Naval/Maritime History 27th of August - Today in Naval History - Naval / Maritime Events in History

Today in Naval History - Naval / Maritime Events in History
14 November 1851 – Moby-Dick, a novel by Herman Melville, is published in the USA.


Moby-Dick; or, The Whale is an 1851 novel by American writer Herman Melville. The book is sailor Ishmael's narrative of the obsessive quest of Ahab, captain of the whaling ship Pequod, for revenge on Moby Dick, the white whale that on the ship's previous voyage bit off Ahab's leg at the knee. A contribution to the literature of the American Renaissance, the work's genre classifications range from late Romantic to early Symbolist. Moby-Dick was published to mixed reviews, was a commercial failure, and was out of print at the time of the author's death in 1891. Its reputation as a "Great American Novel" was established only in the 20th century, after the centennial of its author's birth. William Faulkner confessed he wished he had written the book himself, and D. H. Lawrence called it "one of the strangest and most wonderful books in the world" and "the greatest book of the sea ever written". Its opening sentence, "Call me Ishmael", is among world literature's most famous.

Moby_Dick_p510_illustration.jpg Queequeg.JPG Moby_Dick_final_chase.jpg

Melville began writing Moby-Dick in February 1850, and would eventually take 18 months to write the book, a full year more than he had first anticipated. Writing was interrupted by his making the acquaintance of Nathaniel Hawthorne in August 1850, and by the creation of the "Mosses from an Old Manse" essay as a first result of that friendship. The book is dedicated to Hawthorne, "in token of my admiration for his genius".

The basis for the work is Melville's 1841 whaling voyage aboard the Acushnet. The novel also draws on whaling literature, and on literary inspirations such as Shakespeare and the Bible. The white whale is modeled on the notoriously hard-to-catch albino whale Mocha Dick, and the book's ending is based on the sinking of the whaleship Essex in 1820. The detailed and realistic descriptions of whale hunting and of extracting whale oil, as well as life aboard ship among a culturally diverse crew, are mixed with exploration of class and social status, good and evil, and the existence of God. In addition to narrative prose, Melville uses styles and literary devices ranging from songs, poetry, and catalogs to Shakespearean stage directions, soliloquies, and asides.


In October 1851, the chapter "The Town Ho's Story" was published in Harper's New Monthly Magazine. The same month, the whole book was first published (in three volumes) as The Whale in London, and under its definitive title in a single-volume edition in New York in November. There are hundreds of differences between the two editions, most slight but some important and illuminating. The London publisher, Richard Bentley, censored or changed sensitive passages; Melville made revisions as well, including a last-minute change to the title for the New York edition. The whale, however, appears in the text of both editions as "Moby Dick", without the hyphen. One factor that led British reviewers to scorn the book was that it seemed to be told by a narrator who perished with the ship: the British edition lacked the Epilogue, which recounts Ishmael's survival. About 3,200 copies were sold during the author's life.



https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moby-Dick
 
Today in Naval History - Naval / Maritime Events in History
14 November 1854 – HMS Prince wrecked


HMS Prince was a Royal Navy storeship purchased in 1854 from mercantile owners and lost in a storm off Balaklava in November that year during the Crimean War.

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Loss of the Prince 14 November 1854 in a storm in the Black Sea (PAH0282)
Read more at http://collections.rmg.co.uk/collections/objects/140229.html#47APXCssc7zLRPM7.99

HMS_Prince_(1854).jpg
The Wreckage of the Black Prince (although named in the title as Black Prince, the ship depicted is HMS Prince, which was wrecked off Balaclava on 14 November 1854). Fragment

She was purchased from the General Screw Steam Shipping Company for £105,000 by Admiralty Order dated July 1854 and commissioned under Commander Benjamin Baynton. She sailed for the Crimea, carrying 150 persons and a cargo of much needed winter uniforms. The loss of the ship and its cargo caused a public outcry in Britain because of the severe winter conditions being endured by troops in unsuitable clothing.

She was destroyed at a deep water anchorage outside Balaklava by a hurricane-force storm which tore her from her anchorage and dashed her onto rocks: she broke up completely within ten minutes and only six of her 150 crew were saved. Correspondent William Howard Russell considered her officers to have been negligent in losing her bower anchors. Commander Bayntoun, her commanding officer, perished in the wreck.

29 other Allied transport ships were wrecked during the same storm.

The wreck was discovered off Balaklava in 2010 by a Ukrainian maritime archeological team led by Sergei Voronov, of the Ukrainian Academy of Sciences.



https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HMS_Prince_(1854)
 
Today in Naval History - Naval / Maritime Events in History
14 November 1861 - SMS Amazone, a three-masted sail corvette (caravel) of the Prussian Navy (Preußische Marine). sunk


SMS Amazone was a three-masted sail corvette (caravel) of the Prussian Navy (Preußische Marine). Her keel was laid down in Grabow near Stettin in 1842 and she was launched on 24 June 1843. Amazone sank in a storm on 14 November 1861 off the coast of the Netherlands with 107 dead.

Amazone2.jpg

Amazone was modelled on the French corvette Diligente, with a ship displacement of 370 tonnes and a length overall of 44 metres (144 ft). She had a complement of 145 men and was armed with twelve Swedish 18-pounders.

The ship served as a training vessel for Prussian naval officers of the Navigation School in Danzig, therefore it came under the Ministry of Finance rather than the Ministry of War. Nevertheless, she flew the Prussian war flag.

SMS_AMAZONE.jpg

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SMS_Amazone_(1843)
 
Today in Naval History - Naval / Maritime Events in History
14 November 1908 - Falls of Halladale, a four-masted iron-hulled barque, wrecked


The Falls of Halladale was a four-masted iron-hulled barque that was built in 1886 for the long-distance bulk carrier trade. Her dimensions were 83.87m x 12.64m x 7.23m and she displaced 2,085 GRT and 2,026 NRT. Built for the Falls Line (Wright, Breakenridge & Co., Glasgow, Scotland) at the shipyard of Russell & Co., Greenock on the River Clyde, she was named after a waterfall on the Halladale River in the Caithness district of Scotland. The ship's design was advanced for her time, incorporating features that improved crew safety and efficiency such as elevated bridges to allow the crew to move between forward and aft in relative safety during heavy seas.

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The Falls of Halladale, aground near Peterborough, Victoria

The Falls of Halladale was the seventh vessel in a series of eight similar iron-hulled sailing ships, all built by Russell & Co and all named after waterfalls in Scotland. The Falls of Halladale was preceded by the Falls of Clyde (1878), the Falls of Bruar(1879), the Falls of Dee (1882), the Falls of Afton (1882), the Falls of Foyers (1883) and the Falls of Earn (1884). The Falls of Halladale was followed by a sister ship, the Falls of Garry (1886). The Falls of Clyde is afloat today and is a major attraction at the Hawaii Maritime Center in Honolulu.

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Sinking

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Another view of the wreck of the Falls of Halladale. Most of the sails have now been lost. The barque was steadily battered on the rocks in the weeks and months following the accident.

The Falls of Halladale is best known for her spectacular demise in a shipwreck near Peterborough, Victoria on the shipwreck coast of Victoria, Australia. On the night of 14 November 1908 she was sailed in dense fog directly onto the rocks due to a navigational error. The crew of 29 abandoned ship safely and all made it ashore by boat, leaving the ship foundering with her sails unfurled. For weeks after the wreck large crowds gathered to view the ship as she gradually broke up and then sank in the shallow water.

Soon after the accident the ship's master, Capt. David Wood Thomson, was brought before a Court of Marine Inquiry in Melbourne and found guilty of a gross act of misconduct, having carelessly navigated the ship, having neglected to take proper soundings, and having failed to place the ship on a port tack before it became too late to avoid the shipwreck. Capt. Thomson's punishment included a small fine and he had his Certificate of Competency as a Master suspended for six months.

Today the Falls of Halladale is a popular destination for recreational divers. The wreck is easily accessible by scuba divers about 300 m offshore in 3 to 15 m of water. The hull lies on its collapsed starboard side. Some of the original cargo of 56,763 roof slates remains at the site of the wreck along with corroded masses of what used to be coils of barbed wire. Twenty-two thousand slates were salvaged in the 1980s and used to provide roofing at the Flagstaff Hill Maritime Village in Warrnambool. An anchor that was recovered in 1974 is on display at the village. The wreck of the Falls of Halladale is a legally protected Historic Shipwreck.




https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Falls_of_Halladale
 
Today in Naval History - Naval / Maritime Events in History
14 November 1909: French passenger liner La Seyne collided with british steamer Onda, almost cut in half and sank in 3 minutes - 101 people died (drowned and killed by sharks)


On the night of November 14th, 1909, when 26 miles from Singapore, the French liner La Seyne collided in thick fog with the British liner Onda from the British India Steamship Co. In total 101 people died, where under Baron and Baronne (Duke and Duchess) Deniczki and the captain. It is told that the 61 who survived were regularly attacked by sharks and severely injured. Seyne was on her way from Java to Singapore, in the opposite direction of the Onda and was almost cut in half. She sank in a few minutes and her boilers exploded. Onda's Captain Dagge, reported being 26 miles from Singapore, in Rhio Strait, having just passed Pulo Sau light at 4:20 a.m. when the collision happened at 4:35 a.m..

Read more at wrecksite: https://wrecksite.eu/wreck.aspx?151452

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The Advertiser (Adelaide) Thursday 9 December.

The La Seyne was run into by or ran into the British
India Steam Navigation Company's steamer Onda
and sank almost instantaneously, carrying to their
deaths 93 persons (101) out of a total of about 154 souls
aboard.

She went down by the head and the survivors
were left in the water with only the clothes
they happened to be wearing at the moment.
The commander of the La Seyne, Captain Conaflhoe,
lost his life. So suddenly did the catastrophe
happen that there was apparently no time for
orders to be given on the French ship or for boats to be
lowered. The vessel went down like a stone and
it is quite evident that the majority of those lost
must have been drowned like rats in a trap.
A good many of the few who managed to scramble on
deck must have been imprisoned under the
ship's awnings, and it is also clear from
what follows that of those who got clear of
the ship a good many were the victims of
the sharks in which those waters abound.

Mr. Glendinning, "there was
no time for lines, she just sank
in about 3 min. from the time she struck.
When the cold water got to her boilers
they exploded and burst out her sides and
she went down like a stone."

La Seyne (1847) ex- Etoile du Chili, 1876 purchased from Soc.Germain Freres renamed La Seyne, 1909 sank in collision with British India S.N.Co ship Onda near Singapore.

seyne.jpg

https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/La_Seyne_(Schiff)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Messageries_Maritimes
http://www.messageries-maritimes.org/seyne.htm
 

Attachments

Today in Naval History - Naval / Maritime Events in History
14 November 1917 - Battle of the Strait of Otranto


The 1917 Battle of the Strait of Otranto was the result of an Austro-Hungarian raid on the Otranto Barrage, an Allied naval blockade of the Strait of Otranto. The battle took place on 14–15 May 1917, and was the largest surface action in the Adriatic Sea during World War I. The Otranto Barrage was a fixed barrier, composed of lightly armed drifters with anti-submarine nets coupled with minefields and supported by Allied naval patrols.

The Austro-Hungarian navy planned to raid the Otranto Barrage with a force of three light cruisers and two destroyers under the command of Commander (later Admiral) Miklós Horthy, in an attempt to break the barrier to allow U-boats freer access to the Mediterranean, and Allied shipping. An Allied force composed of ships from three navies responded to the raid and in the ensuing battle, heavily damaged the Austro-Hungarian cruiser SMS Novara. However, the rapid approach of the Austro-Hungarian relief force persuaded Rear Admiral Acton, the Allied commander, to retreat.

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Novara during World War I

Disposition of forces
Under the command of Horthy, three Austro-Hungarian cruisers (Novara, Saida, and Helgoland, modified to resemble large British destroyers) were ordered to attack the drifters on the night of 14 May and attempt to destroy as many as possible before daybreak.[2] The destroyers Csepel and Balaton were to mount a diversionary raid off the Albanian coast in order to confuse any Allied counter-attack. Two Austro-Hungarian U-boats—U-4 and U-27, along with the German U-boat UC-25—were to participate in the operation as well. A supporting force composed of the armored cruiser Sankt Georg, two destroyers, and four 250t-class torpedo boats was on standby if the raiders ran into trouble. The old pre-dreadnought battleship SMS Budapestand three more 250t-class torpedo boats were also available if necessary.

An Allied destroyer patrol was in the area on the night of 14 May, to the north of the Barrage. The Italian flotilla leader Mirabello was accompanied by the French destroyers Commandant Rivière, Bisson and Cimeterre. The Italian destroyer Borea was also in the area, escorting a small convoy to Valona. A support force was based in the port of Brindisi, consisting of the British cruisers Dartmouth and Bristol and several French and Italian destroyers.

Raid on the drifters

British drifters sailing from their base in the Adriatic to the Barrage

The Italian convoy escorted by Borea was attacked by the Austro-Hungarian destroyers Csepel and Balaton at approximately 03:24. The Austro-Hungarians sank Borea and a munitions ship, and a second was set on fire and abandoned.

The three cruisers were able to pass through the line of drifters, and at 03:30 began attacking the small barrage ships. The Austro-Hungarians frequently gave the drifter crews warning to abandon ship before opening fire.[4] In some instances, the drifter crews chose to fight: Gowan Lee returned fire on the Austro-Hungarian ships. The ship was heavily damaged, but remained afloat; her captain—Joseph Watt—was later awarded the Victoria Cross for his actions during the battle.

There were 47 drifters in Barrage on the night of 14 May; the Austro-Hungarians managed to sink 14 drifters and damage four more. The lack of sufficient Allied escorts forced the withdrawal of the remaining blockading ships, although only for a short time.

Battle
By this time, the Allied naval forces in the area were aware of the raid, and were in a position to block the Austro-Hungarian retreat. Rear Admiral Alfredo Acton—the commanding officer of the Italian Scouting Division—ordered Mirabello's group southward at 04:35, while he embarked on the British light cruiser HMS Dartmouth.[5] By 06:45, the cruisers Dartmouth and Bristol—along with the Italian destroyers Mosto, Pilo, Schiaffino, Acerbi, and Aquila—were sailing north in an attempt to cut off the Austro-Hungarian cruisers. The Italian light cruiser Marsala, the flotilla leader Racchia, and the destroyers Insidioso, Indomito, and Impavido were readying to sail in support as well.

The Mirabello group engaged the Austro-Hungarian cruisers at 07:00, but were heavily outgunned, and instead attempted to shadow the fleeing cruisers. At 07:45, Rear Admiral Acton's ships encountered the destroyers Csepel and Balaton. After 20 minutes, the Italian destroyers were able to close the distance to the Austro-Hungarian ships; the two groups engaged in a short artillery duel before a shot from Csepel struck Aquila and disabled the ship's boilers. By this time, the Austro-Hungarian destroyers were under the cover of the coastal batteries at Durazzo, and were able to make good their escape.

At 09:00, Bristol's lookouts spotted the smoke from the Austro-Hungarian cruisers to the south of her position. The Allied ships turned to engage the Austro-Hungarian ships; the British ships had a superiority both in numbers and in firepower; Dartmouth was armed with eight 6 in (150 mm) guns and Bristol had two 6 inch and ten 4 in (100 mm), compared to the nine 3.9 in (99 mm) guns on each of the Austro-Hungarian ships. Unfortunately for the Allies, their numerical superiority was quickly lost, as their destroyers were either occupied with mechanical problems, or protecting those destroyers suffering from breakdowns. The support forces of both sides—the Sankt Georg group for the Austro-Hungarians, and the Marsala group for the Allies—were quickly dispatched to the battle.


Horthy, seriously wounded, commanded the Austro-Hungarian fleet until falling unconscious.

Dartmouth—faster than Bristol—closed to effective engagement range with the Austro-Hungarian ships, and opened fire. A shell from Dartmouth struck Novara, at which point the Austro-Hungarian ships laid a smoke screen in order to close the distance. Dartmouthwas struck several times, and by 11:00, Acton ordered the ship to reduce speed to allow Bristol to catch up. Novara was hit several more times, and her main feed pumps and starboard auxiliary steam pipe had been damaged, which caused the ship to begin losing speed. At 11:05, Acton turned away in an attempt to separate Saida from Novara and Helgoland. At this point, Sankt Georg was approaching the scene, which prompted Acton to temporarily withdraw to consolidate his forces. This break in the action was enough time for the Austro-Hungarians to save the crippled Novara; Saida took the ship under tow while Helgoland covered them.

Unaware that Novara had been disabled, and fearing that his ships would be drawn too close to the Austrian naval base at Cattaro, Acton broke off the pursuit. The destroyer Acerbi misread the signal, and attempted to launch a torpedo attack, but was driven off by the combined fire of Novara, Saida, and Helgoland. At 12:05, Acton realized the dire situation Novara was in, but by this time, the Sankt Georg group was too close. The Sankt Georg group rendezvoused with Novara, Saida, and Helgoland, and Csepel and Balaton reached the scene as well. The entire group returned to Cattaro together.

At 13:30, the submarine UC-25 torpedoed Dartmouth, causing serious damage. The escorting destroyers forced UC-25 from the area, but Dartmouth had to be abandoned for a period of time, before it could be towed back to port. The French destroyer Boutefeuattempted to pursue the German submarine, but struck a mine laid by UC-25 that morning and sank rapidly.

Aftermath

Monument for "heroes of Otranto battle" on Prevlaka in today Croatia

As a result of the raid, it was decided by the British naval command that unless sufficient destroyers were available to protect the barrage, the drifters would have to be withdrawn at night. The drifters would only be operating for less than twelve hours a day, and would have to leave their positions by 15:00 every day. Despite the damage received by the Austro-Hungarian cruisers during the pursuit by Dartmouth and Bristol, the Austro-Hungarian forces inflicted more serious casualties on the Allied blockade. In addition to the sunk and damaged drifters, the cruiser Dartmouth was nearly sunk by the German submarine UC-25, the French destroyer Boutefeu was mined and sunk, and a munitions convoy to Valona was interdicted.

However, in a strategic sense, the battle had little impact on the war. The barrage was never particularly effective at preventing the U-boat operations of Germany and Austria-Hungary in the first place. The drifters could cover approximately .5 mi (0.80 km) apiece; of the 40 mi (64 km)-wide Strait, only slightly more than half was covered. The raid risked some of the most advanced units of the Austro-Hungarian fleet on an operation that offered minimal strategic returns



http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_the_Strait_of_Otranto_(1917)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SMS_Novara_(1913)
 
Today in Naval History - Naval / Maritime Events in History
12 - 15 November 1942 – World War II: Naval Battle of Guadalcanal between Japanese and American forces near Guadalcanal - Day 3/4 (14/15th)


Second Naval Battle of Guadalcanal, 14–15 November
Prelude
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First phase of the engagement, 23:17–23:30, 14 November. Red lines are Japanese warship forces and black line is the U.S. warship force.

Kondo's force approached Guadalcanal via Indispensable Strait around midnight on 14 November, and a quarter moon provided moderate visibility of about 7 km (3.8 nmi; 4.3 mi). The force included Kirishima, heavy cruisers Atago and Takao, light cruisers Nagara and Sendai, and nine destroyers, some of the destroyers being survivors (along with Kirishima and Nagara) of the first night engagement two days prior. Kondo flew his flag in the cruiser Atago.

Low on undamaged ships, Admiral William Halsey, Jr., detached the new battleships Washington and South Dakota, of Enterprise's support group, together with four destroyers, as TF 64 under Admiral Willis A. Lee to defend Guadalcanal and Henderson Field. It was a scratch force; the battleships had operated together for only a few days, and their four escorts were from four different divisions—chosen simply because, of the available destroyers, they had the most fuel.[92] The U.S. force arrived in Ironbottom Sound in the evening of 14 November and began patrolling around Savo Island. The U.S. warships were in column formation with the four destroyers in the lead, followed by Washington, with South Dakota bringing up the rear. At 22:55 on 14 November, radar on South Dakota and Washington began picking up Kondo's approaching ships near Savo Island, at a distance of around 18,000 m (20,000 yd).

Action
Kondo split his force into several groups, with one group—commanded by Shintaro Hashimoto and consisting of Sendai and destroyers Shikinami and Uranami ("C" on the maps)—sweeping along the east side of Savo Island, and destroyer Ayanami("B" on the maps) sweeping counterclockwise around the southwest side of Savo Island to check for the presence of Allied ships. The Japanese ships spotted Lee's force around 23:00, though Kondo misidentified the battleships as cruisers. Kondo ordered the Sendai group of ships—plus Nagara and four destroyers ("D" on the maps)—to engage and destroy the U.S. force before he brought the bombardment force of Kirishima and heavy cruisers ("E" on the maps) into Ironbottom Sound.[89] The U.S. ships ("A" on the maps) detected the Sendai force on radar but did not detect the other groups of Japanese ships. Using radar targeting, the two U.S. battleships opened fire on the Sendai group at 23:17. Admiral Lee ordered a cease fire about five minutes later after the northern group disappeared from his ship's radar. However, Sendai, Uranami, and Shikinami were undamaged and circled out of the danger area.

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Second phase of the engagement, 23:30–02:00. Red lines are Japanese warship forces and black lines are U.S. warships. Numbered yellow dots represent sinking warships.

Meanwhile, the four U.S. destroyers in the vanguard of the U.S. formation began engaging both Ayanami and the Nagara group of ships at 23:22. Nagara and her escorting destroyers responded effectively with accurate gunfire and torpedoes, and destroyers Walke and Preston were hit and sunk within 10 minutes with heavy loss of life. The destroyer Benham had part of her bow blown off by a torpedo and had to retreat (she sank the next day), and destroyer Gwin was hit in her engine room and put out of the fight. However, the U.S. destroyers had completed their mission as screens for the battleships, absorbing the initial impact of contact with the enemy, although at great cost. Lee ordered the retirement of Benham and Gwin at 23:48.

Washington passed through the area still occupied by the damaged and sinking U.S. destroyers and fired on Ayanami with her secondary batteries, setting her afire. Following close behind, South Dakota suddenly suffered a series of electrical failures, reportedly during repairs when her chief engineer locked down a circuit breaker in violation of safety procedures, causing her circuits repeatedly to go into series, making her radar, radios, and most of her gun batteries inoperable. However, she continued to follow Washington towards the western side of Savo Island until 23:35, when Washington changed course left to pass to the southward behind the burning destroyers. South Dakota tried to follow but had to turn to starboard to avoid Benham, which resulted in the ship being silhouetted by the fires of the burning destroyers and made her a closer and easier target for the Japanese.

Receiving reports of the destruction of the U.S. destroyers from Ayanami and his other ships, Kondo pointed his bombardment force towards Guadalcanal, believing that the U.S. warship force had been defeated. His force and the two U.S. battleships were now heading towards each other.

Almost blind and unable to effectively fire her main and secondary armament, South Dakota was illuminated by searchlights and targeted by gunfire and torpedoes by most of the ships of the Japanese force, including Kirishima, beginning around midnight on 15 November. Although able to score a few hits on Kirishima, South Dakota took 26 hits—some of which did not explode—that completely knocked out her communications and remaining gunfire control operations, set portions of her upper decks on fire, and forced her to try to steer away from the engagement. All of the Japanese torpedoes missed. Admiral Lee later described the cumulative effect of the gunfire damage to South Dakota as to, "render one of our new battleships deaf, dumb, blind, and impotent". South Dakota's crew casualties were 39 killed and 59 wounded, and she turned away from the battle at 00:17 without informing Admiral Lee, though observed by Kondo's lookouts.

USS_Washington_(BB-56)_firing_during_the_Second_Naval_Battle_of_Guadalcanal,_14_November_1942.jpg
Washington fires upon Kirishimaduring the battle on 15 November.

The Japanese ships continued to concentrate their fire on South Dakota and none detected Washington approaching to within 9,000 yd (8,200 m). Washington was tracking a large target (Kirishima) for some time but refrained from firing since there was a chance it could be South Dakota. Washington had not been able to track South Dakota's movements because she was in a blind spot in Washington's radar and Lee could not raise her on the radio to confirm her position. When the Japanese illuminated and fired on South Dakota, all doubts were removed as to which ships were friend or foe. From this close range, Washington opened fire and quickly hit Kirishima with at least nine (and possibly up to 20) main battery shells and at least seventeen secondary ones, disabling all of Kirishima's main gun turrets, causing major flooding, and setting her aflame. Kirishima was hit below the waterline and suffered a jammed rudder, causing her to circle uncontrollably to port.

At 00:25, Kondo ordered all of his ships that were able to converge and destroy any remaining U.S. ships. However, the Japanese ships still did not know where Washington was located, and the other surviving U.S. ships had already departed the battle area. Washington steered a northwesterly course toward the Russell Islands to draw the Japanese force away from Guadalcanal and the presumably damaged South Dakota. The Imperial ships finally sighted Washington and launched several torpedo attacks, but she avoided all of them and also avoided running aground in shallow waters. At length, believing that the way was clear for the transport convoy to proceed to Guadalcanal (but apparently disregarding the threat of air attack in the morning), Kondo ordered his remaining ships to break contact and retire from the area about 01:04, which most of the Japanese warships complied with by 01:30.

Aftermath
Ayanami was scuttled by Uranami at 2:00, while Kirishima capsized and sank by 03:25 on 15 November. Uranami rescued survivors from Ayanami and destroyers Asagumo, Teruzuki, and Samidare rescued the remaining crew from Kirishima. In the engagement, 242 U.S. and 249 Japanese sailors died. The engagement was one of only two battleship-against-battleship surface battles in the entire Pacific campaign of World War II, the other being at the Surigao Strait during the Battle of Leyte Gulf.

BeachedTransports.jpg
Two Japanese transports beached on Guadalcanal and burning on 15 November

The four Japanese transports beached themselves at Tassafaronga on Guadalcanal by 04:00 on 15 November, and Tanaka and the escort destroyers departed and raced back up the Slot toward safer waters. The transports were attacked, beginning at 05:55, by U.S. aircraft from Henderson Field and elsewhere, and by field artillery from U.S. ground forces on Guadalcanal. Later, destroyer Meade approached and opened fire on the beached transports and surrounding area. These attacks set the transports afire and destroyed any equipment on them that the Japanese had not yet managed to unload. Only 2,000 to 3,000 of the embarked troops made it to Guadalcanal, and most of their ammunition and food were lost.

Yamamoto's reaction to Kondo's failure to accomplish his mission of neutralizing Henderson Field and ensuring the safe landing of troops and supplies was milder than his earlier reaction to Abe's withdrawal, perhaps because of Imperial Navy culture and politics. Kondo, who also held the position of second in command of the Combined Fleet, was a member of the upper staff and battleship "clique" of the Imperial Navy while Abe was a career destroyer specialist. Admiral Kondo was not reprimanded or reassigned but instead was left in command of one of the large ship fleets based at Truk.

Significance
The failure to deliver to Guadalcanal most of the troops and especially supplies in the convoy prevented the Japanese from launching another offensive to retake Henderson Field. Thereafter, the Imperial Navy was only able to deliver subsistence supplies and a few replacement troops to Japanese Army forces on Guadalcanal. Because of the continuing threat from Allied aircraft based at Henderson Field, plus nearby U.S. aircraft carriers, the Japanese had to continue to rely on Tokyo Express warship deliveries to their forces on Guadalcanal. However, these supplies and replacements were not enough to sustain Japanese troops on the island, who – by 7 December 1942 – were losing about 50 men each day from malnutrition, disease, and Allied ground and air attacks. On 12 December, the Japanese Navy proposed that Guadalcanal be abandoned. Despite opposition from Japanese Army leaders, who still hoped that Guadalcanal could be retaken from the Allies, Japan's Imperial General Headquarters—with approval from the Emperor—agreed on 31 December to the evacuation of all Japanese forces from the island and establishment of a new line of defense for the Solomons on New Georgia.

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The wreck of one of the four Japanese transports "Kinugawa Maru" beached and destroyed at Guadalcanal on 15 November 1942, photographed one year later.

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The wreck of the "Yamazuki Maru" and a Japanese midget submarine off Guadalcanal

Thus, the Naval Battle of Guadalcanal was the last major attempt by the Japanese to seize control of the seas around Guadalcanal or to retake the island. In contrast, the U.S. Navy was thereafter able to resupply the U.S. forces at Guadalcanal at will, including the delivery of two fresh divisions by late December 1942. The inability to neutralize Henderson Field doomed the Japanese effort to successfully combat the Allied conquest of Guadalcanal. The last Japanese resistance in the Guadalcanal campaign ended on 9 February 1943, with the successful evacuation of most of the surviving Japanese troops from the island by the Japanese Navy in Operation Ke. Building on their success at Guadalcanal and elsewhere, the Allies continued their campaign against Japan, which culminated in Japan's defeat and the end of World War II. U.S. President Franklin Roosevelt, upon learning of the results of the battle, commented, "It would seem that the turning point in this war has at last been reached."

Historian Eric Hammel sums up the significance of the Naval Battle of Guadalcanal this way:

On November 12, 1942, the (Japanese) Imperial Navy had the better ships and the better tactics. After November 15, 1942, its leaders lost heart and it lacked the strategic depth to face the burgeoning U.S. Navy and its vastly improving weapons and tactics. The Japanese never got better while, after November 1942, the U.S. Navy never stopped getting better.​
General Alexander Vandegrift, the commander of the troops on Guadalcanal, paid tribute to the sailors who fought the battle:

We believe the enemy has undoubtedly suffered a crushing defeat. We thank Admiral Kinkaid for his intervention yesterday. We thank Lee for his sturdy effort last night. Our own aircraft has been grand in its relentless hammering of the foe. All those efforts are appreciated but our greatest homage goes to Callaghan, Scott and their men who with magnificent courage against seemingly hopeless odds drove back the first hostile attack and paved the way for the success to follow. To them the men of Cactus lift their battered helmets in deepest admiration.​



https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Naval_Battle_of_Guadalcanal
 
Today in Naval History - Naval / Maritime Events in History
12 - 15 November 1942 – World War II: Naval Battle of Guadalcanal between Japanese and American forces near Guadalcanal - Ships sunk during the battle


13. November

Akatsuki
The Akatsuki-class destroyer was shelled and sunk in the Pacific Ocean off Savo Island, Solomon Islands by United States Navy cruisers and destroyers with the loss of 181 of her 197 crew. Survivors were rescued by American warships and taken as prisoners of war.
Kinugasa
The Aoba-class cruiser was bombed and sunk in Ironbottom Sound by Grumman TBF Avenger and Douglas SBD Dauntless aircraft base on USS Enterprise or at Henderson Field, Guadalcanal with the loss of 511 of her crew.
1920px-Japanese_cruiser_Kinugasa.jpg

Yūdachi
The Shiratsuyu-class destroyer was shelled and damaged by United States Navy ships and was abandoned with the loss of 19 crew. Survivors were rescued by Samidare, which attempted to scuttle Yudachi. She was later scuttled by USS Portland.

USS Atlanta
The Atlanta-class cruiser was scuttled 3 nautical miles (5.6 km) west of Lunga Point, Solomon Islands due to battle damage.
USS Barton
The Benson-class destroyer was torpedoed and sunk off Guadalcanal by Amatsukaze with the loss of 164 of her 206 crew. Survivors were rescued by Higgins boats from Guadalanal and USS Portland.
USS Cushing
The Mahan-class destroyer was shelled and sunk off Savo Island by Imperial Japanese Navy warships.
USS Juneau
The Atlanta-class cruiser was torpedoed and damaged by Japanese destroyer Amatsukaze during the battle. After the battle while withdrawing for repairs she was torpedoed again and sunk. 587 crewmen killed in the sinking and another 100 during the 8 day ordeal before 10 survivors were rescued. The wreck was located on 17 March 2018.
USS_Juneau_(CL-52)_-_19-N-28143.jpg

USS Laffey
The Benson-class destroyer was shelled and sunk.
USS_Laffey_(DD-459).jpg

USS Monssen
The Gleaves-class destroyer was shelled and sunk off Savo Island, Solomon Islands.


14. November
Arizona Maru
The Hawaii Maru-class anti-aircraft transport was bombed and sunk 80 nautical miles (150 km) north-west of Savo Island in the Solomon Islands by U.S. Navy Douglas SBDs from USS Enterprise. 1,000 survivors rescued by Makinami.
Brisbane Maru
The Sydney Maru-class transport was bombed and sunk off Guadalcanal in the Solomon Islands. 550 survivors rescued by Kawakaze
Canberra Maru
The Canberra Maru-class transport was bombed and sunk off Guadalcanal in the Solomon Islands by US Marine Corps Douglas SBDs from Guadalcanal.
Hiei
The Kongō-class battlecruiser was shelled and damaged in the Pacific Ocean by USS Laffey and USS San Francisco. She was then bombed by Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress aircraft of the United States Army Air Forces and torpedoed by Grumman TBF Avenger of the United States Navy. She was scuttled by an Imperial Japanese Navy destroyer with the loss of 188 of her 1,360 crew.
Hiei_Yokosuka_departure_1914.jpg

Nako Maru
The transport was bombed and sunk off Guadalcanal in the Solomon Islands by United States Marine Corps Douglas SBD Dauntless aircraft from Guadalcanal. One thousand, one hundred survivors were rescued by Suzukaze.
Nagara Maru
The transport was bombed and sunk off Guadalcanal in the Solomon Islands by United States Marine Corps Douglas SBD Dauntless aircraft from Guadalcanal. Survivors rescued by Amigiri and Mochizuki.
Shinanogawa Mar
The transport was bombed and sunk 80 nautical miles (150 km) north west of Savo Island in the Solomon Islands by United States Marine Corps Douglas SBD Dauntless aircraft from Guadalcanal. Five hundred and seventy survivors were rescued by Naganami.

USS Preston
The Mahan-class destroyer was shelled and sunk by Japanese warships off Savo Island, Solomon Islands.
Uss_Preston_DD-379.jpg

15. November
Ayanami
The Fubuki-class destroyer was shelled and damaged in the Pacific Ocean off Guadalcanal by USS Washington. with the loss of 27 of her 219 crew. The ship was abandoned, with the remaining crew being taken off by Uranami , which scuttled Ayanami
Hirokawa Maru
The Kamikawa Maru-class anti-aircraft transport was deliberately beached undamaged to unload troops at the mouth of the Bonegi River, Guadalcanal. Destroyed when shelled by USS Meade and bombed by United States Navy and United States Marine Corps Douglas SBD Dauntless aircraft.
Kinugawa Maru
The transport was deliberately beached undamaged to unload troops at the mouth of the Bonegi River, Guadalcanal. Destroyed when shelled by USS Meade and bombed by United States Navy and United States Marine Corps Douglas SBD Dauntless aircraft.
Kirishima
The Kongō-class battlecruiser was shelled and sunk in Ironbottom Sound by USS Washington with the loss of 212 of her 1,360 crew.
1280px-Kirishima_Tsukumowan_1937.jpg

Yumaura Maru
The transport was deliberately beached undamaged to unload troops at Doma Cove, Guadalcanal. Destroyed when shelled by USS Meade and bombed by United States Navy and United States Marine Corps Douglas SBDs.
Yamatsuki Maru
The transport was deliberately beached undamaged to unload troops at Arulingo Point, Guadalcanal. Destroyed when shelled by USS Meade and bombed by United States Navy and United States Marine Corps Douglas SBD Dauntless aircraft.

USS Benham
The Benham-class destroyer was scuttled following battle damage.
USS Walke
The Sims-class destroyer was torpedoed, shelled and sunk with the loss of 82 crew.
 
Today in Naval History - Naval / Maritime Events in History
Other Events on 14 November


1708 – Launch of French Argonaute 42–50 at Brest – hulked 1720, broken up 1746

Argonaute, 42 (later 50) guns, design by Blaise Pangalo, launched 14 November 1708 at Brest – hulked 1720, taken to pieces 1746.


1722 – Launch of French Solide 62, later 64 guns at Toulon, designed and built by René Levasseur) - hulked 1750 and taken to pieces 1771.

64-gun ships ("vaisseaux de 64") of the Louis XV era

The 60 or 62 (later 64) gun ship built from 1717 onwards continued the practice of similarly-armed vessels built in the first decade of the century. They were two-deckers with a "first tier" (or lower deck) battery of twenty-four 24-pounder guns and a "second tier" (upper deck) battery of twenty-six 12-pounder guns, supplemented by between ten and fourteen 6-pounder guns mounted on the gaillards (forecastle and quarterdeck).


1745 - HMS Fox (1740 - 24), Cptn. Edmund Beavor, foundered off Dunbar when she was driven ashore in a violent gale.

HMS Fox (1740) was a 24-gun sixth rate launched in 1740 and foundered in 1745.


1755 - HMS Orford (1749 - 70) captured French Esperance (74), Cptn. Louis Jubert de Bouville.

HMS Orford was a 70-gun third rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy, built to the draught specified by the 1745 Establishment at Woolwich Dockyard, and launched in 1749.
Orford was placed on harbour service in 1777, and in 1783 she was sunk to form part of a breakwater.

large.jpg
Scale: 1:48. A plan showing the body plan, sheer lines, and longitudinal half-breadth proposed (and approved) for a 70-gun Second Rate, two-decker, as prepared by the Master Shipwrights of Chatham Dockyard, Deptford Dockyard, Portsmouth Dockyard, Woolwich Dockyard, and Sheerness Dockyard, and approved by Sir John Norris and other flag officers. Later used for 'Grafton' (1750), 'Somerset' (1748), 'Northumberland' (1750), 'Orford' (1749), 'Swiftsure' (1750), 'Vanguard' (1748), and 'Buckingham' (1751), all 70-gun (later 68-gun) Third Rate, two-deckers.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HMS_Orford_(1749)
http://collections.rmg.co.uk/collec...el-336952;browseBy=vessel;vesselFacetLetter=O


1765 – Birth of Robert Fulton, American engineer, invented the steamboat (d. 1815)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Fulton


1797 - HMS Cerberus (1794 - 32), Cptn. J. Drew, captured privateer Renard (18).

HMS Cerberus was a 32-gun fifth-rate frigate of the Royal Navy. She served in the French Revolutionary and the Napoleonic Wars in the Channel, the Mediterranean, the Adriatic, and even briefly in the Baltic against the Russians. She participated in one boat action that won for her crew a clasp to the Naval General Service Medal (NGSM). She also captured many privateers and merchant vessels. Her biggest battle was the Battle of Lissa, which won for her crew another clasp to the NGSM. She was sold in 1814.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HMS_Cerberus_(1794)


1808 - Boats of HMS Polyphemus (1782 - 64), Cptn. W. Price Cumby, French national schooner captured Colibri (3) off San Domingo.

HMS Polyphemus (1782) was a 64-gun third rate launched in 1782, active in the Napoleonic Wars, converted to a powder hulk in 1813 and broken up in 1827.

On the morning of 14 November Cumby sent his boats, under Lieutenant Joseph Daly in the barge, to chase a schooner attempting to enter the harbour at San Domingo. An hour later the British succeed in boarding the schooner despite facing a hail of grape and musketry. Their quarry proved to be the French navy schooner Colibry, of three carriage guns and a crew of 63 men under the command of lieutenant de vaisseau Deyrisse. The French lost one man killed and five wounded; Polyphemus had one man killed

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HMS_Polyphemus_(1782)


1846 - US Naval forces capture Tampico, Mexico.


1864 - During the Civil War, Acting Master Lothrop Wight and Acting Ensign Frederick W. Mintzer explore Confederate naval dispositions above Dutch Gap on James River, Va. Work on the Dutch Gap would allow Union gunboats to bypass the obstructions at Trents Reach. Wight and Mintzer provide valuable information regarding the positions of the Confederate ships and troops.


1889 – Pioneering female journalist Nellie Bly (aka Elizabeth Cochrane) begins a successful attempt to travel around the world in less than 80 days. She completes the trip in 72 days.

Elizabeth Cochrane Seaman (May 5, 1864 – January 27, 1922), better known by her pen name Nellie Bly, was an American journalist who was widely known for her record-breaking trip around the world in 72 days, in emulation of Jules Verne's fictional character Phileas Fogg, and an exposé in which she worked undercover to report on a mental institution from within. She was a pioneer in her field, and launched a new kind of investigative journalism. Bly was also a writer, industrialist, inventor, and a charity worker.

Nellie_Bly_2.jpg

Journey
In 1888, Bly suggested to her editor at the New York World that she take a trip around the world, attempting to turn the fictional Around the World in Eighty Days into fact for the first time. A year later, at 9:40 a.m. on November 14, 1889, she boarded the Augusta Victoria, a steamer of the Hamburg America Line, and began her 24,899-mile journey with the goal of finishing in 75 days.

She brought with her the dress she was wearing, a sturdy overcoat, several changes of underwear and a small travel bag carrying her toiletry essentials. She carried most of her money (£200 in English bank notes and gold in total as well as some American currency) in a bag tied around her neck.

Nellie_Bly_journalist.jpg

The New York newspaper Cosmopolitan sponsored its own reporter, Elizabeth Bisland, to beat the time of both Phileas Fogg and Bly. Bisland would travel the opposite way around the world. To sustain interest in the story, the World organized a "Nellie Bly Guessing Match" in which readers were asked to estimate Bly's arrival time to the second, with the Grand Prize consisting at first of a free trip to Europe and, later on, spending money for the trip.

On her travels around the world, Bly went through England; France, where she met Jules Verne in Amiens; Brindisi in southern Italy; the Suez Canal; Colombo in Ceylon; the Straits Settlements (British territories) of Penang and Singapore on the Malay Peninsula; Hong Kong; and Japan. The development of efficient submarine cable networks and the electric telegraph allowed Bly to send short progress reports, though longer dispatches had to travel by regular post and were thus often delayed by several weeks.

Bly travelled using steamships and the existing railroad systems, which caused occasional setbacks, particularly on the Asian leg of her race. During these stops, she visited a leper colony in China and she bought a monkey in Singapore.

When Bly got to Hong Kong, she learned that Elizabeth Bisland was in the race and she didn't know it.

Nellie_Bly3.jpg

Homecoming
As a result of rough weather on her Pacific crossing, she arrived in San Francisco on the White Star liner Oceanic on January 21, two days behind schedule. However, World owner Pulitzer chartered a private train to bring her home, and she arrived back in New Jersey on January 25, 1890, at 3:51 p.m.

Nellie_Bly_Reception_1890.jpg
A woodcut image of Nellie Bly's homecoming reception in Jersey City printed in Frank Leslie's Illustrated News on 8 February 1890.

Bly arrived back in New York seventy-two days and six hours and 11 minutes after leaving Hoboken. At the time, Bisland was still going around the world. Like Bly, she had missed a connection and had to board a slow, old ship (the Bothina) in the place of a fast ship (Etruria). Bly's journey, at the time, was a world record, though it was bettered a few months later by George Francis Train, who completed the journey in 67 days. By 1913, Andre Jaeger-Schmidt, Henry Frederick and John Henry Mears had improved on the record, the latter completing the journey in less than 36 days.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nellie_Bly
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Around_the_World_in_Seventy-Two_Days


1906 - President Theodore Roosevelt becomes the first president to visit a foreign country while in office, traveling to Panama onboard USS Louisiana (BB 19).

On 8 November, Louisiana carried President Theodore Roosevelt from Piney Point, Maryland to Panama, where the Panama Canal was being built. After inspecting the progress of construction, Roosevelt boarded Louisiana and made a visit to Puerto Rico to examine the new government building there before continuing on to Piney Point, arriving on 26 November. Over the course of the following year, the ship made a series of cruises to American ports, including New Orleans and Norfolk, and visits to Havana and Guantanamo Bay in Cuba. During this period, she also took part in training exercises off New England.

Uss_louisiana_bb_19.jpg

Louisiana joined the Great White Fleet on 16 December 1907, when they departed Hampton Roads to begin their circumnavigation of the globe. The fleet cruised south to the Caribbean and then to South America, making stops in Port of Spain, Rio de Janeiro, Punta Arenas, and Valparaíso, among other cities. After arriving in Mexico in March 1908, the fleet spent three weeks conducting gunnery practice.[3] The fleet then resumed its voyage up the Pacific coast of the Americas, stopping in San Francisco and Seattle before crossing the Pacific to Australia, stopping in Hawaii on the way. Stops in the South Pacific included Melbourne, Sydney, and Auckland.

After leaving Australia, the fleet turned north for the Philippines, stopping in Manila, before continuing on to Japan where a welcoming ceremony was held in Yokohama. Three weeks of exercises followed in Subic Bay in the Philippines in November. The ships passed Singapore on 6 December and entered the Indian Ocean; they coaled in Colombo before proceeding to the Suez Canal and coaling again at Port Said, Egypt. The fleet called in several Mediterranean ports before stopping in Gibraltar, where an international fleet of British, Russian, French, and Dutch warships greeted the Americans. The ships then crossed the Atlantic to return to Hampton Roads on 22 February 1909, having traveled 46,729 nautical miles (86,542 km; 53,775 mi). There, they conducted a naval reviewfor President Theodore Roosevelt

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Louisiana_(BB-19)


1910 - Civilian Eugene Ely pilots the first aircraft to take-off from a warship, USS Birmingham (CL 2) at Hampton Roads, Va.

First_airplane_takeoff_from_a_warship.jpg
Pilot Eugene Ely takes off from USS Birmingham, Hampton Roads, Virginia, 14 November 1910

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Birmingham_(CL-2)


1941 – World War II: The aircraft carrier HMS Ark Royal sinks due to torpedo damage from the German submarine U-81 sustained on November 13.

HMS Ark Royal (pennant number 91) was an aircraft carrier of the Royal Navy that served during the Second World War.

Designed in 1934 to fit the restrictions of the Washington Naval Treaty, Ark Royal was built by Cammell Laird and Company Ltd. at Birkenhead, England, and completed in November 1938. Her design differed from previous aircraft carriers. Ark Royalwas the first ship on which the hangars and flight deck were an integral part of the hull, instead of an add-on or part of the superstructure. Designed to carry a large number of aircraft, she had two hangar deck levels. She served during a period that first saw the extensive use of naval air power; several carrier tactics were developed and refined aboard Ark Royal.

1920px-HMS_Ark_Royal_19sb2j1.jpg
Ark Royal's flight deck overhangs the stern. Her unusual height above the waterline is visible in comparison with the tugboat

Ark Royal served in some of the most active naval theatres of the Second World War. She was involved in the first aerial and U-boat kills of the war, operations off Norway, the search for the German battleship Bismarck, and the Malta Convoys. Ark Royal survived several near misses and gained a reputation as a 'lucky ship'. She was torpedoed on 13 November 1941 by the German submarine U-81 and sank the following day; one of her 1,488 crew members was killed. Her sinking was the subject of several inquiries; investigators were keen to know how the carrier was lost, in spite of efforts to save the ship and tow her to the naval base at Gibraltar. They found that several design flaws contributed to the loss, which were rectified in new British carriers.

The wreck was discovered in December 2002 by an American underwater survey company using sonar mounted on an autonomous underwater vehicle, under contract from the BBC for the filming of a documentary about the ship, at a depth of about 1000 metres and approximately 30 nautical miles (35 mi; 56 km) from Gibraltar.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HMS_Ark_Royal_(91)
 
Today in Naval History - Naval / Maritime Events in History
15 November 1777 - American prize USS Surprise, ex-HMS Racehorse (8) destroyed in the Delaware.


Surprise, the first American naval ship of the name, was a sloop that the Continental Navy purchased in 1777. The Royal Navy had purchased a vessel named Hercules in 1776 and renamed her HMS Racehorse. Andrew Doria captured Racehorse in 1776 and the Americans took her into service as Surprise. Her crew destroyed Surprise on 15 December 1777 to prevent the Royal Navy from recapturing her.

Type: Sloop
Tons burthen: 98 (bm)
Length:
  • 59 ft (18.0 m) (overall)
  • 43 ft (13.1 m) (keel)
Beam: 20 ft 9 in (6.3 m) (overall)
Depth of hold: 9 ft (2.7 m) (overall)
Armament:10 × 4-pounder guns



HMS Race Horse
The Royal Navy purchased the sloop Hercules in June 1776 at Jamaica in the British West Indies. The Navy renamed her Race Horse and commissioned her under Lieutenant Charles Everitt. In August, Commander James Jones replaced Everitt.

On her way back to the Delaware River, Andrew Doria encountered the sloop HMS Racehorse, of 10 guns, and under the command of Commander James Jones on 6 December. A two-hour single-ship action ensued before Racehorse struck. Andrew Doria had lost four men killed and eight wounded; casualties on Racehorse apparently were higher. The Andrew Doria encountered a British Snow and assigned Joshua Barney to return the ship to Philadelphia, but was captured with a fouled rudder off Chincoteage by the HMS Perseus (1776). The captain released Barney on pardon in Charleston to return to Philadelphia on foot over 19 days. Andrew Doria returned to Philadelphia where the Continental Navy acquired Racehorse, which it renamed Surprise.

US service
The US Navy commissioned Race Horse as Surprise under Captain Benjamin Dunn.

Surprise was ordered in April 1777 to join the brigantine USS Andrew Doria and sloop Fly in clearing the Cape May channel of British ships.

On May 2nd, the Harwich packet Prince of Orange was taken in the English Channel by the USS Surprise, Captain Gustavus Conyngham. The latter vessel had been bought at Folkestone, and, with glaring disregard of French neutrality, had been equipped at Dunkirk. On the Surprise's return to Dunkirk, the prize was seized and restored to Britain, though it was believed at the time, not without some reason, that the British Government, anxious to avoid a dispute with France, had purchased from Conyngham his capture.​
Scuttling
Surprise was stationed in the Delaware River through the spring and summer of 1777. After Vice Admiral Lord Howe brought his British fleet into the river in September 1777, Surprise was part of the forces charged with defending Philadelphia. Following the British occupation of Fort Mifflin on 16 November, Surprise, with the remaining ships of the Continental Navy, including Andrew Doria, sought shelter under the guns of Fort Mercer at Red Bank, New Jersey. With the evacuation of Fort Mercer on 20 November, Captain Isaiah Robinson of Andrew Doria gave orders the next day for the crews to burn their ships to prevent their capture. This was done shortly thereafter.


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Surprise_(1777_ship)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andrew_Doria_(1775_brig)
 
Today in Naval History - Naval / Maritime Events in History
15 November 1803 – Launch of French Hermione, (one-off design by Antoine Geoffroy) at Lorient, renamed Ville de Milan 1804 – captured by Britain in 1805 and renamed HMS Milan.


HMS Milan was a 38-gun fifth rate frigate of the Royal Navy. She had previously been the Ville de Milan, a 40-gun frigate of the French Navy, but served for only a year before being chased down and engaged by the smaller 32-gun frigate HMS Cleopatra. Ville de Milan defeated and captured her opponent, but suffered so much damage that she was forced to surrender without a fight several days later when both ships encountered HMS Leander, a British fourth rate. Milan went on to serve with the Royal Navy for another ten years, before being broken up in 1815, after the conclusion of the Napoleonic Wars.

large.jpg
La Fregate la Ville de Milan Capitaine Reynaud enleve a l'abordage la Fregate anglais la Cleopatre dans le parage des Iles Bermudis, le 17 fevrier 1805 (PAD5687)
Read more at http://collections.rmg.co.uk/collections/objects/109838.html#TlQRxdOLGUmI4PE4.99

Construction and French career
Ville de Milan was built at Lorient to a one-off design by Antoine Geoffroy. She was originally named Hermione, but was renamed after her launch; she was completed for service by February 1804. She was assigned to the West Indies and sailed from Martinique on 28 January under Captain Jean-Marie Renaud, bound for France with important despatches.

Class and type: 38-gun fifth rate frigate
Displacement: 1,350 tons (French)
Tons burthen: 1,085 91⁄94 (bm)
Length:
  • 153 ft 1 in (46.7 m) (overall)
  • 128 ft 8 in (39.2 m) (keel)
Beam: 39 ft 10.5 in (12.2 m)
Depth of hold: 12 ft 10 in (3.91 m)
Sail plan: Full rigged ship
Complement: 300 (later 315)
Armament:
  • French service:
  • UD:28 x 18-pounder guns (later 26)
  • Spardeck:14 x 36-pounder obusiers + 4 x 8-pounder guns
  • British service:
  • UD: 28 x 18-pounder guns
  • QD: 12 x 32-pounder carronades
  • Fc: 2 x 9-pounder guns + 2 x 32-pounder carronades.


large (2).jpg
lines & profile Date: NMM, Progress Book, volume 6, folio 356, states that 'Milan' (1805) arrived at Portsmouth Dockyard on 15 March 1806, recoppered in April 1806, and sailed on 4 May 1806 having been fitted. She was taken to pieces in December 1815.
Read more at http://collections.rmg.co.uk/collections/objects/82522.html#M7iP6FxAEQe6vCEV.99

On 16 February the Ville de Milan was spotted off Bermuda by the 32-gun HMS Cleopatra, under Captain Sir Robert Laurie. Laurie ordered a chase, while Renaud, who had orders to avoid combat, pressed on sail in an attempt to escape. The chase covered 180 miles and lasted until the following morning, when it became clear to Renaud that he was being overhauled and would be forced to fight. He reluctantly prepared to meet the Cleopatra, with the ships exchanging fire, the Cleopatra from her bowchasers, the Ville de Milan from her stern battery. The engagement began in earnest at 2.30pm, and a heavy cannonade was maintained between the two frigates until 5pm. The Cleopatra had suffered heavy damage to her rigging, and now tried to manoeuvre across the Frenchman's bows to rake her. While doing so she had her wheel shot away and her rudder jammed. The Ville de Milan approached from windward and ran aboard the Cleopatra, jamming her bowsprit over the quarterdeck of the British ship and raked her decks with musket fire. The British resisted one attempt to board, but on being unable to break free, were forced to surrender to a second boarding party. The Cleopatra had 22 killed and 36 wounded, with the loss of her foremast, mainmast and bowsprit. The Ville de Milan had probably about 30 killed and wounded, with Captain Renaud among the dead. She also lost her mainmast and mizzenmast. Though wounded, the Ville de Milan's second officer, Capitaine de frégate Pierre Guillet took command. Three days were spent transferring a prize crew and prisoners, and patching up the ships, before the two got underway on 21 February.

large (1).jpg
His Majesty's ship Cleopatra Sir Robt Laurie Captn engaging La Ville de Milan French Frigate (PAF2625)
Read more at http://collections.rmg.co.uk/collections/objects/126760.html#GTojMPUYzki3V9Jv.99
The chase of Ville de Milan by HMS Cleopatra

However on 23 February they were discovered by the 50-gun HMS Leander, under Captain John Talbot. The two vessels came together for support, but when Leander ran up to them, they hoisted French colours and separated. Talbot chased Cleopatra, brought her to with a shot and took possession. The freed crew reported the situation to Talbot, and left him to pursue the fleeing Ville de Milan. Talbot soon overtook her and she surrendered without a fight. Both were taken back to Halifax, where the Ville de Milan was taken into service as HMS Milan, with Laurie as her captain. Laurie's engagement with the superior opponent had initially cost him his ship, but had rendered her easy prey to any other Royal Navy frigate in the vicinity. Had he not brought her to battle, the Ville de Milan could have easily outsailed the Leanderor even engaged her on fairly equal terms. Instead the damage and losses incurred in breaking down the Cleopatra had left her helpless to resist.

British career
Milan was refitted at Portsmouth between 12 March and 4 April 1806 and commissioned that year under Sir Robert Laurie, who would command her for the next four years. She returned to the Halifax station for much of this time, but by 1812 was laid up in ordinary at Portsmouth. The conclusion of the Napoleonic Wars led to her being broken up at Chatham Dockyard in December 1815.


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HMS_Milan_(1805)
http://collections.rmg.co.uk/collec...el-331129;browseBy=vessel;vesselFacetLetter=M
 
Today in Naval History - Naval / Maritime Events in History
15 November 1804 – Launch of French Piémontaise, a 40-gun Consolante-class frigate of the French Navy


The Piémontaise was a 40-gun Consolante-class frigate of the French Navy. She served as a commerce raider in the Indian Ocean until her capture in March 1808. She then served with the British Royal Navy in the East Indies until she was broken up in Britain in 1813.

Class and type: Consolante-class frigate
Displacement: 1400 tons (French)
Tons burthen: 1091 83⁄94 (bm)
Length: 157 ft 5 in (47.98 m) (overall); 128 ft 10 in (39.27 m) (keel)
Beam: 39 ft 11 in (12.17 m)
Draught: 6.17 m (20.2 ft)
Depth of hold: 12 ft 8 in (3.86 m)
Armament:

French service
Piémontaise was built by Enterprise Étheart at Saint Malo to a design by François Pastel.

On 18 December 1805 she sailed from Brest for Île de France. There she served as a commerce raider under captain Jacques Epron. On 21 June 1806, she captured the East Indiaman Warren Hastings. On 6 September, she captured the 14-gun East India Company brig Grappler, the three-masted country ship Atomany, and the East Indiaman Fame.

Between September and October 1807, Piémontaise captured Caroline, Eggleton or Eggleson, master, Sarah, Henderson, master, Maria, James, master, Udny, Walteas or Wallis, master, Danneberg or Danesburgh or Castel Dansborg, Winter, master, Highland Chief, Mahapice or Makepiece, master, Eliza, Sparkes, master, and Calcutta. Calcutta was a "native ship". Captain James, of Maria, died aboard Piémontaise on 29 September.

In early March 1808, Piémontaise captured three more merchantmen off Southern India.

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St Fiorenzo and Piedmontaise March 9th 1808 (PAD8625)
Read more at http://collections.rmg.co.uk/collections/objects/112776.html#XpPdfVTjrHIHO3lX.99

Capture
On 6 March 1808, she encountered HMS St Fiorenzo. The two ships battled for three days until Piémontaise, out of ammunition and having suffered heavy casualties, had to strike her colours on 8 March. The evening before she struck, Lieutenant de vaisseau Charles Moreau, who had been severely wounded, threw himself into the sea. Captain Hardinge, of St Fiorenzo, was killed in the fighting on the last day. Over the three days the British suffered 13 dead and 25 wounded. The French suffered some 48 dead and 112 wounded.

Lieutenant William Dawson took command and brought both vessels back to Colombo, even though Piémontaise's three masts fell over her side early in the morning of 9 March. Piémontaise had on board British army officers and captains and officers from prizes that she had taken. These men helped organize the lascars to jury-rig masts and bring Piémontaise into port. St Fiorenzo had too few men, too many casualties, and too many prisoners to guard to provide much assistance. In 1847 the Admiralty awarded the Naval General Service Medal with clasp "San Fiorenzo 8 March 1808" to any surviving claimants from the action.

British service
The British brought Piémontaise into service as HMS Piedmontaise, commissioning her under Captain Charles Foote. From May to August 1810, she took part in an expedition to the Banda Islands, along with Caroline and Barracouta. The expedition also included Mandarin.

Foote died in September and Commander Henry D. Dawson replaced him, only to die shortly thereafter. Piedmontaise's next captain was T. Epworth, who was replaced in turn by Captain Henry Edgell.

Fate
Piémontaise was taken out of commission at Woolwich on 12 August 1812. She was broken up in January 1813.

1280px-Grand_Port_mg6974.jpg
Detail of Battle of Grand Port: French frigate Bellone Oil on canvas

The Consolante class frigate carried a main battery consisting of 18-pounder long guns. The designers were François Pestel and Jacques-Noël Sané.

Consolante class, (40-gun design by François Pestel, with 28 x 18-pounder and 12 x 8-pounder guns).
Battle_of_tamatave.jpg
Néréide as the Action of 20 May 1811 (rightmost ship)


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_frigate_Piémontaise_(1804)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Consolante-class_frigate
 
Today in Naval History - Naval / Maritime Events in History
15 November 1811 – Launch of HMS Union, a 98-gun second rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy,


HMS Union was a 98-gun second rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy, launched on 16 November 1811 at Plymouth.
She was broken up in 1833

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Scale: 1:48. Plan showing the body plan, sheer lines, and longitudinal half-breadth for 'Boyne' (1810), and later for 'Union' (1811), both 98-gun Second Rate, three-deckers. The plan records alterations in 1807 to the lower deck line. The plan was later altered and ordered to be used for building 'Royal Adelaide' [under her original name of 'London'] (1828) and 'Princess Charlotte' (1825), prior to the order to increase their breadth and length. They were eventually launched as 110-gun First Rate, three-decker. Signed by John Henslow [Surveyor of the Navy, 1784-1806] and William Rule [Surveyor of the Navy, 1793-1813].
Read more at http://collections.rmg.co.uk/collections/objects/80027.html#gcfzEu8sUD8Lxjjx.99

Class and type: Boyne-class ship of the line
Tons burthen: 2149 bm
Length: 186 ft (57 m) (gundeck)
Beam: 51 ft 5 in (15.67 m)
Depth of hold: 22 ft (6.7 m)
Sail plan: Full rigged ship
Armament:
  • 98 guns:
  • Gundeck: 28 × 32 pdrs
  • Middle gundeck: 30 × 18 pdrs
  • Upper gundeck: 30 × 18 pdrs
  • Quarterdeck: 2 × 18 pdrs, 12 × 32 pdr carronades
  • Forecastle: 2 × 18 pdrs, 2 × 32 pdr carronades

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Scale: 1:48. Plan showing the framing disposition (profile) for 'Boyne' (1810), and later for 'Union' (1811), both 98-gun Second Rate, three-decker, building at Portsmouth and Plymouth Dockyards respectively.
Read more at http://collections.rmg.co.uk/collections/objects/80029.html#SKzFFuxrr85FZ3am.99


Scale: 1:16. A model of the starboard stern of HMS Boyne (1810) as completed, made entirely in wood and painted in realistic colours. The hull is painted black with three broad off-white stripes running just above the three gun decks and ochre highlighting of the stern and quarter decoration. Ten broadside gunports are shown without port lids, the inside faces painted red. One stern gunport is shown beneath the counter. There are three apertures, one in each of the three stern galleries, possibly gunports. Nine stern gallery windows are shown, three on each deck, all with nine lights with painted glazing and frames. Two ornately carved balustrades separate the three galleries. All five decks are shown and all, apart from the orlop deck, have the principle deck beams and knees to support them. Number '6' is inscribed on the stern (now missing). This is one of a pair of half models which fit together to form a complete stern section.
Read more at http://collections.rmg.co.uk/collections/objects/68233.html#R47hu7vA60pbJx6I.99

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Scale: 1:16. A model of the portside stern of HMS Boyne (1810) shown in frame, made entirely in wood and painted in realistic colours. The principle stern frames are individually modelled, the remainder of the full and filling frames are painted onto a solid surface, the full frames being depicted in a lighter colour. The framing of seven gunports and three ports are shown and the uppermost three gunports on the poop deck have been painted.
Read more at http://collections.rmg.co.uk/collections/objects/68793.html#1ztbKIWHTbfas6Yc.99

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The Boyne (renamed Excellent on 1 Dec 1834, then Queen Charlotte in 1859) shown at Portsmouth Harbour, starboard-quarter view. Boyne's break up was completed in 1861.
Read more at http://collections.rmg.co.uk/collections/objects/110228.html#LQgBbtuJHZvevFZx.99

The Boyne-class ships of the line of 1810 were a class of two 98-gun second rates, built to the draught of HMS Victory.

Ships
Builder: Portsmouth Dockyard
Ordered: 25 June 1801
Launched: 3 July 1810
Fate: Broken up, 1861
Builder: Plymouth Dockyard
Ordered: 13 July 1801
Launched: 15 November 1811
Fate: Broken up, 1833

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Scale: 1:24. Plan showing a half midship section with details illustrating the method of attaching the deck beams to the sides for 'Boyne' (1810), and later for 'Union' (1811), both 98-gun Second Rate, three-decker, building at Portsmouth and Plymouth Dockyards respectively.
Read more at http://collections.rmg.co.uk/collections/objects/80028.html#8GR6Wxhi7tCiXCX1.99

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Scale: 1:48. Plan showig the stern board illustrating the construction method for 'Boyne' (1810), and later for 'Union' (1811), both 98-gun Second Rate, three-decker, building at Portsmouth and Plymouth Dockyards respectively. The plan includes the addition of two stern ports on the roundhouse for 'Union' in 1807. Initiallled by William Rule [Surveyor of the Navy, 1793-1813].
Read more at http://collections.rmg.co.uk/collections/objects/80036.html#uGMtWzO2yHg1y12R.99


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HMS_Union_(1811)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boyne-class_ship_of_the_line_(1810)
http://collections.rmg.co.uk/collec...0;browseBy=vessel;vesselFacetLetter=U;start=0
 
Today in Naval History - Naval / Maritime Events in History
15 November 1822 – Launch of HMS Herald, an Atholl-class 28-gun sixth-rate corvette of the Royal Navy.


HMS Herald was an Atholl-class 28-gun sixth-rate corvette of the Royal Navy. She was launched in 1821 as HMS Termagant, commissioned in 1824 as Herald and converted to a survey ship in 1845. After serving as a chapel ship from 1861, she was sold for breaking in 1862.

Class and type: Atholl-class 28-gun sixth-rate corvette
Tons burthen: 499 91⁄94 (bm)
Length:
  • 113 ft 8 in (34.6 m) (gundeck)
  • 94 ft 8 3⁄4 in (28.9 m) (keel)
Beam:As built: 31 ft 10 in (9.7 m) *For tonnage:31 ft 6 in (9.6 m)
Depth of hold: 8 ft 9 in (2.67 m)
Sail plan: Full-rigged ship
Complement: 175
Armament:
  • Upper deck: 20 x 32-pounder (25cwt) carronades
  • QD: 6 x 18-pounder carronades
  • Fc: 2 x 9-pounder guns

large (14).jpg Scale 1:48. Plan showing the body plan, sheer lines with some midship framing and longitudinal half breadth for Ranger (1820), Tweed (1823), Rainbow (1823), Rattlesnake (1822), Crocodile (1825),Success (1825), Talbot (1824) and with alterations for Alligator (1821), Samarang (1822), Herald (1822) - ex Termagant, and later for North Star (1820), Daphne (cancelled 1832), Porcupine (cancelled 1832), Nimrod (1828) – ex Andromache, Alarm (cancelled 1826), all 28-gun Sixth Rate Sloops. Signed Joseph Tucker and Robert Seppings (Surveyors of the Navy) Annotation at the top right: "Mem: The Head was altered agreeably to a sketch dated Nov 6th 1821." Annotation on the right: " 14th May 1823. The following ships were ordered to be built agreeably to the alterations in ticked lines in the fore body viz Alarm, Crocodile, Daphne, Porcupine and Sucess." "2nd June 1830. The main rails of the head of the Talbot was directed to be moved 8ins and the Birthing rails about fuurther from the side at the front of the supporters." Annoted in pencil at bottom right: "Memo ? ? lines for the Model."
Read more at http://collections.rmg.co.uk/collections/objects/83218.html#56BGwuBQuDvxUZJJ.99


Early career
Termagant was launched at the East India Company dockyard at Cochin, British India on 15 November 1821. Lieutenant Robert Wallace Dunlop commissioned on 30 July 1822 to sail her to the United Kingdom. She arrived at Portsmouth on 7 July 1823. In July Captain Lord Henry Frederick Thynne took command, though he had nominally been appointed about a year earlier, on 30 July 1822.

She was renamed Herald on 15 May 1824, and commissioned on 16 July 1824. At this time she was rated a yacht.

Commander Henry John Leeke recommissioned her on 31 May 1824. He sailed her to St Petersburg, the West Indies, back to England from Havana, then to Quebec, and finally to Malta.

Captain Sir Augustus William James Clifford recommissioned Herald on 27 May 1826 to carry the Duke of Devonshire on an embassy to Russia. CommanderHenry Eden replaced Clifford in November 1826, only to hand over command to Commander Edward William Curry Astley in April 1827.

On 7 April 1829 Commander George Berkeley Maxwell replaced Astley. Maxwell sailed Herald to St Petersburg, Cartagena, Quebec, and home.

Herald was paid off in 1830. She then underwent fitting for sea between April and July 1830.

On 20 November 1830 Captain Robert Godon took command at Portsmouth. He paid her off in January 1831. She then underwent fitting for sea again between November 1837 and August 1838.

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Gun (ZAZ6972)

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gun (24pdr) (ZAZ6973)
Read more at http://collections.rmg.co.uk/collections/objects/86764.html#YWoD7eJvorm1VzJy.99


Service in New Zealand
Captain John Nias recommissioned Herald on 24 May 1838 for the East Indies and China. On 26 August 1839, Herald and HMS Pelorus attempted to scuttle the British merchant ship Lucretia, which had caught fire off Kyardbilly's point, Sydney, New South Wales. The attempt was unsuccessful and the ship exploded and sank.

On 29 April 1840 Nias sailed Herald, with Major Thomas Bunbury of the 80th Regiment (appointed by Governor William Hobson as Commissioner) and Edward Marsh Williams as interpreter, to take a copy of the Treaty of Waitangi (known as the ‘Herald-Bunbury’ copy) to the South Island of New Zealand to obtain signatures from Māori chiefs as part the process of claiming British sovereignty over New Zealand.

Service in the First Anglo-Chinese War

During the period 1841–42 she was involved in actions off Canton in the fleet commanded by Sir William Parker in the First Anglo-Chinese War (1839–42), known popularly as the First Opium War. Herald was paid off at Chatham in 1842.

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Scale 1:48. Plan showing the framing profile (disposition) for Termagant (1822), Alligator (1821), Samarang (1822), all 28-gun, Sixth Rate Sloops, ordered to be built of Teak, building in the East Indies. Annotation in the bottom right in faint pencil: "Foremost Ports to alter agreeable to the other disposition May 1821". Initialled R.S (Robert Seppings, Surveyor of the Navy)
Read more at http://collections.rmg.co.uk/collections/objects/83221.html#IkM5kLdWkrUYl7FW.99


Survey voyages
Herald was converted at Sheerness to a survey ship between July 1844 and June 1845. At that time her armament was reduced to eight guns.

Henry Kellett recommissioned Herald 8 February 1845 for surveying in the Pacific. Together with HMS Pandora she conducted a survey of the coast of British Columbia after the Oregon boundary dispute with the United States.

Herald was assigned in 1848 to join the search for Sir John Franklin who had been exploring the Northwest Passage. During this voyage Herald sailed through the Bering Strait across the Chukchi Sea and discovered Herald Island, which Kellett named after his ship. She was then paid off in 1848.

From 1852 to 1861, under the command of Captain Henry Mangles Denham, Herald carried out a survey of the Australian coast and Fiji Islands, continuing the mission of HMS Rattlesnake. The naturalists on the voyage were John MacGillivray (1821–1867), William Milne (botanist) and Denis Macdonaldas Assistant Surgeon-zoologist. However following disagreements with the captain, John MacGillivray disembarked at Sydney in January 1854.

She was the first sailing ship to enter the Fitzroy Dock, Cockatoo Island in Sydney Harbour.

Fate
Herald was converted to a chapel ship and was used as a floating church in Shoreham in September 1861. She was sold to Castle for breaking on 28 April 1862


The Atholl-class corvettes were a series of fourteen Royal Navy sailing sixth-rate post ships built to an 1817 design by the Surveyors of the Navy. A further four ships ordered to this design were cancelled.

Non-standard timber were used in the construction of some; for example, the first pair (Atholl and Niemen) were ordered built of larch and Baltic fir respectively, for comparative evaluation of these materials; the three ships the East India Company built, (Alligator, Termagant and Samarang), were built of teak. Nimrod was built of African timber.


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Scale 1:48. Plan showing the midship section with modifications for Termagant (1822), Alligator (1821), Samarang (1822), all 28-gun, Sixth Rate Sloops, building in the East Indies.

Ships in class
HMS_Rattlesnake_(1822).jpg
Rattlesnake by Oswald Walters Brierly, 1853
lossy-page1-1280px-HMS_Phoenix_(1832),_HMS_Talbot_(1824)_and_HMS_Diligence_(1814)_at_anchor,_H...jpg
HMS Phoenix (1832), HMS Talbot (1824) and HMS Diligence (1814) at anchor, Holsteinborg
The_Success_hove_down_to_the_Couizer_-ca._1829-1830-.jpg
HMS Success undergoing repairs off Carnac Island Western Australia
  • HMS Crocodile
    • Builder: Chatham Dockyard
    • Ordered: 5 June 1819
    • Laid down: December 1823
    • Launched: 28 October 1825
    • Completed: 27 August 1828
    • Fate: Broken up at Chatham in 1860.
  • Alarm (-) - re-ordered 1828 as Conway-class vessel
  • Daphne (-) - re-ordered 1826 as a sloop, but cancelled 1832
  • Porcupine (-) - re-ordered 1826 as a sloop, but cancelled 1832
  • HMS Nimrod
    • Builder: Deptford Dockyard
    • Ordered: 9 March 1826
    • Laid down: October 1821 (as Andromeda - see above)
    • Launched: 26 August 1828
    • Completed: 11 December 1828
    • Fate: Sold in 1907.


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HMS_Herald_(1822)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atholl-class_corvette
http://collections.rmg.co.uk/collec...el-353412;browseBy=vessel;vesselFacetLetter=T
 
Today in Naval History - Naval / Maritime Events in History
15 November 1822 – Launch of HMS Madagascar, a 46-gun fifth-rate Seringapatam-class frigate


HMS Madagascar was a 46-gun fifth-rate Seringapatam-class frigate, built at Bombay and launched on 15 November 1822.

Madagascar delivered Bavarian Prince Otto, who had been selected as the King of Greece, to his new capital Nafplion in 1833. In 1843, Madagascar was assigned to suppress the slave trade, which was illegal in Britain. Operating off the west African coast, it successfully detained the Portuguese slave schooner Feliz in 1837, the Brazilian slave ships Ermelinda Segunda (detained 1842), Independencia (1843), Prudentia (1843) and Loteria (1843), and the Spanish slave brigantine Roberto (1842), along with two other vessels of which the nationalities were not recorded. In 1848, Madagascar became a storeship, first in Devonport and then at Rio de Janeiro after 1853. She was sold in 1863.

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Scale: 1:48. Plan showing the body plan, sheer lines, and longitudinal half-breadth for Madegascar (1822), Manilla (cancelled 1831), both building at Bombay, India. The plan was later used with alterations in November 1820 for Druid (1825), and alterations dated February 1822 for the Africaine (1827). The alterations dated 13 October 1827 relate to Jason (cancelled 1831), Pique (cancelled 1832), Tigris (cancelled 1832), Statira (cancelled 1832), Stag (1830), Forth (1833), Severn (cancelled 1831), Seahorse (1830), Euphrates (cancelled 1831), Spartan (cancelled 1831), Theban (cancelled 1831), Tiber (cancelled 1831), Andromeda (1828), Meander (1840), Orpheus (cancelled 1831), all 46-gun Fifth Rate Frigates.
Read more at http://collections.rmg.co.uk/collections/objects/81828.html#l25hU5VmglVhcUBS.99


Class and type: Seringapatam-class frigate
Tons burthen: 1,162 bm
Length: 159 ft (48 m) (gundeck)
Beam: 40 ft 5 in (12.32 m)
Depth of hold: 12 ft 9 in (3.89 m)
Speed:–
Range:–
Complement: 315
Armament: 46 guns

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The Figurehead of HMS Madagascar

The Seringapatam-class frigates, were a class of British Royal Navy 46-gun sailing frigates. The first vessel of the class was HMS Seringapatam. Seringapatam's design was based on the French frigate Président, which the British had captured in 1806. Seringapatam was originally ordered as a 38-gun frigate, but the re-classification of British warships which took effect in February 1817 raised this rating to 46-gun.

The Admiralty ordered six further ships to this design – including three ships which had originally been ordered as Leda-class frigates, but the Seringapatam design was subsequently altered to produce a Modified version which was labelled the Druidsub-class, and three of the ships formerly ordered to the Seringapatam original design (Madagascar, Nemesis and Jason) were re-ordered to this modified design. Subsequently a further modification of the design was produced, which was labelled the Andromeda sub-class, and the remaining three of the ships formerly ordered to the Seringapatam original design (Manilla, Tigris and Statira) were re-ordered to this modified design. Further vessels were ordered to both modified designs, but the majority of these were subsequently cancelled. Both modified types are listed below.
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Scale: 1:48. Plan showing the plans and elevations of the starboard quarter illustrating the circular stern for Hotspur (1828)/ Druid (1825), Leda (1828), Nemesis (1826), Eurotas (1829), Africaine (1827), and Madagascar (1827), all 46-gun Fifth Rate, Frigates.
Read more at http://collections.rmg.co.uk/collections/objects/81844.html#emrKBmQShYHbO1JW.99


Druid sub-class (1st modified version of Seringapatam Class)
  • HMS Druid
    • Builder: Pembroke Dockyard.
    • Ordered: 23 July 1817
    • Laid down: August 1821
    • Launched: 1 July 1825
    • Completed: 21 December 1825 at Plymouth Dockyard.
    • Fate: Sold to be broken up in April 1863.
  • HMS Nemesis- had first been ordered to Modified Leda class, later to original Seringapatam design
    • Builder: Pembroke Dockyard.
    • Ordered: 23 July 1817
    • Laid down: August 1823
    • Launched: 19 August 1826
    • Completed: never completed; laid up at Plymouth Dockyard.
    • Fate: Broken up in July 1866.
  • HMS Madagascar – had first been ordered to original Seringapatam design
    • Builder: East India Company, Bombay Dockyard.
    • Ordered: 5 April 1819
    • Laid down: October 1821
    • Launched: 15 November 1822; 1164 tons (bm)
    • Completed: January 1829 at Portsmouth Dockyard.
    • Fate: Sold to be broken up at Rio de Janeiro 5 May 1863.
  • HMS Leda
    • Builder: Pembroke Dockyard.
    • Ordered: 15 May 1821
    • Laid down: October 1824
    • Launched: 15 April 1828
    • Completed: never completed; laid up at Plymouth Dockyard.
    • Fate: Sold to be broken up on 15 May 1906.
  • HMS Hotspur
    • Builder: Pembroke Dockyard.
    • Ordered: 15 May 1821
    • Laid down: July 1825
    • Launched: 9 October 1828
    • Completed: never completed; laid up at Plymouth Dockyard.
    • Fate: Renamed Monmouth 1868. Sold to be broken up in 1902.
  • HMS Africaine
    • Builder: Chatham Dockyard.
    • Ordered: 8 January 1822
    • Laid down: September 1825
    • Launched: 20 December 1827
    • Completed: 3 March 1828.
    • Fate: Sold to Trinity House in May 1867.
  • HMS Eurotas
    • Builder: Chatham Dockyard.
    • Ordered: 13 September 1824
    • Laid down: February 1827
    • Launched: 19 February 1829
    • Completed: 20 March 1828.
    • Fate: Sold to be broken up in November 1865.
  • A further vessel, HMS Jason, also first ordered to Modified Leda Class, then to the original Seringapatam design, was again re-ordered subsequently, now to the Andromeda design, but was never finally built.
Andromeda sub-Class (2nd modified version of Seringapatam Class)

KEPPEL(1853)_HMS_MEANDER.jpg
HMS Maeander (c1850) by Oswald Walters Brierly
  • HMS Andromeda
    • Builder: East India Company, Bombay Dockyard.
    • Ordered: 5 April 1827
    • Laid down: August 1827
    • Launched: 6 January? 1829; 1166 tons (bm)
    • Completed: not completed – laid up at Plymouth Dockyard.
    • Fate: Provision hulk November 1846. Sold to be broken up on 24 December 1863.
  • HMS Seahorse
    • Builder: Pembroke Dockyard.
    • Ordered: 9 January 1823
    • Laid down: November 1826
    • Launched: 22 July 1830
    • Completed: never completed as sailing frigate; laid up at Plymouth Dockyard.
    • Fate: Converted to a steam/screw-driven frigate 1845–47. Screw mortar frigate 1856. Coal hulk 1870, renamed Lavinia. Sold to be broken up 1902.
  • HMS Stag
    • Builder: Pembroke Dockyard.
    • Ordered: 9 January 1823
    • Laid down: April 1828
    • Launched: 2 October 1830
    • Completed: 9 July 1831 at Portsmouth Dockyard.
    • Fate: Broken up in August 1866.
  • HMS Maeander
    • Builder: Chatham Dockyard.
    • Ordered: 13 September 1824
    • Laid down: February 1829
    • Launched: 5 May 1840
    • Completed: 17 January 1848.
    • Fate: Hulked 1857. Wrecked at Ascension in July 1870.
  • HMS Forth
    • Builder: Pembroke Dockyard.
    • Ordered: 9 June 1825
    • Laid down: November 1828
    • Launched: 1 August 1833
    • Completed: never completed as a sailing frigate; laid up at Plymouth Dockyard.
    • Fate: Converted to a steam/screw-driven frigate 1845–47. Screw mortar frigate 1856. Coal hulk 1869, renamed Jupiter. Sold to be broken up 1883.
The remaining ships ordered or re-ordered to this design were never completed:
  • HMS Jason – ordered 23 July 1817 from Woolwich Dockyard, firstly to Modified Leda Class design, later altered to original Seringapatam design in October 1820, to Druid design in 1822, and finally to Andromeda design in 1826; cancelled 7 February 1831.
  • HMS Statira – ordered 23 July 1817 from Plymouth Dockyard, originally to Modified Leda Class, later altered to original Seringapatam design in October 1820, to Druid design in 1822, and finally to Andromeda design in 1826; cancelled 31 August 1832.
  • HMS Manilla – ordered 5 April 1819 from East India Company's Bombay Dockyard, firstly ordered to original Seringapatam design, later altered to Andromeda design in 1826; cancelled 7 February 1831.
  • HMS Euphrates – ordered 22 October 1820 from Portsmouth Dockyard, cancelled 7 February 1831.
  • HMS Pique – ordered 25 October 1820 from Plymouth Dockyard, cancelled 16 June 1832.
  • HMS Tigris – ordered 25 October 1820 from Plymouth Dockyard (utilising teak frames from Bombay Dockyard), firstly to original Seringapatam design, later altered to Andromeda design in 1826; cancelled 31 August 1832.
  • HMS Pique – ordered 25 October 1820 from Plymouth Dockyard, cancelled 16 June 1832.
  • HMS Spartan – ordered 13 September 1824 from Portsmouth Dockyard, cancelled 7 February 1831.
  • HMS Theban – ordered 13 September 1824 from Portsmouth Dockyard, cancelled 7 February 1831.
  • HMS Inconstant – ordered 9 June 1825 from Sheerness Dockyard, cancelled 9 March 1832.
  • HMS Orpheus – ordered 9 June 1825 from Chatham Dockyard, cancelled 7 February 1831.
  • HMS Severn – ordered 9 June 1825 from Plymouth Dockyard, cancelled 7 February 1831.
  • HMS Tiber – ordered 9 June 1825 from Portsmouth Dockyard, cancelled 7 February 1831.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HMS_Madagascar_(1822)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seringapatam-class_frigate
http://collections.rmg.co.uk/collec...el-327819;browseBy=vessel;vesselFacetLetter=M
 
Today in Naval History - Naval / Maritime Events in History
15 November 1868 - Kaiyō Maru (開陽丸), one of Japan's first modern warships, wrecked


Kaiyō Maru (開陽丸) was one of Japan's first modern warships, a frigate powered by both sails and steam. She was built in the Netherlands, and served in the Boshin War as part of the navy of the Tokugawa shogunate, and later as part of the navy of the Republic of Ezo. She was wrecked on 15 November 1868, off Esashi, Hokkaido, Japan.

Kayo_Maru.jpg

Construction and design

1280px-Launch_of_Kayo_Maru_in_Dordrech_1865.jpg
Launch of Kaiyō Maru in Dordrecht, 1865

Kaiyō Maru was ordered in 1863, and built by Cornelis Gips and Sons, at Dordrecht, Netherlands, for a sum of 831,200 guilders. Her construction was overseen by a Japanese military mission under Uchida Masao and Akamatsu Noriyoshi. She was launched in October 1866, and arrived in Japan in November of the same year.[4] She was the largest wooden warship ever built by a Dutch shipyard at the time. She was 240 feet (73 m) long.

Type: Frigate
Displacement: 2,590 long tons (2,632 t)
Length: 72.2 m (236 ft 11 in) o/a
Beam: 13.04 m (42 ft 9 in)
Draught: 6.4 m (21 ft 0 in)
Propulsion: Coal-fired auxiliary steam engine, 400 hp
Sail plan:
  • Ship-rigged 3-masted sailboat
  • Sail area 20,970 m2 (225,700 sq ft)
Speed: 10 knots (12 mph; 19 km/h)
Armament:
  • 18 × 16 cm (6 in) guns
  • 8 × 30-pounder guns
  • 5 more cannons later


Career

EnomotoFleet.jpg
Part of the fleet of Enomoto Takeakioff Shinagawa in 1868. Kaiyō Maru is second from right.

In January 1868 Kaiyō Maru was engaged in the naval battle of Awa off Awaji Island, where she, Banryū Maru and Hazuru Maru battled against the Satsuma Navy's Kasuga Maru, Hōō Maru, and Heiun Maru. During the battle, Hōō Maru was sunk off the coast of Awa.

In late January 1868, Kaiyō Maru, Kanrin Maru, Hōō Maru, and five other modern ships fled to Hokkaido, under Admiral Enomoto Takeaki. They carried a handful of French military advisors, and their leader Jules Brunet. While in Hokkaido, they became a part of the navy of the short-lived Ezo Republic, founded by Enomoto Takeaki. Kaiyō Maru became the flagship of the navy of the Ezo Republic, but she soon was wrecked off Esashi, Hokkaido, Japan, during a storm on 15 November 1868.

Salvage
The guns and ship chandlery of Kaiyō Maru were discovered on the seafloor on 14 August 1968 by the submarine Yomiurigo. Further remains were discovered but project financing prevented the salvage at that time however several items were recovered in 1969. Dives were conducted in August 1974 that confirmed a need for excavation of the extensive remains. Full scale excavation of the wreck from a depth of 15 m (49 ft) began in June 1975. The salvage of portions of the wreck located in the open sea were completed in seven years. The inland portions of the wreck were slowed by poor visibility. Costs for the salvage totaled over 3 million yen by 1985. Desalinization of the recovered artifacts began upon recovery. A replica of Kaiyō Maru was constructed in 1990. She is now on display at the docks in Esashi and has become a tourist attraction showing the salvaged remains of the original ship

http://go-musee.com/archives/general/230/

Kaiyo_Maru_restored.jpg kaiyoumaru-1.jpg
Kaiyō Maru replica in Esashi

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_frigate_Kaiyō_Maru
http://go-musee.com/archives/general/230/
 

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Today in Naval History - Naval / Maritime Events in History
15 November 1928 – The RNLI lifeboat Mary Stanford capsized in Rye Harbour with the loss of the entire 17-man crew.


RNLB Mary Stanford (ON 661) was a Liverpool-class lifeboat which capsized in Rye Harbour in 1928.
The disaster was the worst for many years. It occurred on 15 November 1928 when the whole of the 17-man crew of the Mary Stanford lifeboat were drowned, practically the whole male fishing population of the village of Rye Harbour.

Lifeboat_William_Cantrell_Astley.jpg
Liverpool Class lifeboat William Cantrell Ashley was built in 1949 and based at Clovelly for its entire career until retired in 1968. It is seen here offering pleasure cruises at Looe in Cornwall

Previous service
About every 10–15 years the RNLI lifeboats around the coast of Britain and Ireland are replaced with new boats as a matter of course. Some stations stay with the same class of boat and others are upgraded to the new improved versions of what they have had, or downgraded to a more suitable class to carry out the work that they have been doing with the old boat. It is traditional for crews to be asked for their input on what type of boat is to be supplied.

In May 1914 a new lifeboat was offered to Rye Harbour to replace the John William Dudly a self-righting 10-oar pulling and sailing Liverpool class in service since 1900. At the invitation of the Institution the then coxswain, William Southerden, and two of the crew were invited to visit three lifeboat stations and inspect the different types of boats, doing similar work to that of the Rye Harbour boat. In July they visited Cromer and witnessed an exercise launch of the 'Louisa Heartwell'. The one that was chosen was a 38 ft (11.7 m) Liverpool non-self-righting pulling and sailing boat with 14 oars. This was thought to be the ideal craft to operate in the surf conditions of Rye Bay. Also, according to the brother of one of those lost, the crew rejected a self-righting boat as it would have been too heavy to drag across the shingle and launch.

J.E. Saunders of East Cowes was the builders and on 13 April 1916 she was tested for draught and stability and found to be 'perfectly satisfactory'. The cost of the lifeboat was met by a legacy in memory of Mary Stanford, after whom the boat was named. After the loss, John Frederick Stanford, son of Mary Stanford, paid for another lifeboat to be named Mary Stanford, also built by Saunders Roe Ltd. RNLB Mary Stanford (ON 733) had an illustrious career saving 122 lives.

The lifeboat was sailed from East Cowes and was placed on station at Rye Harbour on 19 October 1916. On 25 November of that year she was launched on exercise in weather conditions that 'fairly tested her'. The Coxswain, crew and Officers of the Institution were satisfied with the result of the exercise. In 1920 the RNLI sent out a circular to all lifeboat crews around the country asking what type of lifebelt was preferred. The crew at Rye expressed a preference for the No 3 Lifebelt – the Kapok. Exhaustive experiments had been made up to September 1917 by the Institution, with co-operation with the Board of Trade and their officers, to ensure that Jackets of No 3 pattern fulfilled the purposes for which they were designed. The belts had fulfilled the purposes under the conditions of the experiment.

The beautiful model of a Liverpool-class lifeboat GRACE DARLING built by Hubert Mallet in scale 1:18 - photos made by myself at Rochefort
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Circumstances
The lifeboat was launched in a south-west gale with heavy rain squalls and heavy seas to the vessel Alice of Riga. News was received that the crew of the Alice had been rescued by another vessel and the recall signal was fired three times. Apparently the crew of the lifeboat had not seen it. As the lifeboat was coming into harbour she was seen to capsize and the whole of the crew perished. All the dependants were pensioned by the Institution. The local fund raised over £35,000.

During her time at Rye Harbour Mary Stanford was launched 63 times, 47 launches were exercises and 16 were shouts. From these 16 shouts, 10 lives were saved. One of these was quite spectacular for the time. On 12 December 1923 an Aeroplane ditched in the sea off Fairlight the lifeboat towed the plane back to station, but the pilot, an American, L.B. Sperry, was lost when he had tried to swim ashore before the lifeboat arrived on scene. During her time she had three coxswains. The first was William Southerden, who took delivery of the vessel in 1916 and was coxswain until 1919. He was followed by Joseph White until 1924, when Herbert Head took over from 1924 to 1928. The lifeboat exercised as usual and there were no real eventful services.

On the night of 14 November 1928 a south-west gale swept up the Channel with winds in excess of 80 mph (128 km/h). Just after 4 o'clock in the morning of the 15th, the small Steamer Alice of Riga, laden with a cargo of bricks, was in collision with the larger German vessel Smyrna. In the collision the Alice lost her rudder and had a hole torn in her side. The weather was too bad for the Smyrna to effect a rescue, and at 4:27 am the Ramsgate Coastguard Station received a message passed on by North Forland Radio – "Steamer. Alice of Riga. Leaking. Danger. Drifting SW to W 8 miles from Dungeness04.30". The Rye Harbour Coast Guard Station was informed at 04:55 am, and the lifeboat maroons were fired. This put into action the most devastating chain of events to befall the small village of Rye Harbour. As soon as the maroons were fired, most of the village was awakened and could hear the ferocity of the raging storm outside. Fred Southerden recalled, as a lad he had heard his brother Charlie tumble out of bed, Fred called to him saying that he had 'only heard one maroon'. Charlie replied "best go someone may need help". Such was the will and spirit shown by all of these volunteers that morning, both crew and launchers. The locals that can remember that fateful morn to this day tell of how difficult it was to stand up in the wind, let alone make the 1 1⁄2-mile journey against the wind and rain to the boathouse out on the shore.

The maroons were fired just after 5 am, it was practically low water and it took three attempts to get the boat away, the time now was 06:45, as the boat went away. All of the crew by now would have been wet through. It was just beginning to break daylight, when at 06:50 Rye Coastguard received the message saying that the crew of the Alice of Riga had been rescued by the Smyrna. This message had originally been received by Ramsgate Coastguard Station at 6:12 am. As it was not a 'life saving message' it was not considered to be 'entitled', i.e. priority. Also there was a further delay in sending the recall to Rye Coastguard when an attempt to call Dungeness via Lydd proved to be futile.

Frantic efforts were made by the signalman to recall the lifeboat, all to no avail, with the blinding spray and driving rain coupled with all of the action going on in the lifeboat, keeping her head to sea with the oars while the mast and sails were raised. A very intensive time, no wonder the flares were not seen. As it was, the recall reached the lifeboat station just 5 minutes after the Mary Stanford had been launched.

At around 09:00 the mate of the S.S. Halton saw the lifeboat 3 miles (2 km) W.S.W from Dungeness and all appeared OK. The lifeboat was also seen by a boy sailor on the Smyrna a bit later on. About 10:30 a young lad, Cecil Marchant, collecting drift wood at Camber saw the lifeboat capsize. As he looked out to sea he saw it happen in a bright ray of sunlight. He ran home and told his parents what he had seen, and promptly got a clout for making up stories but just to be on the safe side his father reported it to Jurys Gap Coastguard. Soon rumours were going around Rye Harbour Village that the boat had 'gone over', the vicar thought that he had seen this from an upstairs window at the Vicarage. By 12 noon it had been confirmed as the lifeboat could be seen bottom up floating towards the shore. Within ten minutes Rye Harbour Coastguard was informed and the maroons were fired to assemble the launchers. The vicar went out on to the beach and broke the news to the launchers. One young woman Elsie Downey had been asked by her blind mother repeatedly to go to the huts (by the Flag Pole) for news of the boat. Elsie's Brother Arthur and cousin Morris were both in the boat that day. Her mother then asked her to run to Rye (there was no bus in those days) and tell her sister Lou the bad news. It is said that over 100 men were rushed to the shore where the upturned lifeboat lay. No effort was spared in trying to revive the bodies washed ashore. A tank was brought along from Lydd Camp to right the lifeboat. Over the next two hours the bodies of the crew were washed up. A total of 15 on that day, they were taken to Lydd for formal identification.

Eva Southerden, 15 at the time, remembers her father Charles, returning home that night and breaking down in tears as he told his wife he could not see Charlie (Charlie was found later that night). Henry Cutting's body was washed ashore at Eastbourne three months later. The body of John Head has never been found. Speculation was rife as to the cause of the capsize. It was said that the lifejackets were waterlogged and had drowned the crew due to the weight. The main point of conversation was what "was the lifeboat doing in the position where it capsized". It had no need to be there; it is most unlikely that it was making for Rye Harbour, as the boathouse is 1 1⁄2 miles to the west, also in these prevailing weather conditions, it was usual for the lifeboat to shelter east of Dungeness or go into Folkestone.

The popular view was that either John Head or Henry Cutting, or indeed both, had been washed out of the boat and that the lifeboat was actually looking for them. This scenario could be the answer as to why the lifeboat was in that position, but we shall never know. However, in a 1978 interview, Frank Downey gives some credence to the view of the inquiry. In it he relates how his brother, lost in the disaster, had only just gone to bed when the call came, having been up with some of the crew doing a night shift dredging the channel in the harbour. Could it be that a tired crew simply wanted to get home as soon as possible? On the evening of the following day an inquest was opened at Rye Town Hall, with the Rye Borough Coroner Dr. T. Harrett presiding. The seaworthiness of the lifeboat and competence of the crew were called into question, but it was emphatically stated that the boat and her crew were absolutely efficient. After evidence of identification and eyewitness accounts were given, the inquest was adjourned until the following evening. On the following evening, accusations were made about the suitability of the lifejackets. They were said to be perished and worn. As a result, they had become waterlogged and would weigh a man down and drown him. In response the RNLI stated kapok No 3 Lifejacket was adopted by the RNLI in 1917 and were delivered to Rye Harbour in September of that year. The lifejackets were tried in a heavy gale on 30 October 1917, and later voted 11 – 6 by the crew as being the most preferred type. The Coroner recorded a verdict of death by accident. In response to the accusations, the RNLI asked the Board of Trade to hold a full enquiry into the disaster. On Tuesday 20 November the funeral was held. 15 of the crew were buried in a communal grave on that day. When Henry Cutting's body was found at Eastbourne 3 months later, it was bought back home to be interred in the communal grave with his fellow crew members. John Head's body was never recovered.

Hundreds of mourners from all over the country attended the funeral. Members of the Latvian Government were among the dignitaries present, recognising that the men had lost their lives going to the assistance of a Latvian vessel. The crew of the Mary Stanford had grown up together, worked and laughed together and were buried together. The Board of Trade Court of Enquiry sat at Rye Town Hall on 19, 20 and 21 December and the following 1, 2 and 4 January, and after all their deliberation the court finally announced:

"As there were no survivors of the crew, the cause of the Lifeboat capsizing is a matter of conjecture, but from the evidence available we are of the opinion that whilst attempting to make the Harbour on a strong flood tide and in high and dangerous breaking sea, she was suddenly capsized and the crew were thrown into the water, two men being entangled under the boat. The broken water and heavy surf caused the loss of the crew".​
The Mary Stanford remained at Rye Harbour until the inquiry was over. In January 1929 she was taken to the RNLI depot at Poplar in east London, where she was dismantled and broken up.

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Memorials
A memorial tablet made of Manx stone was presented to Rye Harbour by the people of the Isle of Man.

A memorial stained glass window was placed in Winchelsea Church (50°55′27″N 0°42′33″E). It depicts a lifeboat putting out to a ship in distress while figures on the shore watch as it goes. For photo of window see this link...

The seventeen men who lost their lives were Herbert Head (47), coxswain, and two sons James Alfred (19) and John S (17); Joseph Stonham (43), 2nd Coxswain; Henry Cutting (39), Bowman and his two brothers Roberts Redvers (28) and Albert Ernest (26); Charles Frederick David (28), Robert Henry (23) and Lewis Alexander (21) Pope, three brothers; William Thomas Albert (27) and Leslie George (24) Clark, brothers; Arthur William (25) (more likely to be Arthur George A) and Morris(s) James (23) Downey, cousins; Albert Ernest Smith (44), Walter Igglesden (38) and Charles Southerden (22).

The Mary Stanford in fiction
Monica Edwards wrote a fictional account of the lifeboat disaster in her children's novel Storm Ahead, which was published in 1953. The young Monica Edwards (née Newton) witnessed the disaster at first hand: her father, the Reverend Harry Newton, was vicar of Rye Harbour at the time and officiated at the mass funeral. Monica was known to have been close friends with Charlie Southerden who died on the lifeboat.

Song for the Mary Stanford
Allen Maslen of Warwickshire folk rock band Meet on the Ledge wrote a song dedicated to the Mary Stanford. It is featured on their album The Portuguese Handshake. It is also available on the Charity CD "Someone was Calling" a compilation album with a nautical theme featuring artists who have appeared at Cromer's Folk on the Pier Festival.






https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RNLB_Mary_Stanford_(ON_661)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Royal_National_Lifeboat_Institution
 
Today in Naval History - Naval / Maritime Events in History
Other Events on 15 November

1747 – Launch of French Achille, 64-guns at Toulon – captured by the British in July 1761


1755 – Launch of french Concorde, a 30-gun Comete-class frigate at Brest – wrecked 1756.

Comète class, (30-gun design by Joseph-Louis Ollivier, with 26 x 8-pounder and 4 x 4-pounder guns).


1789 – Launch of French Éole, a Téméraire class 74-gun ship of the line of the French Navy.

Éole was a Téméraire class 74-gun ship of the line of the French Navy.
Between 1791 and 1793, she was based in Saint-Domingue. She took part in the Glorious First of June, where she and Trajan dismasted HMS Bellerophon.
She later took part in the Expédition d'Irlande, an ill-fated attempt to invade Ireland.
On 19 August 1806, during the Atlantic campaign of 1806, she was dismasted by a tempest off Martinique, and had to be taken in tow by American ships to Annapolis. She was eventually condemned in 1811, and broken up in 1816.
Several of her 36-pounder long guns were loaned to Fort McHenry in 1813 and used in the defence of Baltimore in September 1814.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_ship_Éole_(1789)


1798- Capture of Minorca by Commodore John Duckworth and troops under General the Hon. Charles Stuart


1810 - schooner HMS Phipps (1808 - 14), Lt. Christopher Bell, captured 16-gun privateer lugger Barbier de Seville off Calais.


HMS Phipps was the Dutch privateer Two Lydias, launched in 1807, that the British Royal Navy captured in 1808 and took into service as HMS Phipps. Phipps captured two privateers, took part in a notable action, and her crew was subjected to mercury poisoning. She was sold for breaking up in 1812.

Just before midnight on 15 November 1810 Bell chased a French privateer lugger so close inshore off Calais that, after firing some grape-shot into her, he had to let her go. However, having previously noticed two other luggers to windward and decided to try to come up on them unnoticed by beating along the shore. The pilot, Mr Richard Sickett, undertook the task and by about 5 o'clock in the morning Phipps was close enough to start an action with one of the luggers. For a quarter of an hour the lugger's crew fired small arms at Phipps and tried to run her ashore. Bell decided that as the water was only three and a half fathoms deep, the only way to capture the lugger was by boarding. Lieutenant Robert Tryon led the boarding party. The lugger surrendered after a few minutes fighting during which a seaman was killed and Tryon was dangerously wounded.[8] Tyson died eight weeks later in London of complications from his wounds, which were the result of his being hit by a cannonball accidentally discharged from Phipps.

The French lost six men killed and eleven wounded out of a crew of sixty. The lugger's captain, Francois Brunet, was wounded, as were all but one of her other officers. The lugger was the 16-gun Barbier de Seville. She was a brand new vessel that had left Boulogne two days previously

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HMS_Phipps_(1808)


1836 - Under the command of Lt. Henry H. Bell, the sloop-of-war USS Saint Louis conducts an exploratory expedition along the coast of Florida with four boats and 70 men.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_St._Louis_(1828)


1846 - The fourth USS Boston was an 18-gun sloop of war, wrecked

The fourth USS Boston was an 18-gun sloop of war, launched on 15 October 1825 by the Boston Navy Yard and commissioned the following year, Master Commandant Beekman V. Hoffman in command.

USS_Boston_1825.jpg

Boston served on the Brazil Station 1826-1829 and the Mediterranean Station 1830-1832. She was then laid up at Boston Navy Yard until joining the West Indies Squadron in 1836. Except for two short periods in ordinary at New York Navy Yard she served continuously for the next 10 years. Boston cruised on the West Indies (1836–39), East Indies (1841-43), and Brazil (1843–46) Stations, returning to the United States in 1846. She was then ordered to join Commodore Conner's Home Squadron blockading the Mexican east coast. While en route to her new station, Boston was wrecked on Eleuthera Island, Bahamas, during a squall on 15 November 1846. Although the sloop was a total loss, all hands were saved

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Boston_(1825)


1855 – Launch of French Impérial, a 90-gun Algésiras-class steam ship of the line

The Impérial was a 90-gun Algésiras-class steam ship of the line of the French Navy.
Impérial took part in the French intervention in Mexico.
She was renamed to Jupiter in 1870, used as a barracks hulk, and eventually broken up around 1898.

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Algesiras and on the right Borda, sisterships in her class

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_ship_Impérial_(1856)


1863 - Fort Moultrie opens a heavy evening bombardment on Union Army positions at Cummings Point, S.C., which also results in the Union monitor USS Lehigh running aground. Still under Confederate fire in the morning, the monitor Nahant is able to release her. Five sailors from Lehigh receive Medals of Honor for their heroic line work that frees their ship.


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A cropped photograph of the USS Lehigh during the Spanish-American War. The ship on the opposite side of the pier is USS Governor Russell.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Lehigh_(1863)


1878 – French Renommée, (launched 28 July 1847 at Rochefort) – fitted as steam-assisted frigate 1858 – deleted 15 November 1878.

Dryade class, (60-gun first rate type, 1823 design by Paul-Marie Leroux, with 30 x 30-pounder guns, 28 x 30-pounder carronades and 2 x 18-pounder guns):


1932 - USS Indianapolis (CA 35) is commissioned. Toward the end of WWII, the Indianapolis was torpedoed by Japanese submarine I 58 in the Philippine Sea. Of the 1,196 crewmen aboard, approximately 300 went down with the ship. The remaining sailors faced exposure, dehydration, and shark attacks while floating with few lifeboats and almost no food or water. 880 lives were lost.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Indianapolis_(CA-35)


1939 – Launch of italian battleship RN Impero, a Litterio-class battleship

Impero was the fourth Littorio-class battleship built for Italy's Regia Marina (Royal Navy) during the Second World War. She was named after the Italian word for "empire," in this case referring to the newly (1936) conquered Italian Empire in East Africa (Somaliland, Eritrea and Ethiopia territories) as a result of the Second Italo-Abyssinian War. She was constructed under the order of the 1938 Naval Expansion Program, along with her sister ship Roma.

Italian_battleship_Impero_during_her_launching.jpg

Impero was laid down in May 1938 and launched in November 1939. The entrance of Italy into World War II forced the Regia Marina to refocus its construction priorities on escort warships, so Impero was left incomplete. After Italy surrendered to the Allies on 8 September 1943, the rest of the Italian Navy steamed to Sardinia to rendezvous with their American contemporaries. Still incomplete in Trieste, Impero was captured by the Germans, who used the hulk for target practice. Sunk by Allied bombers in February 1945, she was refloated in 1947 and scrapped in Venice from 1948 to 1950.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Italian_battleship_Impero


1942 – World War II: The Battle of Guadalcanal ends in a decisive Allied victory.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Naval_Battle_of_Guadalcanal


1944 - USS Frament (DE 677), while escorting captured Italian submarine Luigi Settembrini, collides with the sub 685 miles west of Gibraltar. Frament is damaged but Luigi Settembrini sinks. Frament rescues 14 survivors.

Frament began the demanding tasks of Atlantic convoy escort on 19 October 1943, when she sailed from New York to escort tankers to Curaçao and thence to Derry, Northern Ireland. Sailing out of New York, and occasionally Boston, she escorted six convoys to Northern Ireland, one to Cherbourg, France, and one to Gibraltar, in the period from 15 December 1943 to 3 December 1944.

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The U.S. Navy high-speed transport USS Frament (APD-77) off San Diego, California (USA), in January 1946. Note the "homeward bound"-pennant.

At 02:23 hrs on 15 November 1944, at 36°11′N 19°45′W (in the North Atlantic about 700 nmi (1,300 km) west of Gibraltar), Frament mistakenly rammed and sank the Italian submarine Luigi Settembrini which Frament was escorting to Bermuda, where the Italians were to provide aid in anti-submarine warfare training. Of the 42-strong crew of the Settembrini, only 14 survivors were rescued by Frament.[1] USS Scott (DE-214) was detached from a convoy bound for the Mediterranean to help search for Italian survivors, and then escorted Frament back to Boston, arriving on 3 December.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Frament_(APD-77)


1944 - Akitsu Maru (あきつ丸) was a Japanese landing craft depot ship and escort aircraft carrier sunk

Akitsu Maru (あきつ丸) was a Japanese landing craft depot ship and escort aircraft carrier operated by the Imperial Japanese Army (IJA). In some sources Akitsu Maru and her sister ship Nigitsu Maru (にぎつ丸) are also considered to be the first amphibious assault ships. Contrary to many secondary sources, the Nigitsu Maru was not fitted with a flight deck.

AkitsuMaru.jpg

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_aircraft_carrier_Akitsu_Maru


1969 – Cold War: The Soviet submarine K-19 collides with the American submarine USS Gato in the Barents Sea.

At 07:13 on 15 November 1969, K-19 collided with the attack submarine USS Gato in the Barents Sea at a depth of 60 m (200 ft). It was able to surface using an emergency main ballast tank blow. The impact completely destroyed the bow sonar systems and mangled the covers of the forward torpedo tubes. K-19 was able to return to port where it was repaired and returned to the fleet. Gato was relatively undamaged and continued her patrol.

K-19.jpg
K19

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soviet_submarine_K-19
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Gato_(SSN-615)
 
Today in Naval History - Naval / Maritime Events in History
16 November 1161 - Battle of Tangdao


The Battle of Tangdao (唐岛之战) was a naval engagement that took place in 1161 between the Jurchen Jin and the Southern Song Dynasty of China on the East China Sea. The conflict was part of the Jin-Song wars, and was fought near Tangdao Island. It was an attempt by the Jin to invade and conquer the Southern Song Dynasty, yet resulted in failure and defeat for the Jurchens. The Jin Dynasty navy was set on fire by firearms and Fire Arrows, suffering heavy losses. For this battle, the commander of the Song Dynasty squadron, Li Bao, faced the opposing commander Zheng Jia, the admiral of the Jin Dynasty. On the fate of Zheng Jia, the historical text of the Jin Shi states:

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Song rivership with a xuanfeng traction catapult

“Zheng Jia did not know the sea routes (among the islands) well, nor much about the management of ships, and he did not believe (that the enemy, the Song, was near). But all of the sudden they appeared, and finding us quite unready they hurled incendiary gunpowder projectiles on to our ships. So seeing all his ships going up in flames, and having no means of escape, Zheng Jia jumped into the sea and drowned.

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This battle was followed by another naval confrontation, the Battle of Caishi (采石之战) taking place in 1161. The battle is significant in the technological history of the Song navy. The 20th-century historian Joseph Needham has called the era "one of continual innovation" when the size of the Song fleet grew "from a total of 11 squadrons and 3,000 men [the Song navy] rose in one century to 20 squadrons totalling 52,000 men, with its main base near Shanghai." They were further reinforced by the aid of seafaring Chinese merchants. The technological gains of the Song navy ensured its access and dominance of the East China Sea for centuries in competition with the military forces of Jurchen and Mongol rivals. By 1129, the Song navy had invented gunpowder bombs for warship trebuchets. The weapon was made mandatory for all ships in the Song fleet. The construction of paddle-wheel ships, operated with treadmills, went on for several decades between 1132 and 1183. The engineer Gao Xuan devised a paddle-wheel ship outfitted with up to eleven paddle-wheels on each side. Iron plating for armoring the ships was designed in 1203 by the engineer Qin Shifu.

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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Tangdao
 
Today in Naval History - Naval / Maritime Events in History
16 November 1758 – Launch of HMS Edgar, a 60-gun Edgar-class fourth rate ship of the line


HMS Edgar was a 60-gun fourth rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy, launched on 16 November 1758 at Rotherhithe.
The physician Thomas Denman served on Edgar until 1763.
She was sunk as a breakwater in 1774.


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Scale: 1:48. Plan showing the body plan, sheer lines, and longitudinal half-breadth for Panther (1758), Firm (1759), and Edgar (1758), all 60-gun Fourth Rate, two-deckers.
Read more at http://collections.rmg.co.uk/collections/objects/81359.html#ex3d6VMsFwz1Ws3x.99


Class and type: Edgar-class ship of the line
Tons burthen: 1297 42⁄94 bm
Length: 154 ft (47 m) (gundeck)
Beam: 43 ft 6 in (13.26 m)
Depth of hold: 18 ft 4 in (5.59 m)
Sail plan: Full rigged ship
Armament:
  • 60 guns:
  • Gundeck: 24 × 24 pdrs
  • Upper gundeck: 26 × 12 pdrs
  • Quarterdeck: 8 × 6 pdrs
  • Forecastle: 2 × 6 pdrs


The Edgar-class ships of the line were a class of three 60-gun fourth rates, designed for the Royal Navy by Sir Thomas Slade.

Ships
Builder: Martin and Henniker, Chatham
Ordered: 7 May 1756
Launched: 22 June 1758
Fate: Broken up, 1813
Builder: Randall, Rotherhithe
Ordered: 19 April 1756
Launched: 16 November 1758
Fate: Sunk as a breakwater, 1774
Builder: Perry, Blackwall Yard
Ordered: 11 August 1756
Launched: 15 January 1759
Fate: Sold out of the service, 1791

large (1).jpg
Scale: 1:48. Plan showing the inboard profile for Panther (1758), Firm (1759), and Edgar (1758), all 60-gun Fourth Rate, two-deckers.
Read more at http://collections.rmg.co.uk/collections/objects/81360.html#DWEKttjrpLUwGK2y.99



https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HMS_Edgar_(1758)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edgar-class_ship_of_the_line
http://collections.rmg.co.uk/collec...el-309218;browseBy=vessel;vesselFacetLetter=E
 
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