Action of 16 May 1802

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Date	May 16, 1802
Location	Tripoli (present day Libya)
Result	Indecisive

Belligerents

United States

Sweden

Ottoman vilayet of Tripoli

Commanders

Captain Daniel McNeill

unknown

Strength

USS Boston
2 Swedish Frigates

7 corsairs

Casualties and losses

none

1 disabled, several others damaged

First Barbary War

Action of 16 May 1802 - Tripoli Harbor - Derne

The Action of 16 May 1802 was a naval battle fought between the USS Boston and four Swedish frigates against several Tripolitian corsairs.

1 Background
2 Battle
3 Aftermath
4 Sources

[edit] Background

The USS Boston under Captain McNeill had been sent to Tripoli to blockade the port and prevent any ships from entering or leaving. Leaving for Tripoli in January she discovered that four Swedish ships had already began a blockade of the port. Along with the Swedish vessels she attempted to chase down corsairs attempting to break the blockade with little success, as the Swedish vessels were quite large and cumbersome making it difficult for them to pursue the small Tripolitian galleys that darted in and out of the ports harbor.

[edit] Battle

On May 16 Boston as well as a Swedish frigate managed to chase down a Tripolitian corsair, disabling it by forcing it to beach it self. Six other corsairs then set out from the harbor in an attempt to screen the first one. The American and Swedish frigates managed to deter their attempts until another ship arrived in the harbor. The Swedish frigate began bombarding the harbor fortifications while Boston left to meet the new vessel. This gave the corsairs an opportunity to make another attempt at assisting the beached vessel. Shortly thereafter Boston realized that the newly arrived ship was merely another Swedish frigate. Realizing his mistake, Captain McNeil turned his ship around and engaged the Tripolitian ships once more firing several broadsides into them and damaging several. The action then concluded with the three frigates resuming their blockade stations having taken no damage while inflicting several losses on the enemy.

[edit] Aftermath

The action did little to prevent corsairs from using Tripoli as a base of operations however. Besides this action, no other serious attempt was made by the blockading squadron to enforce the blockade. The USS Constellation later arrived in an attempt to help bolster the attempt at denying the harbor. The Swedish decided to make their own peace with Tripoli leaving shortly after the arrival of Constellation. Leaving the two American frigates to enforce the blockade themselves, but the Americans soon ran short of provisions and also withdrew thereby lifting the blockade and leaving the port open to the enemy.