On his return, Mahé was given command of the aviso Vigie, and promoted to Lieutenant on 5 March 1803. On 9 November 1804, he was promoted to Commander and became first officer on Bucentaure in December 1804. On 23 February, he was given command of the frigate Hermione, on which he took part in the capture of HMS Cyane, the Battle of Cape Finisterre, in the Battle of Trafalgar and in Lamellerie's expedition. In late 1807, he took part in a division under Rear-Admiral Baudin, ferrying troops to Martinique, before decommissioning Hermione on 26 May 1808.

Mahé then served on Patriote as adjudant-commandant of the squadron before being promoted to Captain on 12 July 1808. He successively commanded Ville de Varsovie and Patriote in Rochefort. He took part in the Battle of the Basque Roads, where Patriote ran aground and Mahé ordered her artillery thrown overboard to refloat her; on the 12th, Patriote came under fire from the British squadron and Mahé sent his sick and his wounded ashore to prepare his crew for the evacuation of his ship, but she refloated in the night of the 13th and washed to safety under Fort Lupin.

Mahé then commanded Annibal in Toulon. On 18 November 1812, he took command of the 74-gun Borée, which he captained during the Action of 5 November 1813 and until she was decommissioned on 13 June 1814. He eventually retired on 1 January 1816.

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Commodore Jugan (Nicolas-Joseph-Pierre)

Born: 9 June 1774
Entered naval service either commercial or military position:1781
Captain de vaisseau 2nd class: 24 September 1803
Member of the Legion d’Honneur: 5 February 1804
Officer of the Legion d’Honneur:14 June 1804
Wounds received while in the service of France: None
Died: 1 January 1810

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Commodore Éléonore-Jean-Nicolas Soleil.



Born: 6 January 1767.
Entered naval service either commercial or military position: 1783
Captain de fregate: 21 March 1796
Captain de vaisseau 2nd Class: 24 September 1803
Member of the Legion d’Honneur: 5 February 1804
Officer of the Legion d’Honneur: 14 June 1804
Wounds received while in the service of France: None
Died: 11 march 1824.


Born to the family of a surgeon, Soleil started sailing on a merchantman in 1783. In 1785, he served in the French Royal Navy on a fluyt, before returning to merchant shipping.

In August 1789, Soleil joined up as a volunteer aboard on the Brillant. He returned to commerce again in 1790.
On 1 April 1793, Soleil joined the Navy as a midshipman first class, serving on Brillant again. In February 1794, he was promoted to ensign, and served on the Généreux from March.

Soleil was promoted to lieutenant in December 1794, and to commander in March 1796, serving as second captain on Généreux. In July 1796, he was appointed on the Formidable.

In May 1798, Soleil received command of the frigate Diane. He took part in the Battle of the Nile, managing to escape to Malta. In August 1800, as the Siege of Malta approached its conclusion and Malta was about to fall to the British, he was ordered back to France. Diane was however intercepted by the British blockade and captured by HMS Success, HMS Northumberland and HMS Genereux.

Back to France, Soleil was court-martialled for the loss of his frigate, as systematic in such cases, and found innocent of the capture. He was then briefly appointed to the Union before taking command of the frigate Volontaire.

Soleil was promoted to captain in September 1803 and appointed to the frigate Hermione. In May 1804, he took command of the 74-gun Lion in Allemand's expedition of 1805.

In September 1806, Soleil was given command of a 5-frigate and 2-corvette squadron in the Atlantic, with his flag on the Gloire. The squadron was bound for Martinique, with a 1600-man Army unit, along with ammunition and other military furniture. On 25 September 1806, four ships of the line under Sir Samuel Hood met and intercepted them, leading to the Action of 25 September 1806. Four of the frigates were captured, and Soleil was taken prisoner by Captain William Lukin of HMS Mars.

Soleil was exchanged in September 1807. He was given command of the 74-gun Pultusk, and in 1809, of the Anversois.

From 1814, Soleil served in Cherbourg harbour. He retired in January 1816.