View source for First Battle of Tripoli Harbor

{{Short description|1802 naval battle}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2013}}
{{No footnotes|date=October 2009}}
{{More citations needed|date=May 2025}}
{{Infobox military conflict
| conflict          = First Battle of Tripoli Harbor
| image             = USS Boston (1799).jpg
| image_size        = 300
| caption           = USS ''Boston''
| partof            = the [[First Barbary War]]
| date              = May 16, 1802
| place             = Off [[Tripoli, Libya|Tripoli]], [[Mediterranean Sea]]
| coordinates       = {{coord|32|54|17|N|13|11|36|E|display=inline,title}}
| result            = Inconclusive
| combatant1        = {{flagcountry|Sweden}} <br> {{flagcountry|United States|1795}}
| combatant2        = {{flagicon image|Maritime flag of Regency of Tripoli (18th century).svg}} [[Ottoman Tripolitania|Tripolitania]]
| commander1        = {{flagdeco|Sweden|naval}} [[Rudolf Cederström]] <br> {{flagicon image|Naval_jack_of_the_United_States_(1795–1818).svg}} Daniel McNeill
| commander2        = {{flagicon image|Maritime flag of Regency of Tripoli (18th century).svg}} Burak Rouse
| strength1         = 3 frigates
| strength2         = 7 corsairs
| casualties1       = None
| casualties2       = 1 corsair grounded|
}}
{{campaignbox First Barbary War}}
The '''First Battle of Tripoli Harbor''' was a [[naval battle]] fought on May 16, 1802, in [[Tripoli Harbor]] between a combined force consisting of the American frigate {{USS|Boston|1799|6}} and two [[Swedish Navy]] frigates against several [[Tripolitania Eyalet|Tripolitan]] [[Barbary corsairs]]. The Swedish-American force was enforcing the [[blockade]] when an engagement broke out between it and Tripolitan forces.  The Allied fleet damaged the Tripolitan squadron as well as the harbor fortifications before withdrawing and resuming the blockade.

==Background==
USS ''Boston'' under [[Captain (U.S. Navy)|Captain]] McNeill had been sent to [[Tripoli, Libya|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 begun 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 Tripolitan [[galley]]s that darted in and out of the port's harbor.

==Battle==
On May 16, ''Boston'' with the Swedish frigate ''Fröja'' managed to chase down a Tripolitan corsair (a ship owned and staffed by Muslim Slave Traders), disabling it by forcing it to beach itself. Six other corsairs then sortied  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 Tripolitan 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.

==Aftermath==
The action did little to prevent corsairs from using Tripoli as a base of operations. Besides this action, no other serious attempt was made by the blockading squadron to enforce the blockade.  {{USS|Constellation|1797|6}} later arrived to bolster the attempt at denying the harbors use by the Tripolitans. The Swedish decided to make their own peace with Tripoli, 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.

==See also==

* [[Capturing of Manuel Briones]]
* [[Swedish-Tripolitanian War (1796-1802)]]

==References==
{{Refbegin}}
*{{DANFS|http://www.history.navy.mil/danfs/b8/boston-iii.htm|http://www.history.navy.mil/photos/sh-usn/usnsh-b/boston3.htm}}
{{Refend}}
[[Category:Conflicts in 1802]]
[[Category:Naval battles of the Barbary Wars|Tripoli Harbor]]
[[Category:Naval battles involving Sweden|Tripoli Harbor]]
[[Category:Military history of Tripoli, Libya|Tripoli Harbor]]
[[Category:1802 in Africa]]
[[Category:1802 in the Ottoman Empire]]
[[Category:Naval battles involving Ottoman Tripolitania]]
[[Category:May 1802]]
[[Category:1800s battles|Tripoli Harbor]]
[[Category:19th century in Tripoli, Libya]]
[[Category:First Barbary War]]