Invasion of Isle Bonaparte

Invasion of Isle Bonaparte
Part of the Napoleonic Wars
Île Bonaparte. The invasion forces landed either side of the capital Saint Denis.
Date 7 – 9 July 1810 Location Saint Denis, Île Bonaparte. Result British victory
Belligerents
United Kingdom	France
Commanders and leaders
Josias Rowley Henry Keating	Chrysostôme de Sainte-Suzanne
Strength
3,650 soldiers 5 frigates[1]	576 soldiers 2,717 militia[2]
Casualties and losses
22 killed 79 wounded[3]	Casualties unknown. The island, entire garrison and large quantities of military equipment captured.

The invasion of Isle Bonaparte was an amphibious operation in 1810 that formed an important part of the British campaign to blockade and capture the French Indian Ocean colonies of Isle Bonaparte and Isle de France during the Napoleonic Wars. These islands formed a fortified base for a French frigate squadron under Commodore Jacques Hamelin to raid British convoys of East Indiamen travelling between Britain and British India. Hamelin's ships had destroyed two convoys the previous year despite the attention of a squadron of Royal Navy ships under Commodore Josias Rowley. Rowley had responded by raiding the fortified anchorage of Saint Paul on Isle Bonaparte and capturing one of Hamelin's frigates and two captured British East Indiamen.

The raid had an unforeseen consequence, when the commander of Isle Bonaparte General Nicolas Des Bruslys, committed suicide rather than lead the garrison against the British landing parties. This encouraged Rowley to consider a larger operation to seize the whole island. Using the small British-held island of Rodriguez as a base, Rowley and his British Army counterpart Lieutenant-Colonel Henry Keating planned to land two forces either side of the island's capital Saint Denis and force the governor to capitulate before the island's militia could be mobilised against them.

The plan was launched on 7 July 1810 as two combined forces of British sailors, soldiers, sepoys and Royal Marines landed at separate beaches. Although a number of men were drowned in the heavy surf, the majority of the invasion force reached the beaches safely and marched inland, attacking French outposts as they approached the capital. Recognising that his demoralised garrison would be unable to defend Saint Denis and that the militia would take too long to mobilise, the French commander Colonel Chrysostôme de Sainte-Suzanne surrendered the island, its garrison and its stores to Rowley.