The Shadow of Great Britain

Chapter 1381: Chapter 201: A Steady Stream of Victorious News (2)

This formidable general, regarded as an eccentric within the Royal Navy much like Thomas Cochrane and Sidney Smith, has achieved great feats since being dispatched to Portugal by the Foreign Office.

When Napier arrived in Portugal, the Portuguese Liberals supporting the young Queen Maria II were left with only one stronghold, the Azores.

And just as Napier reached the Azores, Count Villaflor, the Liberal leader, immediately handed over command of the remaining naval vessels to him without hesitation.

At this time, the troops led by the Queen’s father, Emperor Pedro of Brazil, were besieged by the autocratic forces led by her uncle, Prince Miguel.

Fearless and skilled, Napier, aiming to relieve them, disregarded the naval blockade of the autocratic faction, leading a small remaining fleet to safely transport the Liberal forces to the Algarve region in southern Portugal, successfully opening a second front.

However, on his return to the Azores, the autocratic navy, alerted to his presence, caught up with him.

At the time, Napier commanded six ships: three escort ships, one light escort ship, a two-masted schooner for reconnaissance and mobility, and a small boat mainly for support roles, totaling 176 cannons.

While the autocratic fleet boasted almost their best, with four battleships, one escort ship, one xebec, three light escort ships, and one two-masted schooner, totaling 372 cannons.

Due to the numerical and firepower disparity, Napier had to exploit the mobility of his vessels, leading the autocratic fleet on a two-day chase. After two days of maneuvering, Napier’s fleet successfully positioned itself under very advantageous conditions.

Given the overwhelming disparity in firepower, Napier knew his only chance of victory lay in taking advantage of the fact that many of the sailors in the Liberal fleet were retired British navy sailors, to seize enemy ships through close combat.

On July 5, 1833, as the wind finally changed direction at sea, Napier immediately ordered the fleet to turn, with the rear taking the lead, advancing with full sails to strike at the autocratic fleet’s rear!

After hours of fierce battle, Napier paid the price of losing three captains and over 30 sailors, with more than 60 wounded, but managed to kill or wound over 300 of the autocratic faction, and successfully captured four battleships, one escort ship, and one light escort ship. The remaining autocratic fleet, seeing the unfavorable situation, retreated to Lisbon and Madeira Island.

This astonishing victory infuriated the French government, which had recently declared support for the Portuguese autocrats, and they solemnly protested to the British government.

However, Napier’s victory displeased King William IV of Britain, who had clashed with Napier during his service in the Royal Navy. To prevent the French from finding grounds for British involvement in the Portuguese Civil War, and also to placate the King’s temper, the Navy Department simply removed Napier from the list of Royal Navy officers.

However, though removed, as soon as Napier’s name is mentioned within the Royal Navy, it commands high respect.

Papers like ”The Times” wasted no time, with Fleet Street’s major press outlets directly promoting Napier’s achievements in Portugal as the glory of the Royal Navy.

And Napier’s status among the Portuguese Liberals became increasingly solid. After the victory at the Battle of Cape St. Vincent, Napier was awarded the titles of Portuguese Admiral and Commander of the Portuguese Navy. In the following September, he successfully commanded the Liberal army in defending Lisbon, earning the highest Portuguese military honor, the Tower and Sword Order, and was ennobled as the Count of Cape St. Vincent.

This almost seems like a tradition for the Royal Navy; naval officers, not well-received domestically due to their eccentricities, playing significant roles abroad, occasionally leading to them inadvertently becoming navy commanders for other nations.

Napier became Commander of the Portuguese Navy, Thomas Cochrane served as navy commander for Chile, Peru, and Brazil, while Sidney Smith served as the Swedish Navy commander. Besides them, many others, without serving as navy commanders, held positions as fleet commanders and captains in foreign navies, such as George Thomson and Henry Peveris, who commanded the navies of Colombia and Chile during the Latin American Wars of Independence.

Although Eld persistently complained about how unreliable the Navy Department was, the quality of Royal Navy officers, known as the best in 19th-century naval warfare, remains top-notch in the international labor market, without any deception.

Moreover, if there was a demand with appropriate payment, these officers could also engage in ground combat, albeit on a smaller scale. Look at Napier, did he not just defend Lisbon?

Arthur, while browsing through detailed operational reports from Portugal, listened to the secretary’s briefing.

”Although the Portuguese Civil War isn’t entirely over, it is largely close to an end. Since their resounding defeat at the Battle of Cape St. Vincent, the autocratic navy has been depressed, and their army is in retreat. Additionally, Emperor Pedro of Brazil, to support his daughter, has increased his support for the Portuguese Liberals. The report from the Lisbon embassy states: General Napier is actively recruiting retired Royal Navy sailors in the Iberian Peninsula. Based on recent movements of the Liberal army, the Lisbon embassy speculates that the Liberals may soon launch an offensive against regions south of Minho and the Douro River. If they succeed in this area, the Portuguese Civil War would essentially be concluded.”