Action of 22 June 1803
The action of 22 June 1803 was a naval battle between the United States Navy and the Tripolitan Navy during the First Barbary War. Two ships from the American squadron blockading Tripoli, USS John Adams and USS Enterprise, met and engaged a Tripolitan polacre along with nine gunboats. After fighting a sharp action for forty five minutes the gunboats veered off and the polacre was abandoned. The Tripolitians later retook the polacre and were reengaged by the Americans before the vessel was destroyed in a large explosion.[2]
Action of 22 June 1803 | |||||||
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Part of First Barbary War | |||||||
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Belligerents | |||||||
United States | Eyalet of Tripolitania | ||||||
Commanders and leaders | |||||||
John Rodgers[1] | Shadi Nazmi Reis | ||||||
Strength | |||||||
1 frigate 1 schooner 290 sailors and marine infantry |
1 polacre 9 gunboats | ||||||
Casualties and losses | |||||||
None |
Unknown human losses 1 polacre sunk |
Aftermath
The destruction of the Tripolitan polacre was the greatest victory the American navy had yet inflicted over the Tripolitans. As such the confidence and morale of the American Mediterranean squadron ran so high that its commander saw no further need to blockade Tripoli and withdrew his vessels.
Citations
- London, p. 128.
- American naval history: an ... - Internet Archive
References
- London, Joshua (2005). Victory in Tripoli. Hoboken, New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons. ISBN 0-471-44415-4.