Mediterranean Campaign of December 1823 and winter 1824
In the aftermath of the defeat of Navarino, the French Mediterranean Fleet sortied to defeat the British Mediterranean Fleet. The news of the defeat were brought by the flagship of the French Navarino Squadron, which rose up and returned to France after capture and being the only ship to successfully do so from the defeated Ottoman-French fleet. The Quadruple Alliance fleet at Navarino was escorted by smaller British, Russian, Greek and Austrian ships to Malta for repairs while the Austrian fleet was summoned for assistance with any Ottoman and French ships afloat before resuming the blockade on the Ottoman coast, the Greeks taking possession of the smaller Ottoman ships and 2 frigates.
The French Mediterranean fleet prepared a large naval offensive against the Quadruple Alliance fleet by linking the fleet at Toulon with the Spanish and Portuguese fleets. After readying, the 'cruise of Hamelin [the commander of the French Mediterranean Fleet]' began on 28 December 1823 and the French Mediterranean Fleet rendezvoused with the Spanish squadron of 10 ships of the line and frigates combined before entering the Atlantic for the new year. Then, the Spanish and Portuguese fleets in Cadiz and Lisbon respectively joined the French. Rumours about French invasions of colonies and Britain kept the British fleets returning to Britain in chaos but without losses. The French Mediterranean Fleet then returned to the Mediterranean, picking up the Barbary States' fleets on the way and invading Malta on 21-25 January, but failing with bombardment alone.
In the aftermath, the Royal Navy was alerted. An attempt by the French Atlantic Fleet to break out in support was chased away by the Royal Navy's Channel Fleet, the French sailing back to Brest instead. Afterwards, the Royal Navy's Spanish blockade squadrons sailed to meet the Mediterranean Fleet while the French returned to Toulon. In the aftermath, the French laid up 5 damaged ships of the line and 3 frigates in port.
The Second Cruise of Hamelin
The next attempt to sortie took place on 15 March 1824. Pursued by the Royal Navy, the French Mediterranean Fleet sailed to Constantinople, with diversionary operations to tie up ships in Malta and Egypt. Reinforced, the British and Austrian Mediterranean Fleets and the Second Russian Mediterranean Squadron defeated the Spanish and Portuguese Fleets that were detached decisively, sinking or capturing 12 frigates and 8 ships of the line for one ship of the line and frigate lost respectively by the Quadruple Alliance. Also, 2 Spanish ships of the line were sunk before reaching port. However, the damage inflicted and escort duties sent 5 British ships of the line and several frigates temporarily home.
After chasing away the blockade squadron off the Dardanelles, the French and Ottoman combined fleet defeated the Russian Black Sea Squadron on a cruise. The French Mediterranean Fleet then attempted a breakout with the Ottomans with a convoy, but off the Dardanelles, it was defeated. With the British reserve fleet committed to routing the Ottomans, the French Navy retreated in disorder after the Ottoman defeat, leaving 2 1st rate Ocean class ships, 2 Bucentaure class ships, the former HMS Hannibal and 4 Temeraire class ships to be captured or sunk besides much of the Ottoman Navy for minimal British losses on 21 June 1824. This became the last major sea battle purely involving sailing ships due to the introduction of the steam ship. Vice Admiral Hamelin became a prisoner, his battered flagship [Montebello] towed by one of his former Indian Ocean frigates [HMS Pomone] to Malta.
[Note: Hamelin should be replaced with Duprerre, he was senior to the former o.t.l. after 1815.]