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

[Uwek]

Today in Naval History - Naval / Maritime Events in History
15 January 1814 - Cutter of HMS Castor (32), Cptn. Charles Dilkes, took L'Heureux (1) under the guns of Montjui.


HMS Castor was a 32-gun Amazon-class fifth-rate frigate of the Royal Navy. She served during the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars. The French briefly captured her during the Atlantic Campaign of May 1794 but she spent just 20 days in French hands as a British ship retook her before her prize crew could reach a French port. Castor eventually saw service in many of the theatres of the wars, spending time in the waters off the British Isles, in the Mediterranean and Atlantic, as well as the Caribbean.

Construction and commissioning
Castor was ordered on 30 January 1782 and laid down in January the following year at the yards of the shipbuilder Joseph Graham, of Harwich. She was launched on 26 May 1785 and completed by July the following year. The ship was then laid up in ordinary at Chatham Dockyard.

Class and type: 32-gun Amazon-class fifth-rate frigate
Tons burthen: 680 (bm)
Length:

• 126 ft (38.4 m) (overall)
• 104 ft (31.7 m) (keel)

Beam: 35 ft 1 in (10.7 m)
Draught: 9 ft (2.74 m)
Depth of hold: 12 ft 2 in (3.71 m)
Sail plan: Full-rigged ship
Complement: 220
Armament:

• As built:
• UD: 26 × 12-pounder guns
• QD: 4 × 6-pounder guns + 4 × 18-pounder carronades
• Fc: 2 × 6-pounder guns + 2 × 18-pounder carronades
• After 1809:
• UD: 22 × 32-pounder carronades
• QD: 2 × 6-pounder guns + 4 × 32-pounder carronades
• Fc: 2 × 12-pounder guns + 2 × 32-pounder carronades

Hand-coloured. The Castor, a British vessel captured by the French (and flying French colours) is shown on the left of the picture, just before her re-capture by the British vessel Carysfort.

Career
Early years
Castor spent nearly five years in ordinary until the Spanish Armament of 1790 caused her to be fitted out at Chatham between June and August 1790 for the sum of £2,795. She commissioned in July that year under Captain John S. Smith, but the easing of international tensions caused Castor to be paid off later that year. The rising tensions with France immediately prior to the outbreak of the French Revolutionary Wars led the Admiralty to again prepare Castor for active service. She was fitted at Chatham between February and April 1793 for £4,066, recommissioning that February under Captain Thomas Troubridge.

French Revolutionary Wars and capture
Further information: Frigate action of 29 May 1794
Troubridge sailed for the Mediterranean on 22 May 1793, where in June she and HMS Mermaid captured a 14-gun privateer. Castor was then part of Admiral Hood's fleet at Toulon. While Castor was escorting a convoy back to Britain, on 9 May 1794 a French squadron under Rear-Admiral Joseph-Marie Nielly chased and captured her off Cape Clear. A French prize crew then sailed her back towards France. Twenty days later, on 29 May, Francis Laforey's HMS Carysfort sighted Castor off Land's End and recaptured her. Castor was re-registered as a naval ship on 6 November and recommissioned in January 1795 under Captain Rowley Bulteel.[3] Bulteel took her to the Mediterranean in May 1795, but paid her off in September 1796.

Castor underwent a refit at Plymouth between November 1798 and March 1799, recommissioning under Captain Edward Leveson Gower. In March 1799 a quantity of the gunpowder stores were accidentally ignited, causing severe injury to one of Castor's midshipmen. The injured man having been replaced, Captain Gower sailed Castor to Newfoundland in April 1799, but by December that year Castor was on the Spanish coast when she captured the 2-gun privateer Santa Levivate y Aninimus off Oporto on Christmas Day 1799. Captain David Lloyd took command of Castor in 1801, but he was soon succeeded by Captain Bernard Hale who sailed for the West Indies in April 1801. Hale died in 1802; his successor Captain Richard Peacocke continued to command Castor in the West Indies.

West Indies and Caribbean
Castor returned home, and was fitted out as a guardship for Liverpool between August and October 1803. She came initially under the command of Captain Edward Brace, but by April 1805 she had been moved to Sheerness, where she recommissioned under Captain Joseph Baker. She spent between 1806 and 1809 undergoing a repair and refit, before she came under the command of Captain William Roberts. On 27 March 1808 her boats, along with those of HMS Ulysses, HMS Hippomenes and HMS Morne Fortunee made an unsuccessful attempt to cut out the 16-gun French Griffon from Port Marin, Martinique.

In April 1809, a strong French squadron arrived at the Îles des Saintes, south of Guadeloupe. There they were blockaded until 14 April, when a British force under Major-General Frederick Maitland invaded and captured the islands. Castor was among the naval vessels that shared in the proceeds of the capture of the islands.[Note 1] Castor was next involved in the chase on 16 and 17 April 1809 of the 74-gun French ship of the line Hautpoult off Puerto Rico.

Mediterranean and final years
Captain Charles Dilkes took command in October 1810, and Castor spent 1811 and 1812 on the Leeward Islands and Jamaica stations. She moved to the Mediterranean in late 1812, and on 22 June 1813 captured the 2-gun privateer Fortune off the Catalan coast. She captured two other privateers, the one gun Heureux and Minute (or Minuit), off Barcelona on 22 or 25 January 1814.

Fate
Castor was finally laid up in August 1815 in Portsmouth at the conclusion of the Napoleonic Wars. The Admiralty sold her for breaking up on 22 July 1819 to G. Bailey for the sum of £2,650.



lines & profile Date: NMM, Progress Book, volume 5, folio 245, states that 'Andromache' was begun in June 1780 at Adams & Barnard on the River Thames. She was launched 17 Nvoember and sent to Deptford Dockyard for fitting. It is likely to be her as 'Ambuscade' was launched in 1773.

The Amazon-class frigates of 1773, made up of 32-gun fifth rates with a main battery of 12-pounder guns.

It comprised eighteen ships; Amazon, Ambuscade and Thetis were launched in 1773; the second batch - Cleopatra, Amphion, Orpheus, Juno, Success, Iphigenia, Andromache, Syren, Iris, Greyhound, Meleager, Castor, Solebay, Terpsichore and Blonde - were launched in 1779 to 1787

Amazon (Thetis) class 32-gun fifth rates 1773-87; 18 ships, designed by John Williams.

• HMS Thetis 1773 - ran onto a rock and sank near Saint Lucia on 12 May 1781.
• HMS Amazon 1773 - broken up in 1794.
• HMS Ambuscade 1773 - taken by the French corvette Bayonnaise in 1798, retaken by HMS Victory in 1803, broken up 1810.
• HMS Cleopatra 1779 - broken up 1814.
• HMS Amphion 1780 - accidentally caught fire and blew up at Portsmouth on 22 September 1796.
• HMS Orpheus 1780 - wrecked on a coral reef in the West Indies on 23 January 1807.
• HMS Juno 1780 - broken up 1811.
• HMS Success 1781 - taken by the French in the Mediterranean on 13 February 1801, retaken seven month later by HMS Pomone on 2 September, converted to troopship in 1812, hulked as prison ship at Halifax in 1813, broken up in 1820.
• HMS Iphigenia 1780 - hulked as prison hospital ship at Plymouth in 1798, converted to troopship in 1801, accidentally burnt in the same year.
• HMS Andromache 1781 - broken up 1811.
• HMS Syren (or Siren) 1782 - hulked as lazaretto at Pembroke in 1805, broken up in 1822.
• HMS Iris 1783 - on lease to Trinity House between 1803 and 1805, hulked as receiving ship at Yarmouth in 1811, presented to the Marine Society as a training ship, broken up in 1833.
• HMS Greyhound 1783 - wrecked in the Philippines on 4 October 1808.
• HMS Meleager 1785 - wrecked on Triangle Bank in the Gulf of Mexico on 9 June 1801.
• HMS Castor 1785 - sold 1819.
• HMS Solebay 1785 - on lease to Trinity House from 1803 to 1806, wrecked in action with a Senegalese fort on 11 June 1809.
• HMS Terpsichore 1785 - hulked as receiving ship at Chatham in 1811, broken up 1813.
• HMS Blonde 1787 - hulked for stationary service at Portsmouth in 1803, sold 1805.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HMS_Castor_(1785)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amazon-class_frigate_(1773)

 

[Uwek]

Today in Naval History - Naval / Maritime Events in History
15 January 1815 – War of 1812: American frigate USS President, commanded by Commodore Stephen Decatur, is captured by a squadron of four British frigates HMS Majestic (54), HMS Endymion (50), HMS Tenedos (38) and HMS Pomone (38)


The capture of USS President was one of many naval actions fought at the end of the War of 1812. The frigate USS President tried to break out of New York Harbor but was intercepted by a British squadron of four warships and forced to surrender. The battle took place several weeks after the Treaty of Ghent, but there is no evidence that the combatants were aware that the war had officially ended.

Prelude
USS President was a prime target of the Royal Navy during the War of 1812 as it was seen to have insulted British honor after the Little Belt Affair. By 1815, Commodore Stephen Decatur commanded President, he had captured the British frigate HMS Macedonian in a famous action in 1812, while in command of the frigate USS United States.

Napoleon's failed attempt at invading Russia in 1812 would relieve many British ships from European waters allowing them to impose a strict blockade on the United States. On June 1, 1813, Decatur tried to break out of New York in USS United States and USS Macedonian (which had been taken into the United States Navy), but he encountered a powerful British squadron which drove him into New London, Connecticut. The two frigates were effectively hulked or demilitarized in order to tow them far enough upriver to be safe from British cutting-out expeditions. Coincidentally, this was the same day of the capture of USS Chesapeake which meant that in one day, nearly half of the United States frigates were incapacitated by British forces. By 1814, the US Navy was entirely contained with the exception of a few sloops. The frigate Essex was captured, the frigates Columbia, Boston, Adams and New York had been destroyed, and United States, Macedonian, Constitution, Congress, Constellation were blockaded. There was no chance of sailing in good weather, the only hope for escape was in the dangerous winter gales when the British forces would be blown offshore. Decatur would try to break out of New London in United States in early 1814, but turned back when he feared that pro-British local civilians were burning blue lights to alert the blockaders. He and his crew of United States were transferred to the faster President, which had been refitted in New York.

Meanwhile, the British squadron blockading New York consisted of the former ship of the line Majestic which had been razeed (cut down) to create a 32-pounder frigate, the 24-pounder frigate HMS Forth, and the 18-pounder frigates HMS Pomone and HMS Tenedos. Commodore John Hayes was in overall command as the captain of Majestic.[6] The 24-pounder frigate HMS Endymion had attempted to cut out (send the boats to board and capture) the privateer Prince de Neufchatel and had lost many of her crew, and Captain Henry Hope had expected to be sent back to Britain as Endymion by that time was an old ship (built in 1797) and her crew had been weakened by the battle. To his surprise, however, Admiral Henry Hotham ordered Endymion to remain on the North American Station as Endymion was the fastest ship in the Royal Navy, and he ordered some replacement crew to be drafted from the 56-gun razee HMS Saturn. Hope went to unusual lengths to train his new crew in anticipation of imminent combat using the same methods as were used by Philip Broke on HMS Shannon. The combination of Endymion's handling, speed, 24-pounder armament and the crew's training meant that she was better prepared for battle than most other frigates. Endymion relieved her newer softwood sister ship Forth from the New York blockade, and Hayes' squadron now consisted of Majestic, Endymion, Pomone, and Tenedos.


USS President (right foreground) engages HMS Endymion (left foreground) with her stern chaser

President's breakout
President was in New York Harbor with the sloops-of-war USS Peacock and USS Hornet, and the schooner-rigged tender USS Tom Bowline. By 1815 President was overdue for repairs. Unlike the other six frigates, President was not fastened with diagonal riders which caused her hull to be prone to hogging and twisting. They were preparing to break out past the British blockade to embark on cruises against British merchant shipping. A blizzard blew up from the northwest on 13 January, and the British ships were blown off their station to the southeast. Decatur determined to take advantage of the situation by breaking out with President alone. (He may have been accompanied by a merchant brig, also named Macedonian, carrying extra rations as a tender, but the brig does not feature in any subsequent events.) The plan was that the smaller warships would break out later and rendezvous with President off Tristan da Cunha in the South Atlantic.

Decatur immediately met with disaster. He had ordered gunboats as harbor pilots to mark the safe passage across the shoal with anchored boats at the mouth of the harbor, but they failed to do so properly and President grounded on the bar and remained stuck there for almost two hours, enduring a pounding from the wind and heavy sea. The frigate was damaged by the time that it was worked free: some copper was stripped away from the hull, the masts were twisted and some of them had developed long cracks. Decatur claimed the hull was twisted, and the bow and stern hogged on the sand bar, although it is likely that this was the case before President had even left port as she was already overdue for repairs. Decatur decided that it was impossible for President to return to port, the wind was still strong. The logs from the British squadron claimed that the gale had stopped, though strong winds persisted. Decatur headed east, keeping close to the Long Island shore before heading southeast.

While President and her crew were struggling to float off the sand bar, the British blockading squadron was fighting to return to their blockading station. As the winds slowed, the British regrouped. Hayes realized that American ships might have taken the opportunity to leave port unobserved, so he left Tenedos to watch the Sandy Hook passage and headed north to watch the Long Island passage, rather than heading back to the harbor entrance.

Action
The British squadron sighted President at dawn on 14 January. Decatur immediately turned downwind and tried to gain speed by lightening his ship. The winds had waned but they were still strong. In heavy seas and high winds, the largest ship will have the advantage in speed and Hayes' Majestic gained on President, as they were similar in length but Majestic was considerably heavier. The winds became more moderate at noon. After Majestic had fired some ranging shots which fell short, Pomone overtook Majestic and led the pursuit, but Tenedos appeared unexpectedly to the south and Hayes sent Pomone to investigate in case the sighting was another American ship. HMS Endymion overtook the rest of the British squadron. Endymion was regarded as the fastest ship in the Royal Navy, as she recorded speeds that were faster than clipper ships.

In the afternoon, Endymion and President began exchanging fire using their bow and stern-chase cannon. At 2 pm, Captain Henry Hope took Endymion into position on President's starboard quarter so that none of President's stern chasers could bear. From this position, Hope engaged President with Endymion's single brass 18-pounder bow chaser. Decatur made several attempts to close on Endymion, but he discovered that President's damage limited her maneuverability and exaggerated the advantage in maneuverability of the smaller Endymion.

Faced with this new dilemma, Decatur ordered bar- and chain-shot to be fired to disable Endymion's sails and rigging. But President was trapped; Decatur could not escape to the north, as he would have reached the Long Island shore and been forced to the east once more; nor could he escape to the south, as Endymion would most likely slow President enough that the rest of the British squadron would catch up.

Hope then yawed Endymion to rake President's hull, then quickly returned to position on President's quarter where President's guns would not bear. The first broadside sent splinters flying in the President's spar deck where Decatur was standing. A large splinter hit him in the chest and knocked him over, while another cut his forehead. His First Lieutenant was standing next to him and had his leg cut off by a splinter, and he was knocked down and through the wardroom hatch. Another splinter fatally fractured the skull of a lieutenant next to him too. The 24-pounder cannon from Endymion were more effective than the traditional 18-pounder shot that British frigates were armed with, which could not could not pierce the thick live oak sides of the United States' frigates, and three shots pierced President all the way through to the after powder room which was located beneath her mizzen step.


USS President (left foreground) and HMS Endymion (right foreground) exchanged broadsides and brailed up their spankers at 7 pm on January 15, 1815

Hope repeated the yawing maneuver three times and did considerable damage. At 7 pm, President brailed up her spanker and wore downwind with Endymion imitating the maneuver. Decatur had hoped to put Endymion out of the chase and escape, but Endymion aimed into President's hull, specifically targeting the gun ports. Many members of President's gun crews were cut down, significantly reducing President's ability to fire back at Endymion. By contrast, President primarily directed her fire at Endymion's rigging in order to slow her down.

President ceased fire at 7:58 pm and hoisted a light in her rigging, indicating that she had surrendered. President's rigging was in a crippled state, and she was slowed to the point that she could not escape from the rest of the British squadron which would soon be in sight. The damage to her hull, however, was far more severe and she had taken on 6 feet (1.8 m) of water in the hold. Her magazine had also been hit; 10 of President's 15 starboard gun ports were hit by shot, and six of the guns were dismounted or damaged.

Following the standard practice, Endymion ceased fire and hove to for repairs once President had surrendered. Endymion could not immediately take possession of her prize, as she had no usable boats; Decatur took advantage of the situation, despite having struck, and made off to escape at 8:30 pm. Endymion hastily completed repairs and resumed the chase at 8:52 pm. At 9:05, Pomone and Tenedos came up with the heavily damaged President, unaware that she had already struck. Pomone fired two ineffective broadsides (there was minimal damage to President's starboard side) into her, following which Decatur hailed to say that he had surrendered. Shortly afterwards, Captain Lumley of Pomonetook possession of President. Decatur ordered his sword to be sent to the captain of the "black ship" a reference to Captain Hope of Endymion (which was unusually painted all black which can be seen in all three of the Thomas Buttersworth paintings of the action). According to British accounts, President had lost 35 men killed and 70 wounded, including Decatur; American sources give the losses at 24 killed and 55 wounded. British accounts claimed that Endymion had 11 killed and 14 wounded. President had a crew of 480 and a broadside of 816 pounds; Endymion had a crew of 346 and a broadside of 641 pounds.


USS President (left foreground) having surrendered, HMS Endymion (right foreground) is shown with her fore topmast struck in order to replace the damaged topmast shrouds



Aftermath
The damaged Endymion and President sailed in company to Bermuda. They encountered a violent storm that dismasted both, but both reached safety. Official notification came soon afterwards that the war had ended. Endymion and President arrived at Spithead on 28 March 1815 to a crowd of onlookers who witnessed the disparity in force between the two vessels, and the size of the American 44-gun frigates that had been victorious earlier in the war. The British took President briefly into the Royal Navy as the 50-gun (later 60-gun) fourth-rate HMS President but broke up the dilapidated ship in 1818. They later built a 60-gun frigate which they also named President to the exact lines of the captured ship in 1829, despite some elements of the design (countered stern) being obsolete. This ship was used as a political statement as it was commanded by George Cockburn (who led the Burning of Washington) and made flagship of the North American station to remind the United States of its greatest losses during the War of 1812.

The smaller American ships still in New York sortied before hearing of the capture of President, and reached the rendezvous off Tristan da Cunha. Hornet sank the British brig of war HMS Penguin before Peacock joined her. The two American ships then mistook the British ship of the line HMS Cornwallis for an East Indiaman. Hornet narrowly escaped after jettisoning all her guns and most of her stores. Peacock subsequently captured several British merchant ships in the Indian Ocean until receiving confirmation that the war had ended.




https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capture_of_USS_President
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_President_(1800)

 

[Uwek]

Today in Naval History - Naval / Maritime Events in History
15 January 1815 – War of 1812: American frigate USS President, commanded by Commodore Stephen Decatur, is captured by a squadron of four British frigates HMS Majestic (54), HMS Endymion (50), HMS Tenedos (38) and HMS Pomone (38) - Part II - The Ships


USS President was a wooden-hulled, three-masted heavy frigate of the United States Navy, nominally rated at 44 guns. George Washington named her to reflect a principle of the United States Constitution. She was launched in April 1800 from a shipyard in New York City. President was one of the original six frigates whose construction the Naval Act of 1794had authorized, and she was the last to be completed. Joshua Humphreys designed these frigates to be the young Navy's capital ships, and so President and her sisters were larger and more heavily armed and built than standard frigates of the period. Forman Cheeseman, and later Christian Bergh were in charge of her construction. Her first duties with the newly formed United States Navy were to provide protection for American merchant shipping during the Quasi War with France and to engage in a punitive expedition against the Barbary pirates in the First Barbary War.


President rides out a storm at anchor.

On 16 May 1811, President was at the center of the Little Belt Affair; her crew mistakenly identified HMS Little Belt as HMS Guerriere, which had impressed an American seaman. The ships exchanged cannon fire for several minutes. Subsequent U.S. and Royal Navy investigations placed responsibility for the attack on each other without a resolution. The incident contributed to tensions between the U.S. and Great Britain that led to the War of 1812.

During the war, President made several extended cruises, patrolling as far away as the English Channel and Norway; she captured the armed schooner HMS Highflyer and numerous merchant ships. In January 1815, after having been blockaded in New York for a year by the Royal Navy, President attempted to run the blockade, and was chased by a blockading squadron. During the chase, she was engaged and crippled by the frigate HMS Endymion off the coast of the city. The British squadron captured President soon after, and the Royal Navy took her into service as HMS President until she was broken up in 1818. President's design was copied and used to build the next HMS President in 1829.


Scale: 1:48. Plan showing the body plan, sternboard outline, sheer lines with scroll figurehead, and longitudinal half-breadth for President (captured 1815), a captured United States Fourth Rate, as taken off at Portsmouth Dockyard. The inboard detail includes the knees and riders. Signed by Nicholas Diddams [Master Shipwright, Portsmouth Dockyard, 1803-1823].

Class and type: 44-gun Frigate
Tonnage: 1,576 tons
Length: 175 ft (53 m) between perpendiculars
Beam: 44 ft 4 in (13.51 m)
Decks: Orlop, Berth, Gun, Spar
Propulsion: Sail
Armament:

• 32 × 24-pounder guns(10.9 kg)
• 22 × 42-pounder guns(19 kg) carronades
• 1 × 18-pounder (8 kg) long gun[

Scale: 1:24. Plan showing the half-breadth midship sections for President (captured 1815), a captured American 44-gun Frigate, and Akbar (1806), a purchased 56-gun Fourth Rate Frigate. Portsmouth Dockyard is the only time that the two ships were together between December 1816 and 1817 before 'President 'was broken up in June 1818.


HMS Endymion was a 40-gun fifth rate that served in the French Revolutionary Wars, the Napoleonic Wars, the War of 1812 and during the First Opium War. She was built to the lines of the French prize Pomone captured in 1794. Due to her exceptional handling and sailing properties, the Severn class frigates were built to her lines, although the gunports were rearranged to mount an extra pair of guns per side, the ships were made of softwood and were not built until nearly the end of the Napoleonic Wars.


A draught for building a frigate.Each plan of the set ZAZ224-30 are in good condition and accommodation, ladders, portholes etc are all well marked. Made by Messrs Randall, Brent and Sons, Rotherhithe, for the Admiralty.

She was famous for her battle with USS President on 15 January 1815, in which she caught the American frigate and crippled her, which led to the President's final capture some hours later. Apart from this, Endymion was known as the fastest sailing-ship in the Royal Navy during the Age of Sail, logging 14.4 knots (26.7 km/h) sailing large, and nearly 11.0 knots (20.4 km/h) close-hauled.

Endymion's last active duty came during the First Opium War and included operations on the Yangtze river. She became a receiving ship in 1859 and was broken up in June 1868.

Throughout her career, Endymion was praised for her remarkable sailing qualities. She therefore was a highly desirable command for frigate captains. Even in the 1830s, long after her war service, she was regarded as the benchmark for Royal Navy frigates. She was still capable of outsailing much newer ships with which she sailed in company.



Scale: 1:48. A contemporary full hull model of a 40 gun frigate(circa 1800). Plaque inscribed "125. Frigate of 40 guns, about 1800. Scale 1/48 (1/4" to 1') An English design based on the dimensions of French Pomone, a prize of 1794, but not actually representing that ship, although the name Pomona (sic) appears on the stern. The Endymion of 1797 must have been very similar. Dimensions: Gun Deck 160ft. Beam 42ft.". Deck detached.

Class and type :Endymion-class frigate
Tons burthen: 1,277 bm
Length: 159 ft 3 in (48.5 m)
Beam: 42 ft 7 in (13.0 m)
Draught: 15 ft 8 in (4.8 m)
Propulsion: Sail
Speed:

• 14.4 knots (16.6 mph; 26.7 km/h) running;
• 11 knots (13 mph; 20 km/h) close-hauled

Complement: 300, increased to 340 during the War of 1812
Armament:

• 1797:
• • Upper deck: 26 × 24-pounder guns (11 kg);
  • QD: 6 × 32-pounder (15kg) carronades + 8 × 9-pounder (4kg) long guns
  • Fc: 2 × 32-pounder (15kg) carronades, + 4 × 9-pounder (4kg) guns
• 
  
• From Nov 1803 to 17 May 1813:
• • Upper deck: 26 × 18-pounders (8 kg);
  • QD:14 × 32-pounder (15 kg) carronades
  • Fc: 4 × 32-pounder (15kg) carronades, + 2 × 9-pounder (4kg) guns
• 
  
• From 17 May 1813:
• • Upper deck: 26 × 24-pounder guns
  • QD:16 × 32-pounder (15 kg) carronades
  • Fc: 1 × 18-pounder (8 kg) brass long gun + 4 × 32-pounder carronades
• 
  
• Additional unofficial armament:
• • Ships boat: 1 × 12-pounder (5kg) gunnade
  • Fighting Tops: Swivel mounted smaller guns

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_President_(1800)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HMS_Endymion_(1797)

 

[Uwek]

Today in Naval History - Naval / Maritime Events in History
15 January 1822 – Chinese ocean-going junk Tek Sing (Chinese, "True Star") ran aground on a reef and sank. Approx. 1600 people died in this disaster.


The Tek Sing (Chinese, "True Star") was a large three-masted Chinese ocean-going junk which sank on February 6, 1822 in an area of the South China Sea known as the Belvidere Shoals. The vessel was 50 meters in length, 10 meters wide and weighed about a thousand tons. Its tallest mast was estimated to be 90 feet in height. The ship was manned by a crew of 200 and had approx. 1600 passengers. The great loss of life associated with the sinking has led to the Tek Sing being referred to in modern times as the "Titanic of the East".


Painting of a typical Junk of this time

Class and type: Junk
Tonnage: 1000
Length: 50.0m
Beam: 10.0m
Height: 27.43m
Propulsion: Wind-powered
Sail plan: Junk Rig
Crew:200


Sinking
Sailing from the port of Amoy (now Xiamen in Fujian, People's Republic of China), the Tek Sing was bound for Batavia, Dutch East Indies (now Jakarta, Indonesia) laden with a large cargo of porcelain goods and 1600 Chinese immigrants. After a month of sailing, the Tek Sing's captain, Io Tauko, decided to attempt a shortcut through the Gaspar Strait between the Bangka-Belitung Islands, and ran aground on a reef. The junk sank in about 30m (100 feet) of water.

The next morning, February 7, an English East Indiaman captained by James Pearl sailing from Indonesia to Borneo passed through the Gaspar Strait. The ship encountered debris from the sunk Chinese vessel and an enormous number of survivors. The English ship managed to rescue about 190 of the survivors. Another 18 persons were saved by a wangkang, a small Chinese junk captained by Jalang Lima. This Chinese vessel may have been sailing in tandem with the Tek Sing, but had avoided the reefs.



Discovery
On May 12, 1999, British marine salvor Michael Hatcher discovered the wreck of the Tek Sing in an area of the South China Sea north of Java, east of Sumatra and south of Singapore. His crew raised about 350,000 pieces of the ship's cargo in what is described as the largest sunken cache of Chinese porcelain ever recovered. Human remains were also found, but they were not disturbed as most of Hatcher's crew, being Indonesian and Chinese, believed that bad luck would befall any who disturbed the dead.

The Tek Sing's recovered cargo was auctioned in Stuttgart, Germany in November 2000.




https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tek_Sing
https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tek_Sing
http://www.china.org.cn/english/culture/222723.htm

 

[Uwek]

Today in Naval History - Naval / Maritime Events in History
15 January 1846 - The sloop of war USS Jamestown captures the slaver Robert Wilson off Porto Praya.


The first USS Jamestown was a sloop-of-war in the United States Navy during the Mexican–American War and the American Civil War.
Jamestown was launched in 1844 by the Gosport Navy Yard, Virginia; and commissioned there on 12 December, with Commander Robert B. Cunningham in command.

Type: Sloop
Displacement: 1,150 long tons (1,168 t)
Length: 163 ft 6 in (49.83 m)
Beam: 32 ft 2 in (9.80 m)
Depth: 17 ft 3 in (5.26 m)
Complement: 186 officers and sailors
Armament:

• 4 × 8 in (200 mm) guns
• 18 × 32-pounder guns

USS Jamestown

Service history
Africa, Ireland, 1845–1850
She departed Hampton Roads on 25 June 1845 as flagship of Commodore Charles W. Skinner in command of United States naval vessels operating off the western coast of Africa to suppress the slave trade. At the end of her first deployment the sloop arrived at Boston, Massachusetts on 6 August 1846.

While she was moored at the Boston Navy Yard word reached the United States that for the second consecutive year blight had ruined the potato crop of Ireland, depriving the people of that country of their chief means of subsistence. A joint resolution of Congress approved 3 March 1847 authorized the Secretary of the Navy to place Jamestown and Macedonian at the disposal of Captains Robert Bennet Forbes and George Coleman De Kay to carry food to the starving poor of Ireland. Jamestown sailed from Boston on 28 March and arrived at Cork, Ireland on 12 April. After unloading her life-saving cargo, the sloop returned to Boston on 17 May.

As flagship of Commodore William Compton Bolton, Jamestown again stood out of Boston on 22 July to operate on the west coast of Africa. A year later she was transferred to the Mediterranean Squadron to assist in protecting American citizens and interests during the epidemic of revolutions which convulsed Europe in 1848. After political conditions became more stable, Jamestown returned to Norfolk, Virginia on 4 May 1850.

South America, Africa, West Indies, 1851–1860
After a year at home, she was assigned to the Brazil Squadron departing Norfolk on 1 June 1851 to begin operations off South America lasting until her return to Philadelphia Navy Yard on 2 May 1854. She decommissioned there nine days later.

Recommissioning on 22 February 1855, Jamestown sailed as flagship of the African Squadron under Commodore Thomas Crabbe, departing Key West on 9 June and returning to Philadelphia on 2 June 1857 and decommissioning. She re-commissioned on 16 December and cruised the West Indies with the Home Squadron until decommissioning at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on 14 February 1860.

Civil War, 1861–1865


USS Jamestown, right foreground, burns the bark Alvarado, in the distance at left, near Fernandina, Florida, on 5 August 1861. Illustration from Harper's Weekly, 28 September 1861.

After the outbreak of the Civil War, Jamestown re-commissioned on 5 June 1861 and was assigned to the Atlantic Blockading Squadron, where she compiled a record of outstanding efficiency. The sloop chased the bark Alvarado ashore off Fernandina, Florida and set her on fire on 5 August, and captured the schooner Aigburth off the coast of Florida on 31 August 1861. Four days later she captured, dismantled, and scuttled the schooner Colonel Long. Next she captured the schooner Havelock on 15 December. Her final prize was the brig Intended, taken off Wilmington, North Carolina on 1 May 1862.

Jamestown departed for the Pacific on 12 October to protect American commerce from Confederate privateers; and she remained on that duty until after the end of the war, decommissioning at Mare Island on 17 September 1865.




USS Jamestown at anchor, date and location unknown

Pacific, 1866–1881
Having been converted to a transport and store ship, she recommissioned on 3 September 1866 to serve at Panama as a store and hospital ship. Because of fever on board, Jamestown was ordered north on 2 April 1867 and was disinfected at San Francisco, California. Joining the North Pacific Squadron, she served as guard and storeship at Sitka, Alaska, from 11 September 1867 until 30 May 1868. Jamestown was present at the hoisting of the U.S. Flag at Sitka on 18 October 1867 after Alaska was purchased from Russia.

Jamestown arrived at Mare Island on 23 July 1868; decommissioned there on 13 August; and recommissioned on 25 January 1869, following repairs. For almost three years, Jamestown cruised the Pacific on the west coasts of North and South America, and as far west as Tahiti and the Fiji and Hawaiian Islands.

Decommissioning on 7 October 1871, Jamestown was placed in ordinary at Mare Island until 16 March 1876 when she recommissioned for use as a State Public Marine School. She operated at the Hawaiian Islands in this capacity until she was returned to the Navy Department and decommissioned on 3 March 1879.

She was recommissioned on 8 May and sailed for Sitka, Alaska, where she surveyed the harbor and protected American interests. In 1881, she sailed the Pacific until decommissioning at San Francisco on 21 September.


USS Jamestown circa 1900


Starboard broadside view of the apprentice training ship USS Jamestown at anchor, location unknown, circa 1890 to 1901.

Training and hospital ship, 1882–1913
Having been fitted out as an apprentice training ship, Jamestown recommissioned on 14 February 1882 and proceeded to the Atlantic coast via Cape Horn. In her new capacity, she sailed the Atlantic Ocean, voyaging to the West Indies, Spain, and as far north as the State of Maine. While at the Brooklyn Navy Yard on 20 December 1883, Landsman J. W. Norris and Ordinary Seaman Robert Augustus Sweeney jumped overboard and rescued a man from drowning, for which they were each awarded the Medal of Honor. On 31 August 1888, Jamestown decommissioned at Norfolk.

Recommissioning 13 April 1889, Jamestown cruised to France and to the West Indies with apprentices, and decommissioned again on 6 September 1892 at Norfolk.

On 9 September she was transferred to the Treasury Department for Marine Hospital Service for quarantine purposes in Hampton Roads. She was destroyed by fire at the Norfolk Navy Yard on 3 January 1913, after being returned to the Navy Department.


USS Jamestown at left as training ship towards the end of the nineteenth century. At right is USS Saratoga or USS Portsmouth. This picture was previously identified as Portsmouth and Saratoga


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Jamestown_(1844)
http://www.usgwarchives.net/va/portsmouth/shipyard/ships/jamestown/jamestown.html
http://www.navsource.org/archives/09/86/86016.htm

 

[Uwek]

Today in Naval History - Naval / Maritime Events in History
15 January 1865 – Second Battle of Fort Fisher
In a joint amphibious force with the Union army, Rear Adm. David D. Porter and Maj. Gen. Alfred H. Terry capture Fort Fisher, Wilmington, N.C., which is the last port by which supplies from Europe could reach Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lees troops at Richmond, Va.


The Second Battle of Fort Fisher was a successful assault by the Union Army, Navy and Marine Corps against Fort Fisher, south of Wilmington, North Carolina, near the end of the American Civil War in January 1865. Sometimes referred to as the "Gibraltar of the South" and the last major coastal stronghold of the Confederacy, Fort Fisher had tremendous strategic value during the war, providing a port for blockade runners supplying the Army of Northern Virginia.



Background
See also: First Battle of Fort Fisher
Wilmington was the last major port open to the Confederacy on the Atlantic seacoast. Ships leaving Wilmington via the Cape Fear River and setting sail for the Bahamas, Bermudaor Nova Scotia to trade cotton and tobacco for needed supplies from the British were protected by the fort. Based on the design of the Malakoff redoubt in Sevastopol, Russian Empire, Fort Fisher was constructed mostly of earth and sand. This made it better able to absorb the pounding of heavy fire from Union ships than older fortifications constructed of mortar and bricks. Twenty-two guns faced the ocean, while twenty-five faced the land. The sea face guns were mounted on 12-foot-high (3.7 m) batteries with larger, 45-and-60-foot (14 and 18 m) batteries at the southern end of the fort. Underground passageways and bombproof rooms existed below the giant earthen mounds of the fort.[9] The fortifications kept Union ships from attacking the port of Wilmington and the Cape Fear River.

On December 23, 1864, Union ships under Rear Admiral David D. Porter commenced a naval bombardment of the fort, to little effect. On December 25, Union troops under Major General Benjamin F. Butler began landing in preparation for a ground assault, but Butler withdrew them upon word of approaching Confederate reinforcements.



Opposing forces
Union
Further information: Second Fort Fisher Union order of battle
The Union Army returned in January, this time under Major General Alfred Terry. Terry was chosen by Lieutenant General Ulysses S. Grant to lead a provisional corps of 9,000 troops from the Army of the James. Rear Admiral David D. Porter returned with almost 60 vessels of the North Atlantic Blockading Squadron to the North Carolina coast after the failed December attempt.


Diagram showing the positions of the Union vessels, and the lines of fire


Ships bombarding Fort Fisher prior to the ground assault

Confederate
Further information: Second Fort Fisher Confederate order of battle
Confederate Major General W.H.C. Whiting commanded the District of Cape Fear and pleaded with the department commander, General Braxton Bragg to send reinforcements. Bragg was unwilling to reduce his forces, which he felt were necessary to defend Wilmington. He finally sent reinforcements from Hagood's brigade to Colonel William Lamb'sgarrison bringing the total at Fort Fisher to 1,900. A division of 6,400 troops under Major General Robert Hoke was stationed on the peninsula north of the fort. Whiting personally arrived at the fort and told the commander: "Lamb my boy, I have come to share your fate. You and your garrison are to be sacrificed."

Battle
Alfred Terry had previously commanded troops during the Second Battle of Charleston Harbor and understood the importance of coordinating with the Union Navy. He and Admiral Porter made well laid out plans for the joint attack. Terry would send one division of United States Colored Troops under Charles J. Paine to hold off Hoke's division on the peninsula. Terry's other division under Adelbert Ames, supported by an independent brigade under Colonel Joseph Carter Abbott, would move down the peninsula and attack the fort from the land face, striking the landward wall on the river side of the peninsula. Porter organized a landing force of 2,000 sailors and marines to land and attack the fort's sea face, on the seaward end of the same wall.

On January 13, Terry landed his troops in between Hoke and Fort Fisher. Hoke was unwilling to risk opening the route to Wilmington and remained unengaged while the entire Union force landed safely ashore. The next day Terry moved south towards the fort to reconnoiter the fort and decided that an infantry assault would succeed.


The bombardment as seen from the mound battery at the south end of the fort

On January 15, Porter's gunboats opened fire on the sea face of the fort and by noon they succeeded in silencing all but four guns.[16] During this bombardment Hoke sent about 1,000 troops from his line to Fort Fisher, however only about 400 were able to land and make it into the defense while the others were forced to turn back. Around this time the sailors and marines, led by Lieutenant Commander Kidder Breese, landed and moved against the point where the fort's land and sea faces met, a feature known as the Northeast Bastion. The Union Army's original plan was for the naval force, armed with revolvers and cutlasses, to attack in three waves with the marines providing covering fire, but instead, the assault went forward in a single unorganized mass. General Whiting personally led the defense and routed the assault, with heavy casualties in the naval force.

The attack, however, drew Confederate attention away from the river gate, where Ames prepared to launch his attack. At 2:00 p.m. he sent forward his first brigade, under the command of Brevet Brigadier Newton Martin Curtis, as Ames waited with the brigades of colonels Galusha Pennypacker and Louis Bell. An advance guard from Curtis's brigade used axes to cut through the palisades and abatis. Curtis's brigade took heavy casualties as it overran the outer works and stormed the first traverse. At this point Ames ordered Pennypacker's brigade forward, which he accompanied into the fort. As Ames marched forward, Confederate snipers zeroed in on his party, and cut down a number of his aides from around him. Pennypacker's men fought their way through the riverside gate, and Ames ordered a portion of his men to fortify a position within the interior of the fort. Meanwhile, the Confederates turned the cannons in Battery Buchanan at the southern tip of the peninsula and fired on the northern wall as it fell into Union hands. Ames observed that Curtis's lead units had become stalled at the fourth traverse, and he ordered forward Bell's brigade, but Bell was killed by sharpshooters before ever reaching the fort. Seeing the Union attackers crowd into the breach and interior, Whiting took the opportunity to personally lead a counterattack. Charging into the Union soldiers, Whiting received multiple demands to surrender, and when he refused he was shot down, severely wounded.


The USS Wabash

Porter's gunboats helped maintain the Federal momentum. His gunners' aim proved to be deadly accurate and began clearing out the defenders as the Union troops approached the sea wall. Curtis's troops gained the heavily contested fourth traverse. Lamb began gathering up every last soldier in the fort, including sick and wounded from the hospital, for a last-ditch counterattack. Just as he was about to order a charge, he fell severely wounded and was brought next to Whiting in the fort's hospital. Ames made a suggestion for the Union troops to entrench in their current positions. Upon hearing this notion, a frenzied Curtis grabbed a spade and threw it over Confederate trenches and shouted, "Dig Johnnies, for I'm coming for you." About an hour into the battle, Curtis fell wounded while going back to confer with Ames. Pennypacker also fell wounded before the battle ended.

The grueling battle lasted for hours, long after dark, as shells plunged in from the sea and Ames struggled with a division that became increasingly disorganized as his regimental leaders and all of his brigade commanders fell dead or wounded. Terry sent forward Abbott's brigade to reinforce the attack, then joined Ames in the interior of the fortress. Meanwhile, in Fort Fisher's hospital, Lamb turned over command to Major James Reilly, and Whiting sent one last plea to General Bragg to send reinforcements. Still believing the situation in Fort Fisher was under control and tired of Whiting's demands, Bragg instead dispatched General Alfred H. Colquitt to relieve Whiting and assume command at Fort Fisher. At 9:30 p.m. Colquitt landed at the southern base of the fort just as Lamb, Whiting and the Confederate wounded were being evacuated to Battery Buchanan.

At this point, the Confederate hold on Fort Fisher was untenable. The seaward batteries had been silenced, almost all of the north wall had been captured, and Ames had fortified a bastion within the interior. Terry, however, had concluded to finish the battle that night. Ames, ordered to maintain the offensive, organized a flanking maneuver, sending some of his men to advance outside the land wall, and come up behind the Confederate defenders of the last traverse. Within a few minutes the Confederate defeat was unmistakable. Colquitt and his staff rushed back to their rowboats just moments before Abbott's men seized the wharf. Major Reilly held up a white flag and walked into the Union lines to announce the fort would surrender. Just before 10:00 p.m. Terry rode to Battery Buchanan to receive the official surrender of the fort from Whiting.

Aftermath


Map of Fort Fisher II Battlefield core and study areas by the American Battlefield Protection Program

The loss of Fort Fisher sealed the fate of the Confederacy's last remaining sea port and the South was cut off from global trade. Also, many of the military supplies which the Army of Northern Virginia depended upon came through Wilmington; there were no remaining seaports near Virginia that the Confederates could use practically. It also ended any chance of European recognition, being viewed by many as "the final nail in the Confederate coffin." A month later, a Union army under General John M. Schofield would move up the Cape Fear River and capture Wilmington.

On January 16, Union celebrations were dampened when the fort's magazine exploded, killing and wounding 200 Union soldiers and Confederate prisoners who were sleeping on the roof of the magazine chamber or nearby. U.S. Navy Ensign Alfred Stow Leighton died in the explosion while in charge of a squad trying to recover bodies from the fort parapet. Although several Union soldiers initially thought Confederate prisoners were responsible, an investigation opened by Terry concluded that unknown Union soldiers (possibly drunken marines) had entered the magazine with torches and ignited the powder.

Lamb survived the battle but spent the next seven years on crutches. Whiting was taken prisoner and died while in Federal captivity. Pennypacker's wounds were thought to have been fatal and Terry assured the young man he would receive a brevet promotion (where the person promoted would be authorised to wear the insignia of the new rank, but was paid the wages of his original rank) to brigadier general. Pennypacker did receive a brevet promotion as Terry had promised, but on February 18, 1865, he received a full promotion to brigadier general of volunteers at age 20. He remains the youngest person to have held the rank of general in the U.S. Army (apart from the Marquis de Lafayette). Newton Martin Curtis also received a full promotion to brigadier general, and both he and Pennypacker received the Medal of Honor for their part in the battle. Secretary of War Edwin M. Stanton made an unexpected visit to Fort Fisher where Terry presented him with the garrison's flag.


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Second_Battle_of_Fort_Fisher
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fort_Fisher

 

[Uwek]

Today in Naval History - Naval / Maritime Events in History
15 January 1916 - The submarine USS E-2 explodes at the New York Navy Yard because of escaping gases during an overhaul. The interior ship is severely damaged and four men are killed.


USS E-2 (SS-25) was an E-class submarine of the United States Navy. Originally named Sturgeon, the boat was launched on 15 June 1911 by the Fore River Shipyard, Quincy, Massachusetts; sponsored by Ms. Margaret Nelson Little; renamed E-2 on 17 November 1911; and commissioned on 14 February 1912, Ensign C. N. Hinkamp in command.



Service history
Serving in the Atlantic Submarine Flotilla, E-2 sailed out of Newport, Rhode Island for developmental exercises and training. From 5 January-21 April 1914, she cruised to Guantanamo Bay and the Gulf of Mexico. She returned to Naval Station Newport on 27 July, for training operations for the remainder of the summer and from February–May 1915 off Florida.

On June 19, she entered New York Navy Yard for overhaul. While sitting in dry dock Number 2, E-2 was victim of a violent explosion and fire on 15 January 1916 when hydrogen gas ignited during conditions of severe battery testing; tests made under the direction of the Edison Storage Battery Company. At the time, E-2 was the test submarine for new nickel battery designed to eliminate the danger from chlorine gas asphyxiation. There were 32 men aboard the submarine at the time of the explosion, consisting of both crew and civilian electricians and mechanics making repairs. Four men were killed and seven injured. The government investigation, led by then Lieutenant Chester W. Nimitz, pointed blame away from the submarine's commanding officer, then Lieutenant Charles M. Cooke, Jr..

On 13 March, E-2 was placed out of commission for use as a laboratory, for exhaustive tests of the Edison storage battery. Recommissioned on 25 March 1918, E-2 served in training and experimental work at New London until 16 May. Two days later she arrived at Norfolk to operate against enemy submarines off Cape Hatteras. From 21 May-27 August, she made four war patrols, sighting a large enemy submarine for which she made extended submerged search on her last patrol. E-2 was commended by the Chief of Naval Operations for two of these anti-submarine patrols, which were exceptionally long for a submarine of her size.

Returning to New London on 31 August 1918, E-2 made two more patrols before the end of the war, then returned to training student officers and qualifying men for duty in submarines. She sailed from New London to Norfolk on 19 April 1920, arriving two days later. There she was placed in commission in ordinary on 18 July 1921. On 17 September, she sailed for Philadelphia Navy Yard where she was decommissioned on 20 October and sold on 19 April 1922.



https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_E-2_(SS-25)
http://www.navsource.org/archives/08/08025.htm

 

[Uwek]

Today in Naval History - Naval / Maritime Events in History
15 January 1942 - Bad weather off Iceland causes destroyer Mayo (DD 422) and British trawler HMS Douglas to collide, and damages destroyer Simpson (DD 221).


HMS Douglas was an Admiralty type flotilla leader (also known as the Scott-class) of the British Royal Navy. Built by Cammell Laird, Douglas commissioned in 1918, just before the end of the First World War. During the Second World War, Douglas served with Force H out of Gibraltar and as a convoy escort. She was sold for scrap in March 1945.


Douglas after conversion to a short range escort

On 15 January 1942, Douglas was part of the escort of Convoy ON 55 off Iceland in a severe storm (described as the worst seen in Iceland for 15 years), when the American destroyer Mayo, part of an American escort group attempting to relieve the 2nd Escort Group, collided with Douglas, badly damaging both ships, with one seaman lost from Douglas. After returning to the United Kingdom from Iceland, it was decided to convert Douglas to a Short-Range Escort while she was under repair. This involved reducing the ship's gun and torpedo armament to accommodate better anti-submarine weaponry.


USS Mayo (DD-422) was a Benson-class destroyer in the United States Navy during World War II. She was named for Admiral Henry Thomas Mayo.


USS Mayo (DD-422) in 1940

Mayo was laid down 16 May 1938 by Bethlehem Shipbuilding Corporation, Fore River, Massachusetts; launched 26 March 1940; sponsored by Mrs. C. G. Mayo, daughter-in-law of Admiral Mayo; and commissioned 18 September 1940, Lieutenant C. D. Emory in command


USS Simpson (DD-221/APD-27/AG-97) was a Clemson-class destroyer in the United States Navy during World War II. She was the first ship named for Rear Admiral Edward Simpson.


USS Simpson (DD-221) anchored off San Diego in the early 1920s.

Simpson was laid down on 9 October 1919 by William Cramp & Sons; launched on 28 April 1920; sponsored by Miss Caroline Sterett Simpson, daughter of Rear Admiral Simpson; and commissioned on 3 November 1920, Lieutenant Commander P.T. Berry in command.



https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HMS_Douglas
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Mayo
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Simpson_(DD-221)

 

[Uwek]

Today in Naval History - Naval / Maritime Events in History
Other Events on 15 January


1667 – Launch of French Comte 50, later 60 guns (designed and built by Jean Nissard), at Toulon and completed by Rodolphe Gédéon - renamed Prudent in June 1667; hulked 1695

Dimension Measurement Type Metric Equivalent
Length of Gundeck: 123' 0"French Feet (Pied du Roi) 39.9504 (131′ 0″ Imperial)
Length of Keel: 112' 0"French Feet (Pied du Roi) 36.3776 (119′ 4″ Imperial)
Breadth: 37' 0"French Feet (Pied du Roi) 12.0176 (39′ 5″ Imperial)
Depth in Hold: 14' 0"French Feet (Pied du Roi) 4.5472 (14′ 11″ Imperial)

Armament​

5.1667 Broadside Weight = 396 French Livre (427.3632 lbs 193.842 kg)
Lower Gun Deck 24 French 18-Pounder
Upper Gun Deck 26 French 12-Pounder
Quarterdeck/Forecastle 8 French 6-Pounder

Service History​

Date Event
6.1667 Renamed Prudent
11.2.1674/75 First battle of Stromboli
8.1.1675/76 Second battle of Stromboli
22.4.1676 Battle of Agosta
2.6.1676 Battle of Palermo
23.7.1682 First Bombardment of Algiers
23.5.1683 Second Bombardment of Algiers
19.6.1685 Bombardment of Tripoli
30.6.1690 Battle of Beachy Head

https://threedecks.org/index.php?display_type=show_ship&id=15895


1704 – Launch of french Oriflamme, 62 guns at Toulon – reclassed as 3rd Rate 1709, broken up 1727

Dimension Measurement Type Metric Equivalent
Length of Gundeck: 140'French Feet (Pied du Roi) 45.472 (149′ 2″ Imperial)
Length of Keel: 115'French Feet (Pied du Roi) 37.361 (122′ 6″ Imperial)
Breadth: 38' 6"French Feet (Pied du Roi) 12.3627 (40′ 6″ Imperial)
Depth in Hold: 17' 6"French Feet (Pied du Roi) 5.5448 (18′ 2″ Imperial)
Burthen: 918Ton

Armament​

6.1704 Broadside Weight = 480 French Livre (518.016 lbs 234.96 kg)
Lower Gun Deck 24 French 24-Pounder
Upper Gun Deck 26 French 12-Pounder
Quarterdeck/Forecastle 12 French 6-Pounder

Oriflamme Class, designed and built by François Coulomb snr.
Toulouse 62 guns (launched 8 December 1703 at Toulon) – reclassed as 3rd Rate 1707, captured by the British 1711
Oriflamme 62 guns (launched 15 January 1704 at Toulon) – reclassed as 3rd Rate 1709, broken up 1727

https://threedecks.org/index.php?display_type=show_ship&id=15344


1743 - HMS Sapphire (44), Cptn. Charles Holmes, sank two Spanish Privateers and destroyed three at Vigo.

HMS Sapphire (1741) was a 44-gun fifth rate launched in 1741. She was reduced to 32 guns in 1756 and had been hulked by 1780. She was sold in 1784,
Ship Class: 1733 Establishment 44-Gunner


Scale: 1:48. Plan showing the body plan, sheer lines, and longitudinal half-breadth for Eltham (1736), a 1733 Establishment 44-gun Fifth Rate, two-decker. The plan includes alterations to the fore and aft for Gosport (1741) and Faversham (1741), and alterations to the aft for Saphire (1741).

Dimension Measurement Type Metric Equivalent
Length of Gundeck: 124' 3"Imperial Feet 37.7984
Length of Keel: 100' 6 ¼"Imperial Feet 30.4864
Breadth: 35' 9 ⅞"Imperial Feet 10.6902
Depth in Hold: 14' 6"Imperial Feet 4.3053
Burthen: 686 14⁄94 Tons BM

Armament​

21.2.1740/41 Broadside Weight = 222 Imperial Pound ( 100.677 kg)
Lower Gun Deck 20 British 12-Pounder
Upper Gun Deck 20 British 9-Pounder
Quarterdeck 4 British 6-Pounder

Service History​

Date Event
2.1741 Commissioned for the Channel
21.2.1740/41 building at Limehouse at a cost of £7034.5.0d
21.2.1740/41 Began fitting at Deptford Dockyard
29.5.1741 Completed fitting at Deptford Dockyard at a cost of £4162.15.7d
1742 Commissioned for the Irish Sea
1743 Cruise to the Canaries
5.1.1742/43 Took the Privateer Pluma
1744 In the Channel
21.5.1745 Took the Privateer Sloop Sovervio (10) off Ireland
21.5.1745 Took the Privateer Soberbio
1.1746 Began middling repair at Chatham Dockyard
6.1746 Recommissioned
6.1746 Completed middling repair at Chatham Dockyard at a cost of £4257.3.10d
20.9.1746 Lorient Operations
5.1748 Paid off
5.1748 Began middling repair at Rotherhithe
16.7.1748 Surveyed
5.1749 Completed middling repair at Rotherhithe at a cost of £3564.5.1d


http://collections.rmg.co.uk/collections/objects/81796.html
https://threedecks.org/index.php?display_type=show_ship&id=6430

 

[Uwek]

Today in Naval History - Naval / Maritime Events in History
16 January 1780 – Anglo-Spanish War: Battle of Cape St. Vincent
Moonlight Battle. British fleet under Rodney defeat Spanish under de Langara and relieve Gibraltar.


The Battle of Cape St. Vincent was a naval battle that took place off the southern coast of Portugal on 16 January 1780 during the Anglo-Spanish War. A British fleet under Admiral Sir George Rodney defeated a Spanish squadron under Don Juan de Lángara. The battle is sometimes referred to as the Moonlight Battle because it was unusual for naval battles in the Age of Sail to take place at night. It was also the first major naval victory for the British over their European enemies in the war and proved the value of copper-sheathing the hulls of warships.


The moonlight Battle off Cape St Vincent, 16 January 1780 by Francis Holman, painted 1780, shows the Santo Domingo exploding, with Rodney's flagship Sandwich in the foreground.

Admiral Rodney was escorting a fleet of supply ships to relieve the Spanish siege of Gibraltar with a fleet of about twenty ships of the line when he encountered Lángara's squadron south of Cape St. Vincent. When Lángara saw the size of the British fleet, he attempted to make for the safety of Cádiz, but the copper-sheathed British ships chased his fleet down. In a running battle that lasted from mid-afternoon until after midnight, the British captured four Spanish ships, including Lángara's flagship. Two other ships were also captured, but their final disposition is unclear; some Spanish sources indicate they were retaken by their Spanish crews, while Rodney's report indicates the ships were grounded and destroyed.

After the battle Rodney successfully resupplied Gibraltar and Minorca before continuing on to the West Indies station. Lángara was released on parole, and was promoted to lieutenant general by King Carlos III.



Background
One of Spain's principal goals upon its entry into the American War of Independence in 1779 was the recovery of Gibraltar, which had been lost to Great Britain in 1704. The Spanish planned to retake Gibraltar by blockading and starving out its garrison, which included troops from Britain and the Electorate of Hanover. The siege formally began in June 1779, with the Spanish establishing a land blockade around the Rock of Gibraltar. The matching naval blockade was comparatively weak, however, and the British discovered that small fast ships could evade the blockaders, while slower and larger supply ships generally could not. By late 1779, however, supplies in Gibraltar had become seriously depleted, and its commander, General George Eliott, appealed to London for relief.



A supply convoy was organized, and in late December 1779 a large fleet sailed from England under the command of Admiral Sir George Brydges Rodney. Although Rodney's ultimate orders were to command the West Indies fleet, he had secret instructions to first resupply Gibraltar and Minorca. On 4 January 1780 the fleet divided, with ships headed for the West Indies sailing westward. This left Rodney in command of 19 ships of the line, which were to accompany the supply ships to Gibraltar.

On 8 January 1780 ships from Rodney's fleet spotted a group of sails. Giving chase with their faster copper-clad ships, the British determined these to be a Spanish supply convoy that was protected by a single ship of the line and several frigates. The entire convoy was captured, with the lone ship of the line, Guipuzcoana, striking her colours after a perfunctory exchange of fire. Guipuzcoana was staffed with a small prize crew and renamed HMS Prince William, in honour of Prince William, the third son of the King, who was serving as midshipman in the fleet. Rodney then detached HMS America and the frigate HMS Pearl to escort most of the captured ships back to England; Prince William was added to his fleet, as were some of the supply ships that carried items likely to be of use to the Gibraltar garrison. On 12 January HMS Dublin, which had lost part of her topmast on 3 January, suffered additional damage and raised a distress flag. Assisted by HMS Shrewsbury, she limped into Lisbon on 16 January.

The Spanish had learnt of the British relief effort. From the blockading squadron a fleet comprising 11 ships of the line under Admiral Juan de Lángarawas dispatched to intercept Rodney's convoy, and the Atlantic fleet of Admiral Luis de Córdova at Cadiz was also alerted to try to catch him. Córdova learnt of the strength of Rodney's fleet, and returned to Cadiz rather than giving chase. On 16 January the fleets of Lángara and Rodney spotted each other around 1:00 pm south of Cape St. Vincent, the southwestern point of Portugal and the Iberian Peninsula. The weather was hazy, with heavy swells and occasional squalls.

Battle
Naval Commanders

• 
  Don Juan de Lángara, portrait by an unknown artist
• 
  
• 
  Admiral Sir George Rodney, portrait by Sir Joshua Reynolds(date unknown)

Rodney was ill, and spent the entire action in his bunk. His flag captain, Walter Young, urged Rodney to give orders to engage when the Spanish fleet was first spotted, but Rodney only gave orders to form a line abreast. Lángara started to establish a line of battle, but when he realised the size of Rodney's fleet, he gave orders to make all sail for Cadiz. Around 2:00 pm, when Rodney felt certain that the ships seen were not the vanguard of a larger fleet, he issued commands for a general chase. Rodney's instructions to his fleet were to chase at their best speed, and engage the Spanish ships from the rear as they came upon them. They were also instructed to sail to the lee side to interfere with Spanish attempts to gain the safety of a harbour, a tactic that also prevented the Spanish ships from opening their lowest gun ports. Because of their copper-sheathed hulls (which reduced marine growths and drag), the ships of the Royal Navy were faster and soon gained on the Spanish.


Spanish depiction of battle

The chase lasted for about two hours, and the battle finally began around 4:00 pm. Santo Domingo, trailing in the Spanish fleet, received broadsides from HMS Edgar, HMS Marlborough, and HMS Ajax before blowing up around 4:40, with the loss of all but one of her crew. Marlborough and Ajax then passed Princessa to engage other Spanish ships. Princessa was eventually engaged in an hour-long battle with HMS Bedford before striking her colours at about 5:30. By 6:00 pm it was getting dark, and there was a discussion aboard HMS Sandwich, Rodney's flagship, about whether to continue the pursuit. Although Captain Young is credited in some accounts with pushing Rodney to do so, Dr. Gilbert Blane, the fleet physician, reported it as a decision of the council.

The chase continued into the dark, squally night, leading to it later being known as the "Moonlight Battle", since it was uncommon at the time for naval battles to continue after sunset. At 7:30 pm, HMS Defence came upon Lángara's flagship Fenix, engaging her in a battle lasting over an hour. She was broadsided in passing by HMS Montagu and HMS Prince George, and Lángara was wounded in the battle. Fenix finally surrendered to HMS Bienfaisant, which arrived late in the battle and shot away her mainmast. Fenix'stakeover was complicated by an outbreak of smallpox aboard Bienfaisant. Captain John MacBride, rather than sending over a possibly infected prize crew, apprised Lángara of the situation and put him and his crew on parole.


The Moonlight Battle off Cape St Vincent, 16 January 1780- oil on canvas by Richard Paton

At 9:15 Montagu engaged Diligente, which struck after her maintopmast was shot away. Around 11:00 pm San Eugenio surrendered after having all of her masts shot away by HMS Cumberland, but the difficult seas made it impossible to board a prize crew until morning. That duel was passed by HMS Culloden and Prince George, which engaged San Julián and compelled her to surrender around 1:00 am. The last ship to surrender was Monarca. She nearly escaped, shooting away HMS Alcide's topmast, but was engaged in a running battle with the frigate HMS Apollo. Apollo managed to keep up the unequal engagement until about the time that Rodney's flagship Sandwich came upon the scene around 2:00 am. Sandwich fired a broadside, unaware that Monarca had already hauled down her flag.

The British took six ships. Four Spanish ships of the line and the fleet's two frigates escaped, although sources are unclear if two of the Spanish ships were even present with the fleet at the time of the battle. Lángara's report states that San Justo and San Genaro were not in his line of battle (although they are listed in Spanish records as part of his fleet). Rodney's report states that San Justo escaped but was damaged in battle, and that San Genaro escaped without damage. According to one account two of Lángara's ships (unspecified which two) were despatched to investigate other unidentified sails sometime before the action.

Aftermath
With the arrival of daylight, it was clear that the British fleet and their prize ships were dangerously close to a lee shore with an onshore breeze. One of the prizes, San Julián, was recorded by Rodney as too badly damaged to save, and was driven ashore. The fate of another prize, San Eugenio, is unclear. Some sources report that she too was grounded, but others report that she was retaken by her crew and managed to reach Cadiz. A Spanish history claims that the prize crews of both ships appealed to their Spanish captives for help escaping the lee shore. The Spanish captains retook control of their ships, imprisoned the British crews, and sailed to Cadiz.


Rodney's Fleet Taking in Prizes After the Moonlight Battle, 16 January 1780, by Dominic Serres (date unknown). The painting shows the British fleet with the captured Spanish squadron in the middle centre.

The British reported their casualties in the battle as 32 killed and 102 wounded. The supply convoy sailed into Gibraltar on 19 January, driving the smaller blockading fleet to retreat to the safety of Algeciras. Rodney arrived several days later, after first stopping in Tangier. The wounded Spanish prisoners, who included Admiral Lángara, were offloaded there, and the British garrison was heartened by the arrival of the supplies and the presence of Prince William Henry. After also resupplying Minorca, Rodney sailed for the West Indies in February, detaching part of the fleet for service in the Channel. This homebound fleet intercepted a French fleet destined for the East Indies, capturing one warship and three supply ships. Gibraltar was resupplied twice more before the siege was lifted at the end of the war in 1783.

Admiral Lángara and other Spanish officers were eventually released on parole, the admiral receiving a promotion to lieutenant general. He continued his distinguished career, becoming Spanish marine minister in the French Revolutionary Wars.

Admiral Rodney was lauded for his victory, the first major victory of the war by the Royal Navy over its European opponents. He distinguished himself for the remainder of the war, notably winning the 1782 Battle of the Saintes in which he captured the French Admiral Comte de Grasse. He was, however, criticised by Captain Young, who portrayed him as weak and indecisive in the battle with Lángara. (He was also rebuked by the admiralty for leaving a ship of the line at Gibraltar, against his express orders.) Rodney's observations on the benefits of copper sheathing in the victory were influential in British Admiralty decisions to deploy the technology more widely.


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Cape_St._Vincent_(1780)

 

[Uwek]

Today in Naval History - Naval / Maritime Events in History
16 January 1780 – Anglo-Spanish War: Battle of Cape St. Vincent - Part II - Some of the Ships


Order of battle
None of the listed sources give an accurate accounting of the ships in Rodney's fleet at the time of the action. Robert Beatson lists the composition of the fleet at its departure from England, and notes which ships separated to go to the West Indies, as well as those detached to return the prizes captured on 8 January to England. He does not list two ships (Dublin and Shrewsbury, identified in despatches reprinted by Syrett) that were separated from the fleet on 13 January. Furthermore, HMS Prince William is sometimes misunderstood to have been part of the prize escort back to England, but she was present at Gibraltar after the action. Beatson also fails to list a number of frigates, including HMS Apollo, which played a key role in the capture of Monarca.




British Ships
HMS Sandwich was a 90-gun second rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy, launched on 14 April 1759 at Chatham.
Sandwich participated in the Battle of Cape St Vincent in 1780, where she served as Admiral Rodney's flagship.


Scale: 1:48. Plan showing the profile (no waterlines) with some inboard detail, and a superimposed longitudinal half-breadth for Sandwich (1759), a 90-gun Second Rate, three-decker, building at Chatham Dockyard. Reverse: Scale: 1:48. Plan showing the sheer lines with some inboard detail, and a superimposed basic longitudinal half-breadth for (possibly) Lenox (1758), a 70-gun (later 74-gun) Third Rate, two-decker, building at Chatham Dockyard.

Class and type: Sandwich-class ship of the line
Tons burthen: 1869 tons bm
Length: 176 ft (54 m) (gundeck)
Beam: 49 ft (15 m)
Depth of hold: 24 ft (7.3 m)
Sail plan: Full rigged ship
Armament:

• 90 guns:
• Gundeck: 28 × 32 pdrs
• Middle gundeck: 30 × 18 pdrs
• Upper gundeck: 30 × 12 pdrs
• Forecastle: 2 × 9 pdrs

Broadside Weight = 892 Imperial Pound ( 404.522 kg)


HMS Sandwich fires into the French flagship Bucentaure (the vessel shown completely dismasted in foreground, left of centre) at the battle of Trafalgar. Bucentaure also fights HMS Victory (behind her) and HMS Temeraire (left side of the picture). In fact, Sandwich did not fight at Trafalgar; her presence in this painting is due to a mistake by Auguste Mayer, the painter.

Fate
She was converted to serve as a floating battery in 1780, and from 1790 was on harbour service. She was Richard Parker's "flagship" in the 1797 Nore Mutiny made up of 28 ships. The ship was later used to hang the leaders of the mutiny.
Sandwich was broken up in 1810.


Scale: 1:64. A contemporary full hull model of a 90-gun, three-decker ship of the line (circa 1760), built in the Georgian style. The model is decked. This vessel measured 176 feet in length (gun deck) by 49 feet in the beam, displacing approximately 1830 tons burden. It was armed with twenty-eight 32-pounders on the gun deck, thirty 18-pounders on the middle deck, thirty 12-pounders on the upper deck and two 9-pounders on the quarterdeck. The slightly unfinished appearance of this model – neither the figurehead nor the quarter figures have been carved – suggests that it was a design for the first of the second rates to carry 28 to 30 guns on each of the three complete decks and only two guns on the quarterdeck. The gun deck arrangements and overall measurements suggest that the model depicts the ‘Sandwich’ (1759), ‘Ocean’ (1761) or ‘Blenheim’ (1761). The ‘Sandwich’ was Rodney’s flagship in his action with de Guichen in 1780. De Grasse was taken prisoner on the same ship after the Battle of The Saintes. The ‘Blenheim’ fought at Cape St. Vincent in 1797 and was lost with all hands in a hurricane in 1807 with Sir Thomas Troubridge aboard. The ‘Ocean’ was with Kempenfelt when he captured part of de Guichen’s convoy in 1781. The model was previously in the Mercury Collection and became part of the Caird Collection in 1929.

Sandwich class (Slade)

• Sandwich 90 (1759) – floating battery 1780, harbour service 1790, broken up 1810
• Blenheim 90 (1761) – reduced to 74 in 1800; foundered, presumably off Madagascar, with all hands 1807
• Ocean 90 (1761) – Modified version of the Sandwich class, sold 1793

HMS Royal George was a 100-gun first-rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy, built at Woolwich Dockyard and launched on 18 February 1756. The largest warship in the world at the time of launching, she saw service during the Seven Years' War including being Admiral Sir Edward Hawke's flagship at the Battle of Quiberon Bay and later taking part in the Battle of Cape St Vincent. She sank undergoing routine maintenance work whilst anchored off Portsmouth on 29 August 1782 with the loss of more than 800 lives, one of the most serious maritime losses to occur in British waters.


A fictitious combination of two events set in Deptford Dockyard in southeast London, England, UK: the launch of the H.M.S. Cambridge (left) in Deptford on 21 October 1755, and the H.M.S. Royal George (right) which was actually launched at Woolwich Dockyard the following year.

Class and type: 1745 Establishment 100-gun first-rate ship of the line
Tons burthen: 2047 bm
Length:

• 178 ft (54.3 m) (gundeck)
• 143 ft 5.5 in (43.7 m) (keel)

Beam: 51 ft 9.5 in (15.8 m)
Depth of hold: 21 ft 6 in (6.6 m)
Propulsion: Sails
Sail plan: Full rigged ship
Armament:

• 100 guns:
• Gundeck: 28 × 42 pdrs
• Middle gundeck: 28 × 24 pdrs
• Upper gundeck: 28 × 12 pdrs
• Quarterdeck: 12 × 6 pdrs
• Forecastle: 4 × 6 pdrs

Broadside Weight = 1140 Imperial Pound ( 516.99 kg)


Stern of Royal George: 1779 painting of a model at the National Maritime Museum, Greenwich

Several attempts were made to raise the vessel, both for salvage and because she was a major hazard to navigation. In 1782, Charles Spalding recovered six iron 12-pounder guns and nine brass 12-pounders using a diving bell of his design. From 1834—1836, Charles and John Deane recovered more guns using the surface-air supplied diving helmet which they had invented, and in 1839 Major-General Charles Pasley, at the time a colonel of the Royal Engineers, commenced operations to break up the wreck using barrels of gunpowder.

Pasley's team recovered more guns and other items between 1839 and 1842. In 1840, the remaining structure of the wreck was destroyed by the Royal Engineers in an explosion that shattered windows as far away as Portsmouth and Gosport.


Scale: 1:48. Plan showing the body plan, sternboard outline with some decoration detail, sheer lines with inboard detail, and longitudinal half-breadth for Royal George (1756), a 100-gun First Rate, three-decker. The plan possibly shows her as she was launched in February 1756, or after she had undergone a large repair at Plymouth Dockyard between 1765 and 1768. Reverse: Scale: 1:96. Plan showing the poop deck, quarterdeck and forecastle, upper deck, middle deck, lower deck, and orlop deck with platforms for Royal George (1756).



Scale: 1:48. A contemporary half full hull and half skeleton model of the Royal George (1756), a first rate, 100-gun three-decker ship of the line, built in the Georgian style. The model is partially decked and has the name Royal George painted on the counter of the stern. The starboard hull shows plank on frame while the port side is unplanked to show the internal construction and layout, including numerous fittings such as galley stoves, capstans and cabin furnishings.


Stern of the model of the Royal George (PAF6100)


HMS Defence was a 74-gun third-rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy, launched on 31 March 1763 at Plymouth Dockyard. She was one of the most famous ships of the period, taking part in several of the most important naval battles of the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic wars. In 1811 she was wrecked off the coast of Jutland with the loss of almost her entire crew.


Scale: 1:48. Plan showing the body plan, sheer lines, and longitudinal half-breadth for building Cornwall (1761), Arrogant (1761), and Kent (1762), and later for Defence (1763), Edgar (1779), Goliath (1781), Vanguard (1787), Excellent (1787), Saturn (1786), Elephant (1786), Illustrious (1789), Bellerophon (1786), Zealous (1785), and Audacious (1785), all 74-gun Third Rate, two-deckers.

Class and type: Bellona-class ship of the line
Tons burthen: 1603 (bm)
Length: 168 ft (51.2 m) (gundeck)
Beam: 46 ft 9 in (14.2 m)
Draught: 21 ft 6 in (6.6 m)
Depth of hold: 19 ft 9 in (6.0 m)
Sail plan: Full-rigged ship
Armament:

• Gundeck: 28 × 32-pounder guns
• Upper gundeck: 28 × 18-pounder guns
• QD: 14 × 9-pounder guns
• Fc: 4 × 9-pounder guns

Broadside Weight = 781 Imperial Pound ( 354.1835 kg)


Scale: 1:48. Plan showing the body plan, and stern board outline with some decoration detail, for 'Defence', a 74-gun Third Rate, two-decker. The plan may represent 'Defence' as she was built at Deptford, which would date the plan to 1763.

Service
During the American War of Independence, Defence served with the Channel Fleet, seeing action at the Battle of Cape St. Vincent in 1780. She was sent out to India in early 1782 as part of a squadron of five ships under Commodore Sir Richard Bickerton, arriving too late for the battles of that year. But in 1783 she took part in the last battle of the war, at Cuddalore. She returned to England at the end of 1785. She was then laid up during the years of peace until the outbreak of the French Revolutionary Wars.

Recommissioned into the Channel Fleet under Captain James Gambier, she fought at the Glorious First of June in 1794, distinguishing herself in action against Mucius and Tourville, and becoming one of only two British ships to be completely dismasted in the battle. After repairs, she was sent to the Mediterranean, joining Admiral William Hotham in time to take part in the Battle of Hyeres in July.


An incident from the five-day battle known as the 'Glorious First of June 1794', during the French Revolutionary War, 1793-1802, between the British fleet under Lord Howe and the French fleet under Rear-Admiral Villaret-Joyeuse. This was the first great fleet battle of the French Wars of 1793-1815. HMS Defence at the Battle of the Glorious First of June1794, dismasted and with severe injury to the hull, by Nicholas Pocock

In 1798 she returned to the Mediterranean under Captain John Peyton, taking part in the Battle of the Nile in August.

On 1 July 1800, Defence, Fisgard, Renown and the hired armed cutter Lord Nelson were in Bourneuf Bay when they sent in their boats to attack a French convoy at Île de Noirmoutier. The British destroyed the French ship Therese (of 20 guns), a lugger (12 guns), two schooners (6 guns each) and a cutter (6 guns), of unknown names. The cutting out party also burned some 15 merchant vessels loaded with corn and supplies for the French fleet at Brest. However, in this enterprise, 92 officers and men out of the entire party of 192 men, fell prisoners to the French when their boats became stranded. Lord Nelson had contributed no men to the attacking force and so had no casualties.

In 1801, Defence sailed to the Baltic under Captain Lord Henry Paulet with Admiral Hyde Parker's fleet. She was present at the Battle of Copenhagen, but did not see action as she was part of the reserve under Parker.

In 1805 she saw action again at the Battle of Trafalgar, where under Captain George Johnstone Hope, she captured the San Ildefonso and fought the Berwick, suffering 36 casualties.

Loss
She ran aground on 24 December 1811 off the west coast of Jutland, Denmark. She was under the command of Captain D. Atkins and in the company of St George, under Rear-admiral Robert Carthew Reynolds, and Cressy, when a hurricane and heavy seas came up. St George was jury-rigged and so Atkins refused to leave her without the Admiral's permission. As a result, both were wrecked near Ringkøbing. Cressy did not ask for permission and so avoided wrecking.

Defence lost all but 14 of her crew of 597 men and boys, including her captain. St George too lost almost her entire crew, including the admiral. Most of the bodies that came ashore were buried in the sand dunes of Thorsminde, which have been known ever since as "Dead Mens Dunes".




https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Cape_St._Vincent_(1780)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HMS_Sandwich_(1759)
http://collections.rmg.co.uk/collections.html#!csearch;searchTerm=Sandwich_(1759
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HMS_Royal_George_(1756)
http://collections.rmg.co.uk/collec...;browseBy=vessel;vesselFacetLetter=R;start=20
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HMS_Defence_(1763)
http://collections.rmg.co.uk/collec...el-306643;browseBy=vessel;vesselFacetLetter=D

 

[Uwek]

Today in Naval History - Naval / Maritime Events in History
16 January 1780 – Anglo-Spanish War: Battle of Cape St. Vincent - Part III - Some of the Ships


Spanish Ships

Fénix was an 80-gun ship-of-the-line of the Spanish Navy, launched in 1749. In 1759, she was sent to bring the new king, Carlos III, from Naples to Barcelona. When Spain entered the American Revolutionary Warin June 1779, Fénix set sail for the English Channel where she was to join a Franco-Spanish fleet of more than 60 ships-of-the-line under Lieutenant General Luis de Córdova y Córdova. The Armada of 1779 was an invasion force of 40,000 troops with orders to capture the British naval base at Portsmouth.


Ship-of-the-line Real Fénix by Rafael Berenguer y Condé, Naval Museum of Madrid

Class and type: 80-gun third rate ship-of-the-line
Tons burthen: 2,184 25⁄94 (bm)
Length:

• 178 ft 10 3⁄4 in (54.5 m) (gundeck)
• 144 ft 5 3⁄4 in (44.0 m) (keel)

Beam: 53 ft 3 3⁄4 in (16.2 m)
Depth of hold: 22 ft 4 in (6.8 m)
Sail plan: Full-rigged ship
Complement: 650
Armament:

• Lower deck: 30 × 24-pounder guns
• Upper deck:
• • 1780:32 × 18-pounder guns
  • 1781:32 × 24-pounder guns
• QD:
• • 1780:12 × 9-pounder guns + 2 × 68-pounder carronades
  • 1810:4 × 12-pounder guns + 8 × 32-pounder carronades
• Fc:
• • 1780:6 × 9-pounder guns
  • 1810:4 × 12-pounder guns + 2 × 32-pounder carronades

1780: Broadside Weight = 720 Spanish libre (776.88 lbs 330.48 kg)


Scale: 1:48. A contemporary (?) half block model of the Fenix (1749), a Spanish 80 gun two-decked ship of the line. A plaque is inscribed "Fenix 80 Spanish, 1749 Built at Havana. Captured in 1780 and renamed Gibraltar. Hulk 1813. Broken up 1836 Dimensions: - Gundeck 178ft 10 3/4in Beam 53ft 3 1/4in". The number "(19)" is on the backboard.


As the flagship of Admiral Juan de Lángara, the ship fought at the Battle of Cape St Vincent on 16 January 1780, where she was captured by the British Royal Navy and commissioned as the third rate HMS Gibraltar in March of that year. She spent a short while in the English Channel before joining Samuel Hood's squadron in the West Indies and taking part in the Capture of St Eustatius in February 1781 and the Battle of Fort Royal the following month. Gibraltar and five other ships were sent to stop a French invasion fleet bound for Tobago in May 1781, but found the French too powerful and had to withdraw. In November, her 18-pound guns were replaced with 24-pounders, after which, in February 1782, she sailed to the East Indies and in the following year participated in the Battle of Cuddalore.

At the start of the French Revolutionary War, Gibraltar served in the Channel Fleet, fighting at the Glorious First of June in 1794 before being sent to the Mediterranean in May 1795. In June, the ship was in an action off Hyères; then, in December 1796, she was badly damaged in a storm and had to return to England for major repairs. By June Gibraltar was back in the Mediterranean, serving in the navy's Egyptian campaign, where she remained during and beyond the Peace of Amiens, except for a short period when she was sent home for a refit.

Returning to the Channel in April 1807, Gibraltar joined the fleet under Admiral James Gambier, which fought the Battle of the Basque Roads in 1809. This was her last major action; the ship was taken out of service in 1813 and converted to a powder hulk. She became a lazarette in 1824, then was broken up in November 1836 at Pembroke Dock.


Scale: 1:48. Plan showing the body plan, sternboard with decoration detail, sheer lines with inboard detail and figurehead, and longitudinal half-breadth for Gibraltar (captured 1780), a captured Spanish Third Rate, two-decker. The plan records alterations for fitting her as a British 74-gun Third Rate two-decker. Signed by John Henslow [Master Shipwright, Plymouth Dockyard, 1775-1784]. Reverse: Scale: 1:96. Plan showing the quarterdeck and forecastle, upper deck, gun deck (lower deck), and orlop deck for Gibraltar (captured 1780), a captured Spanish Third Rate, two-decker. The plan illustrates the ship as she was fitted as a British 74-gun Third Rate, two-decker.

Construction and armament
Fénix was a Spanish, two deck, ship-of-the-line built in Havana from mahogany.[2] Launched in 1749, her dimensions were 178 feet 10.75 inches (54.5 m) along the gun deck, 144 feet 6 inches (44.0 m) at the keel, with a beam of 52 feet 11.75 inches (16.1 m) and a depth in the hold of 22 feet 1.75 inches (6.8 m). This made her 2,184 35⁄94 tons burthen (bm).

Classed as an 80-gun third-rate, Fénix was armed with thirty 24 pounders (11 kg) on her lower gun deck, thirty-two 18 pounders (8.2 kg) on her upper gun deck, twelve 9 pounders (4.1 kg) on the quarterdeck, and six on the forecastle. Her sister ship, Rayo, was later converted to a 100-gun, three-decker. She was wrecked at Trafalgar in 1805.

Fénix was captured by the British in 1780. She was copper sheathed and fitted out for British service at Plymouth Dockyard between April and August 1780 at a cost of £16,068.5.3d. The Admiralty changed her armament a number of times: in November 1781 the 18-pounders on her upper deck were upgraded to 24 pounders (11 kg), and the same December two 68 pounders (31 kg) carronades were added. By 1810, the guns on her quarterdeck had been replaced with four 12 pounders (5.4 kg) guns and eight 32 pounders (15 kg) carronades, and on her forecastle with four 12 pounders (5.4 kg) guns and two 32 pounders (15 kg) carronades. Although large, two deck ships were favoured in other European navies, the British preferred to build three-deck third-rates; the extra space making them better suited for flagships. After the capture of Fenix, the Admiralty began to see the advantages of a longer two-deck ship which was less prone to hog, almost as well armed as its three-decked counterparts, and relatively quick.


Princessa was a 70-gun ship of the line of the Spanish Navy, launched in 1750.

Class and type: 70-gun third rate ship of the line
Tons burthen: 1966
Length: 170 ft 2½ in (51.9 m) (gundeck)
Beam: 51 ft 2 in (15.6 m)
Depth of hold: 22 ft 1 in (6.7 m)
Propulsion: Sails
Sail plan: Full rigged ship
Armament: 70 guns of various weights of shot

Broadside Weight = 660 Imperial Pound ( 299.31 kg)


Scale: 1:48. Body plan, sheer lines with inboard detail, and longitudinal half-breadth for 'Princessa' (1780), a captured Spanish Third Rate, prior to fitting as a 70-gun Third Rate, two-decker. Signed by George White [Master Shipwright, Portsmouth Dockyard, 1779-1793].

She fought at the Battle of Cape St Vincent in 1780, where she was captured by the Royal Navy and commissioned as the third rate HMS Princessa. From 1784 she was employed as a sheer hulk, and she was broken up in 1809.


Diligente was a 68-gun ship of the line of the Spanish Navy, launched in 1756.

Class and type: 68-gun third rate ship of the line
Tons burthen: 1966 tons (1997.5 tonnes)
Length: 176 ft 4½ in (53.8 m) (gundeck)
Beam: 49 ft 10 in (15.2 m)
Depth of hold: 20 ft 7 in (6.3 m)
Propulsion: Sails
Sail plan: Full rigged ship
Armament: 68 guns of various weights of shot

Broadside Weight = 660 Imperial Pound ( 299.31 kg)

She fought at the Battle of Cape St Vincent in 1780, where she was captured by the Royal Navy and commissioned as the third rate HMS Diligente. She was sold out of the navy in 1784 and out of Spain


Scale: 1:24. Plan showing the front and side elevations, and sections for the 'made masts' for 'Princessa' (1780), 'Diligente' (1780), captured Spanish Third Rates, fitted as 70-gun Third Rate two-deckers, and 'Monarca' (1780), a captured Spanish Third Rate, fitted as a 68-gun Third Rate, two-decker. Signed by George White [Master Shipwright, Portsmouth Dockyard, 1779-1793].


Monarca was a 68-gun ship of the line of the Spanish Navy, launched in 1756.

Class and type: 68-gun third rate ship of the line
Tons burthen: 1911 tons (1941.7 tonnes)
Length: 174 ft 4½ in (53.1 m) (gundeck)
Beam: 40 ft 10 in (12.4 m)
Depth of hold: 20 ft 7 in (6.3 m)
Sail plan: Full-rigged ship
Armament: 68 guns of various weights of shot

Broadside Weight = 648 Spanish libre (699.192 lbs 297.432 kg)



Scale: 1:48. Plan showing the body plan, stern board with some decoration detail, sheer lines with inboard detail and figurehead, and longitudinal half-breadth for 'Monarca' (1780), a captured Spanish Third Rate, as taken off prior to being fitted[?] as a 68-gun Third Rate, two-decker. 'Monarca' was at Portsmouth Dockyard being fitted between May and September 1780, which cost £15,388.18.0 to undertake. Signed by George White [Master Shipwright, Portsmouth Dockyard, 1779-1793].

She fought at the Battle of Cape St Vincent in 1780, in which she was captured by the Royal Navy and subsequently commissioned as the third rate HMS Monarca. She came under the command of Captain John Gell who was under the orders of Sir Samuel Hood to go to the West Indies. However, she was dismasted in a storm and obliged to return to Britain for refitting.

She fought at the Battle of Cuddalore in 1783 and was sold out of the navy in 1791.



No scale. Plan showing a part elevation, and two sections illustrating a method of stopping shot holes in warships, as tried in Portsmouth Dockyard on Monarca (1780), a captured Spanish Third Rate, fitted as a 68-gun Third Rate, two-decker. Note that she was sold in 1791. Signed by George White [Master Shipwright, Portsmouth Dockyard, 1779-1793].


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spanish_ship_Fenix_(1749)
http://collections.rmg.co.uk/collec...el-315247;browseBy=vessel;vesselFacetLetter=G
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spanish_ship_Princesa_(1750)
http://collections.rmg.co.uk/collections.html#!csearch;searchTerm=princessa
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spanish_ship_Diligente_(1756)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spanish_ship_Monarca_(1756)
http://collections.rmg.co.uk/collec...el-331811;browseBy=vessel;vesselFacetLetter=M

 

[Uwek]

Today in Naval History - Naval / Maritime Events in History
16 January 1808 - HMS Linnet (14), Lt. John Tracy, captured Cherbourg privateer lugger Courier (18), Cptn. Alex Black, off Cape Barfleur.


On 16 January 1808, HMS Linnet was some six or seven leagues from Cape Barfleur when she saw a French lugger pursuing two English vessels, a ship and a brig. Linnet joined up with the English vessels and towards night was able to close with the lugger. After an engagement of a little over two hours, the French lugger was in a sinking state and so struck. She was the privateer Courier, of 18 guns. She had a complement of 60 men under the command of Captain Alexander Black, and had lost her second captain killed and three men wounded. (Linnet had no loses.) Courier had been out four days and had been sheltering from a gale at the Îles Saint-Marcouf. She had not captured anything before herself being captured. However, earlier that day Courier apparently unsuccessfully engaged for two hours the merchant vessel Tagus, Connolly, master, which had been sailing from Monte Video and Cork.


HMS Linnet was originally His Majesty’s revenue cutter Speedwell, launched in 1797, that the Royal Navy purchased in 1806. Linnet captured a number of privateers before the French frigate Gloire captured her in 1813. The French sold or transferred her to the Americans, who operated her as the privateer Bunkers Hill. In March 1814 the British recaptured her, but did not return her to service.

Type: Cutter; later brig
Displacement: 200
Tons burthen: 196 70⁄94 (bm)
Length: 77 ft 9 1⁄2 in (23.7 m) (overall); 57 ft 7 5⁄8 in (17.6 m) (keel)
Beam: 25 ft 4 in (7.7 m)
Depth of hold:10 ft 9 in (3.3 m)
Complement:

• British service: 60
• French service: 75
• Privateer: 86

Armament:

• British service: 2 x 6-pounder bow guns + 12 x 18-pounder carronades
• French service: 2 x 6-pounder guns + 12 x 16-pounder carronades
• Privateer: 14 guns

Broadside Weight = 114 Imperial Pound ( 51.699 kg)

Customs service
Speedwell was one of four revenue cutters present when the boats of a squadron under the command of Sir John Borlase Warren cut out the French privateer Guëppe on 30 August 1800.

Royal Navy service
Having purchased Speedwell and having renamed her linnet, the Royal Navy commissioned her in December 1806 under Lieutenant Joseph Beckett.[1] In 1807 Lieutenant John Tracey (or Treacy, or Treacey, or Tracy) transferred from the hired armed cutter Princess Augusta to replace Beckett.[1] On 29 July, Tracey was captain of Linnet when she and Decade captured the French sloop Victor.

Puissant and the "armed cutter" Linnet shared in the detention on 27 August of the Danish ship Deodaris. At the time, Puissant was an unarmed third rate serving as a receiving ship in the harbor at Portsmouth. That same day Linnet was in company with the cutter Sprightly when they captured Kron Prinz Frederick.

On 4 November, Linnet detained the galiot Wilhelmina, Willem Elderts, master. Wilhelmina, Eddarts, master, had been sailing from Petersburg. Linnet sent her into Portsmouth. About a month later a Wilhelmina, carrying cordage and timber, and detained by the Linnet, also arrived at Portsmouth.

On 16 January 1808, Linnet was some six or seven leagues from Cape Barfleur when she saw a French lugger pursuing two English vessels, a ship and a brig. Linnet joined up with the English vessels and towards night was able to close with the lugger. After an engagement of a little over two hours, the French lugger was in a sinking state and so struck. She was the privateer Courier, of 18 guns. She had a complement of 60 men under the command of Captain Alexander Black, and had lost her second captain killed and three men wounded. (Linnet had no loses.) Courier had been out four days and had been sheltering from a gale at the Îles Saint-Marcouf. She had not captured anything before herself being captured. However, earlier that day Courier apparently unsuccessfully engaged for two hours the merchant vessel Tagus, Connolly, master, which had been sailing from Monte Video and Cork.

In March Linnet captured two French fishing vessels. The first was the Aimable Henriette (26 March) and the second was the Marie Alexandre.

Linnet was in company with Boadicea and Solebay and so shared in the salvage for the recapture on 10 August of the Pappenbourg galiot Young Hariot. Later that month, on 30 August, Linnet captured the French privateer lugger Foudroyant off Cherbourg. Foudroyant was out of Saint Malo and had been armed with ten 6-pounder guns, six of which she had thrown overboard during the chase. She had a complement of 25 men, under the command of Michael Pierre Gamier, but only 15 or 18 were on board. Linnet sent Foudroyant into Portsmouth.

On 30 October, Linnet recaptured the Harmony, Watson, master, which had been sailing from Oporto to London with wine. A little over two weeks later, on 16 November, Linnet and Port Mahon worked together to capture the privateer General Paris, of Calais. General Paris was armed with three guns and had a crew of 38 men under the command of Mons. T. Sauville. She was three days out of Havre but had not taken any prizes.

Linnet is listed as one of the many vessels that took part in the ill-fated Walcheren Campaign between 30 July and 18 August 1809.

In December 1810 Linnet recaptured the ship John, of Newcastle. John, Bertie, master, had been sailing from Newcastle to Jamaica when the French captured her on 9 December off the Owers. Linnet sent John into Portsmouth.

On 29 May 1812, Linnet took the privateer Petit Charles off Start Point, by Start Bay. The privateer had a crew of 26 men, armed with small arms. She was four days out of Roscoff and had not captured anything. Prize money was paid some two to three years later. Linnet brought Petit Charles into Portsmouth on 32 May; the report of her arrival refers to her as carrying two guns.

When news of the outbreak of the War of 1812 reached Britain, the Royal Navy seized all American vessels then in British ports. Linnet was among the Royal Navy vessels then lying at Spithead or Portsmouth and so entitled to share in the grant for the American ships Belleville, Janus, Aeos, Ganges and Leonidas seized there on 31 July 1812. A few days later, Linnet and the sloop Parthian captured the American brig Nancy.

Capture and fate
Linnet was sailing in the western approaches to the Channel on 25 February 1813 in high winds and heavy seas. She sighted a large vessel that proceeded to give chase, and did not identify itself. By 1430 hours, the frigate had gotten close enough to Linnet to identify herself as the Gloire, and to call on Lieutenant John Tracey to surrender. Instead, Tracey managed by adroit sailing to hold off his attacker for over an hour until shots from Gloire did sufficient damage to Linnet's rigging forcing Tracy to surrender. The court martial of Lieutenant Tracy on 31 May 1814 for the loss of his vessel acquitted him, noting his seamanship, courage, judgment, and his attempt to disable the enemy vessel. The Navy subsequently promoted Tracey to the rank of commander.

Gloire took Linnet into Brest, arriving on 27 February. The French transferred or sold Linnet to American owners who sailed her as the privateer Bunkers Hill or Bunker Hill. In August she was under the command of Captain Jacob Lewis when she sent into Chatham a British brig that had been carrying rum from Jamaica to Halifax. Then on 18 August the British brig James arrived in Boston. She had been sailing from Halifax when Bunker Hill had captured her. On 29 August there arrived in New York a British brig that had been sailing from Quebec to Bermuda when she had fallen prey to Bunker Hill.

On 4 March 1814, Pomone and Cydnus, were sailing on the east coast when they captured Bunker's Hill. She carried 14 guns and had a crew of 86 men. Previously very successful, she had been cruising for eight days out of Morlaix without having made a single capture. The Navy did not take her back into service.


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HMS_Linnet_(1806)
https://threedecks.org/index.php?display_type=show_ship&id=5105
https://threedecks.org/index.php?display_type=show_ship&id=23415

 

[Uwek]

Today in Naval History - Naval / Maritime Events in History
16 January 1814 Start of 5 day engagement in which HMS Venerable (74), Cptn. James Andrew Worth, and HMS Cyane (22), Cptn. Thomas Forrest, took french L'Iphigenie (38) and Alcmene (44) off Madeira


In early 1814, Commander Jean-Léon Émeric was put in charge of a two-frigate squadron comprising Iphigénie and Alcmène, under Commander Ducrest de Villeneuve, for a cruise between the Azores and Cap-Vert, off Guinea.

On 16 January 1814, the 74-gun third-rate ship of the line HMS Venerable, her prize, the ex-French letter of marque brig Jason, and HMS Cyane were in company when they spotted two 44-gun French frigates, Alcmène and Iphigénie.
Venerable joined her and after a chase that left Cyane far behind, captured Alcmène, though not without a fight. Venerable lost two men dead and four wounded, while the French lost 32 dead and 50 wounded. Alcmène had a complement of 319 men under the command of Commander Ducrest de Villeneuve, who was wounded when he brought her alongside Venerable and attempted a boarding.




HMS Venerable fighting the French frigate Alcmène on 16 January 1814

Jason and Cyane tracked Iphigénie and initially fired on her but broke off the engagement because they were outgunned. Cyane continued the chase for over three days until Venerable was able to rejoin the fight after having sailed 153 miles in the direction she believed that Iphigénie had taken.
On 20 January 1814, Venerable captured the quarry, having again left Cyane behind. She apparently did not resist after Venerable came up. Before meeting up with the British ships, the two French vessels had taken some eight prizes. The action resulted in the award in 1847, to any surviving claimants, of the Naval General Service Medal with clasps "Venerable 16 Jany 1814" and "Cyane 16 Jany. 1814".

Remarkable:
Venerable was able to locate Iphigénie because Commander Ducrest de Villeneuve of Alcmène was so angry at Captain Émeric, who was the senior French commander, for not having come alongside Venerable on the other side also to board, that he essentially revealed the rendezvous instructions to Admiral Durham. (Venerable was Durham's flagship). When some prisoners from Iphigénie's crew were brought on Venerable, crew from Alcmène too were enraged. Durham had to station Royal Marines between them, with fixed bayonets, to prevent fighting from breaking out.


The captured french vessels:
The French frigate Alcmène was an Armide-class frigate of a nominal 44 guns, launched in 1811. In 1813, along with Iphigénie, she served at Cherbourg, in the squadron of contre-amiral Amable Troude, to protect the harbour.
The British captured her on 1814.
The Royal Navy never commissioned Alcmène. The Admiralty initially named her HMS Dunira. On 8 July, Lieutenant Edward Boys, formerly of Venerable, was confirmed in command of Dunira, but was put on half-pay in September. Then on 8 November the Admiralty renamed her HMS Immortalite.

Immortalite became a receiving ship at Portsmouth in March 1822. She may have served for a while in the Quarantine Service at Standgate Creek. She was sold in January 1837 to a Mr. W. Goldsworthy for £1,610.

Sistership Armide

lines & profile These plans show her as fitted as a British ship. NMM, Progress Book, volume 6, folio 365, states that 'Armide' was at Plymouth Dockyard between 1806 and 1809 for middling repairs and to be fitted.

Class and type: Armide-class frigate
Length:

• 152 ft 8 in (46.53 m) (overall)
• 127 ft 11 3⁄8 in (39.0 m) (keel)

Beam:39 ft 10 in (12.14 m)
Depth of hold:12 ft 7 1⁄2 in (3.848 m)
Complement:

• French service: 320
• British service: 315

Armament:

• French service: 28 × 18-pounder and 8 × 12-pounder guns + 4 × 36-pounder obusiers
• British service, though it is not clear she was ever rearmed

1/48th scale model of Flore, on display at the Musée national de la Marine in Paris

The Armide class was a type of 40-gun frigates of the French Navy, designed by Pierre Roland. A highly detailed and accurate model of Flore, one of the units of the class, is on display at Paris naval museum, originally part of the Trianon model collection.
Armide class, (40-gun design by Pierre Roland, with 28 x 18-pounder and 8 x 12-pounder guns and 4 x 36-pounder obusiers).

• Armide, (launched 24 April 1804 at Rochefort) – captured by British Navy 1806, becoming HMS Armide.
• Minerve, (launched 9 September 1805 at Rochefort) – captured by British Navy 1806, becoming HMS Alceste.
• Pénélope, (launched 28 October 1806 at Bordeaux) – deleted 1826.
• Flore, (launched 11 November 1806 at Rochefort) – wrecked 1811.
• Amphitrite, (launched 11 April 1808 at Cherbourg) – burnt 1809.
• Niémen, (launched 8 November 1808 at Bordeaux) – captured by British Navy 1809, becoming HMS Niemen.
• Saale, (launched 28 October 1810 at Rochefort) – renamed Amphitrite September 1814, reverted to Saale March 1815, then Amphitrite again in July 1815 – deleted 1821.
• Alcmène, (launched 3 October 1811 at Cherbourg) – captured by British Navy 16 January 1814, becoming HMS Dunira, but quickly renamed HMS Immortalite.
• Circé, (launched 15 December 1811 at Rochefort) – deleted 1844

Portrait of Pénélope (sistership) by François-Geoffroi Roux


The French frigate Iphigénie was a Pallas-class frigate of a nominal 44 guns, launched in 1810. The British captured her in 1814. The British named her HMS Palma, and then renamed her HMS Gloire. She was sold in 1817, never having been commissioned into the Royal Navy.

Class and type: Pallas-class frigate
Tonnage: 106614⁄94 (bm)
Length:

• 154 ft 5 in (47.07 m) (overall)
• 126 ft 10 1⁄4 in (38.7 m) (keel)

Beam: 39 ft 9 in (12.12 m)
Depth of hold: 12 ft 7 1⁄2 in (3.848 m)
Complement:

• French service: 325
• British service: 300-15

Armament:

• French service
• Battery: 28 18-pounders
• Quarter deck & Forecastle:
• • 8 × 8-pounder long guns
  • 8 × 36-pounder carronades or 12 × 18-pounder carronades
• British service: It is not clear that she actually was ever rearmed.

In 1813, along with Alcmène, she served at Cherbourg, in the squadron of contre-amiral Amable Troude, to protect the harbour.
After the capture a prize crew brought Iphigénie into Plymouth on 23 February 1814, and was laid up in ordinary. She was moved to Spithead in July. Capt. James A. Worth was in command of her, though she was never commissioned. The Admiralty named her HMS Palma and then renamed her HMS Gloire on 8 November. She was sold in September 1817 to a Mr. Freake for £1,750.


Hortense, sister-ship of Iphigénie

The Pallas class constituted the standard design of 40-gun frigates of the French Navy during the Napoleonic Empire period. Jacques-Noël Sané designed them in 1805, as a development of his seven-ship Hortenseclass of 1802, and over the next eight years the Napoléonic government ordered in total 62 frigates to be built to this new design. Of these some 54 were completed, although ten of them were begun for the French Navy in shipyards within the French-occupied Netherlands or Italy, which were then under French occupation; these latter ships were completed for the Netherlands or Austrian navies after 1813.


HMS Venerable was a 74-gun Repulse-class third rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy, launched on 12 April 1808 at Northfleet.

HMS Cyane was a Royal Navy Banterer-class sixth-rate post ship of nominally 22 guns, built in 1806 at Topsham, near Exeter, England.



https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HMS_Venerable_(1808)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HMS_Cyane_(1806)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_frigate_Alcmène_(1811)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Armide-class_frigate
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_frigate_Iphigénie_(1810)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pallas-class_frigate_(1808)

 

[Uwek]

Today in Naval History - Naval / Maritime Events in History
16 January 1852 – Launch of French Charlemagne, an 80-gun French ship of the line


Charlemagne was an 80-gun Suffren-class French ship of the line commissioned in 1852. The ship was in the Mediterranean Sea in 1852. The ship was sent by Napoleon III to the Black Sea as a show of force in violation of the London Straits Convention just prior to the Crimean War.




The 'Charlemagne', with 'HMS Trafalgar' leaving Port Mahon under tow by 'HMS Firebrand', 1 June 1852


The Suffren class was a late type of 90-gun ships of the line of the French Navy.

The design was selected on 30 January 1824 by the Commission de Paris, an appointed Commission comprising Jean-Marguerite Tupinier, Jacques-Noël Sané, Pierre Rolland, Pierre Lair and Jean Lamorinière. Intended as successors of the 80-gun Bucentaure class and as the third of four ranks of ships of the line, they introduced the innovation of having straight walls, instead of the tumblehome design that had prevailed until then; this tended to heighten the ships' centre of gravity, but provided much more room for equipment in the upper decks. Stability issues were fixed with underwater stabilisers.

Class and type: Suffren class ship of the line
Displacement: 4,070 tonnes
Length: 60.50 metres
Beam: 16.28 metres
Draught: 7.40 metres
Propulsion: 3,114 m² of sails
Complement: 810 to 846 men
Armament:

• 1824-1839:
• 30 × 30-pounder long guns on lower deck
• 32 × 30-pounder short guns on middle deck
• 24 × 30-pounder carronades and 4 × 18-pounders on upper decks
• 1839-1840
• 26 × 30-pounder long guns and 4 × 22cm Paixhans guns on lower deck
• 32 × 30-pounder short guns on middle deck
• 24 × 30-pounder carronades and 4 × 16 cm Paixhans guns on upper decks

Armour: 6.97 cm of timber




Straight walls of an arsenal model of Suffren, with the lower long 30-pounder battery, the upper short 30-pounder battery, and the 30-pounder carronades on the deck

Only the first two, Suffren and Inflexible, retain the original design all through their career; the others were converted to steam and sail during their construction.

90-gun ships ("vaisseaux de 90") of the Restoration
Suffren class, of the Commission de Paris

• Suffren 90 (launched 27 August 1829 at Cherbourg)
• Inflexible 90 (launched 21 November 1839 at Rochefort)

Suffren class ships of the line (further ships of this class)
The ships of the Suffren class, designed to be 90-gun sailing ships of the line, were modified and transformed into 80-gun steam ships of the line

• Donawerth 80 (launched 15 February 1854 at Lorient) – Stricken 1872
• Tilsitt 80 (launched 30 March 1854 at Cherbourg) – Stricken 1872
• Saint Louis 80 (launched 25 April 1854 at Brest) – Training ship 1881
• Jean Bart 80 (launched 14 September 1852 at Lorient) – renamed Donawerth 1868 – Stricken 1880
• Bayard 80 (launched 28 August 1848 at Lorient) – Stricken 1872
• Duguesclin 80 (launched 3 May 1848 at Rochefort) – wrecked 1859
• Breslaw 80 (launched 31 July 1848 at Brest) – Stricken 1872
• Charlemagne 80 (launched 16 January 1851 at Toulon) – Transport 1867
• Alexandre 90 (launched 1857 at Rochefort) – Stricken 1877
• Fontenoy 80 (launched November 1858 at Toulon) – Transport 1881
• Castiglione 90 (1860 at Toulon) – Stricken 1881
• Masséna 90 (1860 at Toulon) – Stricken 1879

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_ship_Charlemagne_(1852)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suffren-class_ship_of_the_line

 

[Uwek]

Today in Naval History - Naval / Maritime Events in History
16 January 1855 – Launch of HMY Victoria and Albert II, a 360-foot (110 m) steamer, a royal yacht of the sovereign of the United Kingdom


HMY Victoria and Albert II, a 360-foot (110 m) steamer launched 16 January 1855, was a royal yacht of the sovereign of the United Kingdom until 1900, owned and operated by the Royal Navy. Of 2,470 tons, the yacht could make 15 knots (28 km/h; 17 mph) on her paddles. There were 240 crew.


Painting of HMY Victoria and Albert II - William Frederick Mitchell orginaly published in The Royal Navy in a series of illustrations


Type: Royal Yacht
Tonnage: 2470
Length: 360 ft (110 m)
Propulsion: Steam engine Twin paddles
Speed: 15 knots (28 km/h; 17 mph)
Complement: 240

The ship was used by Prince Arthur on the occasion of his visit to Heligoland in 1872.
Victoria and Albert II was scrapped in about 1904.


Victoria Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and Abdulaziz, emperor of the Ottoman Empire on the Royal yacht during the Sultan's official visit, 1867, by George Housman Thomas, depicting the Sultan's official visit to United Kingdom.





Scale: 1:48. A contemporary builder's style full hull model of HMY 'Victoria & Albert' 1855. The model is decked and equipped with a full set of boats (including the Royal Barge) mounted on davits, anchors, capstan, an ornate double wheel and stump masts. This was the second yacht of this name and was built and launched at HM Dockyard, Pembroke in 1855. Measuring 300 feet in length by 40 feet in the beam, it had a displacement tonnage of 2479 and was capable of 14¾ knots service speed. During her first voyage in 1855 and on many subsequent occasions she proved to be a good sea boat. Queen Victoria used her extensively, including periodic reviews of the fleet, inspection of ships and official visits to various United Kingdom and continental ports. After an extensive refit in 1868 the Royal Yacht continued in service until 1901. She was eventually broken up in 1904.


El Horria was built to the same specifications for Isma'il Pasha, the Khedive of Egypt in 1865 and is the oldest steamship afloat.

El Mahrousa (Arabic: المحروسة‎, literally "The Protected"), officially renamed for a period of time as El Horreya (Arabic: الحرية‎, "Freedom"), is a super yacht[1] that currently serves as Egypt's presidential yacht, and before that as the country's royal yacht. It was built by the London-based Samuda Brothers company in 1863 at the order of Khedive Ismail Pasha and the ship was handed over to its Egyptian crew two years later. It is the oldest active super yacht in the world and the eighth largest one.



El Mahrousa underwent a number of important alterations during its years of service, including the replacement of its paddle wheel engines by turbine driven propellers in 1905; the installation of a telegraph in 1912' and a diesel-fueled system in 1919; as well as multiple-feet lengthenings throughout that period. It also witnessed much of Egypt's modern history since it was first commissioned in the 19th century up till now. The yacht carried three Egyptian rulers to their exile abroad, namely Khedive Ismail, Khedive Abbas II and King Farouk I, along with the latter's recently born son, Fuad II, the last ruling members of the Muhammad Ali dynasty. This marked the end of the monarchy in Egypt following the 1952 revolution and the founding of the Republic of Egypt, after which the yacht joined the Egyptian Navy and was renamed El Horreya (English: Liberty). The ship continued to play a role in the country's post-revolutionary history and participated in the 1976 United States Bicentennial celebrations. It took Egypt's president, Gamal Abdel Nasser, to numerous locations and it notably sailed with President Anwar Sadat to Jaffa, Israel, during the 1979 peace talks between Egypt and Israel. It was renamed back to El Mahrousa in 2000 and recently became the first ship to cross the New Suez Canal extension in 2015.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HMY_Victoria_and_Albert_II
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/El_Mahrousa

 

[Uwek]

Today in Naval History - Naval / Maritime Events in History
16 January 1930 - USS Lexington (CV-2) completes a 30-day period in which she furnishes electricity to Tacoma, Wash., in an emergency arising from a drought that causes a water shortage and hydro-electric power is not available in the Puget Sound area.


In 1929, western Washington state suffered a drought which resulted in low levels in Lake Cushman that provided water for Cushman Dam No. 1. The hydro-electric power generated by this dam was the primary source for the city of Tacoma and the city requested help from the federal government once the water in the lake receded below the dam's intakes during December. The U.S. Navy sent Lexington, which had been at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard in Bremerton, to Tacoma, and heavy electric lines were rigged into the city's power system. The ship's generators provided a total of 4,520,960 kilowatt hours from 17 December to 16 January 1930 until melting snow and rain brought the reservoirs up to the level needed to generate sufficient power for the city.


USS Lexington (CV-2), nicknamed "Lady Lex", was an early aircraft carrier built for the United States Navy. She was the lead ship of the Lexington class; her only sister ship, Saratoga, was commissioned a month earlier. Originally designed as a battlecruiser, she was converted into one of the Navy's first aircraft carriers during construction to comply with the terms of the Washington Naval Treaty of 1922, which essentially terminated all new battleship and battlecruiser construction. The ship entered service in 1928 and was assigned to the Pacific Fleet for her entire career. Lexington and Saratoga were used to develop and refine carrier tactics in a series of annual exercises before World War II. On more than one occasion these included successfully staged surprise attacks on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. The ship's turbo-electric propulsion system allowed her to supplement the electrical supply of Tacoma, Washington, during a drought in late 1929 to early 1930. She also delivered medical personnel and relief supplies to Managua, Nicaragua, after an earthquake in 1931.


Aerial view of Lexington on 14 October 1941

Lexington was at sea when the Pacific War began on 7 December 1941, ferrying fighter aircraft to Midway Island. Her mission was cancelled and she returned to Pearl Harbor a week later. After a few days, she was sent to create a diversion from the force en route to relieve the besieged Wake Island garrison by attacking Japanese installations in the Marshall Islands. The island surrendered before the relief force got close enough, and the mission was cancelled. A planned attack on Wake Island in January 1942 had to be cancelled when a submarine sank the oiler required to supply the fuel for the return trip. Lexington was sent to the Coral Seathe following month to block any Japanese advances into the area. The ship was spotted by Japanese search aircraft while approaching Rabaul, New Britain, but her aircraft shot down most of the Japanese bombers that attacked her. Together with the carrier Yorktown, she successfully attacked Japanese shipping off the east coast of New Guinea in early March.

Lexington was briefly refitted in Pearl Harbor at the end of the month and rendezvoused with Yorktown in the Coral Sea in early May. A few days later the Japanese began Operation Mo, the invasion of Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea, and the two American carriers attempted to stop the invasion forces. They sank the light aircraft carrier Shōhō on 7 May during the Battle of the Coral Sea, but did not encounter the main Japanese force of the carriers Shōkaku and Zuikaku until the next day. Aircraft from Lexington and Yorktown badly damaged Shōkaku, but the Japanese aircraft crippled Lexington. A mixture of air and aviation gasoline in her improperly drained aircraft fueling trunk lines (which ran from the keel tanks to her hangar deck) ignited, causing a series of explosions and fires that could not be controlled. Lexington was scuttled by an American destroyer during the evening of 8 May to prevent her capture. The wreck of Lexington was located in March 2018 by an expedition led by Paul Allen, who discovered the ship about 430 nautical miles (800 km) off the northeastern coast of Australia in the Coral Sea.


Lexington, abandoned and burning, several hours after being damaged by Japanese airstrikes


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Lexington_(CV-2)

 

[Uwek]

Today in Naval History - Naval / Maritime Events in History
16 January 1941 - Battle of Koh Chang


The Battle of Ko Chang took place on 17 January 1941 during the Franco-Thai War in which a flotilla of French warships attacked a smaller force of Thai vessels, including a coastal defence ship. The battle resulted in a tactical victory by the Vichy French Navy over the Royal Thai Navy although the strategic result is disputed. The Japanese intervened diplomatically and mediated a ceasefire.

In the end, two Thai ships were sunk and one was heavily damaged. Within a month of the engagement, the French and the Thais negotiated a peace which ended the war.

Background
Situation
The Franco-Thai War was going quite poorly for the French land forces, who were ill-equipped to deal with the larger Thai Army. The French Governor General of Indochina and Commander-in-Chief Naval Forces, Admiral Jean Decoux, decided Indochina's best chance at stopping the incursions would be attempt a naval attack on the Thailand's fleet and coastal cities. This would clear the way for bombardment missions to support a counter-offensive along the Cambodian frontier.

Thai Navy



HTMS Thonburi

Although comparatively small, the Royal Thai Navy had been modernized with the recent acquisition of vessels from both Japan and Italy. The major units of the fleet included two Japanese-built armoured coast defence vessels, which displaced 2,500 long tons (2,500 t) and carried 8-inch (203 mm) guns, two older British-built armoured gunboats with 6-inch (152 mm) guns, 12 torpedo boats, and four submarines.

In addition, the Royal Thai Air Force had on its rosters over 140 aircraft, including relatively modern Mitsubishi Ki-30 (Allied reporting name "Ann") light bombers, which saw extensive service against the French during the war. These aircraft were quite capable of disrupting any French naval operation which might be mounted. Other less capable aircraft in the Thai inventory included P-36 Hawk fighters, 70 Chance-Vought O2U-2 Corsair biplanes, six Martin B-10 bombers, and several Avro 504 trainers.

French Navy

Lamotte-Piquet

Admiral Jean Decoux formed a small squadron called the Groupe Occasionnel (ad-hoc group) on 9 December 1940 at Cam Ranh Bay, north of Saigon. In command he placed Capitaine de Vaisseau Régis Bérenger.

The squadron consisted of:

- the colonial light cruiser Lamotte-Picquet: a second rate cruiser built in 1923. The ship was fast but almost completely unarmored.

- the modern avisos Dumont d'Urville and Amiral Charner. Those ships were especially designed for colonial service and could embark a company of infantry. They were very lightly armed and without armor. - the older avisos Tahure and Marne.

There was no air cover, except for nine Loire 130 seaplanes based at Ream, which provided reconnaissance. Additional scouting was done by three coastal survey crafts, and intelligence gleaned from local fishermen.


A map of the Battle of Ko Chang

Plan of attack
Bérenger's squadron began training manoeuvres in Cam Ranh Bay shortly after assembling. On 13 January 1941, Admiral Decoux formally requested that Bérenger lead the squadron against the Thai Navy to support a land offensive planned for 16 January. The land action was meant to force back the Thai ground forces that had been advancing along the coast. Because of the disparate speeds of the French ships, Bérenger sent the slower sloops on ahead, while he remained in Saigon to complete the final elements of the plan.

Several options were being prepared, the Admiralty in France having given its approval to use naval forces to support the army. The final planning meeting on 13 January saw an immediate delay in the execution for 24 hours. Once the plans were completed, Bérenger sailed in Lamotte-Picquet. The delay in starting the operation allowed him to refuel at Cape St. Jacques before his rendezvous with the slower ships at 16:00 on 15 January, 20 mi (17 nmi; 32 km) North of Poulo Condore.

Admiral Decoux's order were simple: "Attack the Siamese coastal cities from Rayong to the Cambodian frontier to force Siamese government to withdraw its forces from the Cambodian frontier". On the evening of 15 January, following a last conference on board the flagship, the squadron weighed anchor at 21:15 and closed the Thai coast at 14 kn (16 mph; 26 km/h), the top speed of the sloops. The French ships remained undetected as they entered the Gulf of Siam, but their quarry was not as fortunate. The Loire 130s from Ream had completed a sweep of the coast from Trat to Sattahip. They had located one coast defence ship and one torpedo boat at Ko Chang, and one gunboat, four torpedo boats, and two submarines at Sattahip.

Their report was forwarded to Marine Headquarters in Saigon, who re-transmitted it to the Lamotte-Picquet. Bérenger considered his options and decided on a dawn attack against the Thai ships at Koh Chang. He ignored Sattahip because the sloops would not be able to reach it until later in the day, when the element of surprise would already have been lost. Also, the strength of Sattahip's harbour defences was unknown. The Thai Naval force at Koh Chang was weaker and thus offered a better chance of victory.

Bérenger decided to approach Koh Chang at dawn from the southwest. Because the anchorage at was surrounded by islands and islets, many over 200 metres (660 ft) high, the squadron would separate and use the cover of the islands to concentrate fire on portions of the Thai squadron, while also covering all the avenues of escape. The easternmost channel was the most likely route by which a breakout would be made. It was the most suitable route and where the reconnaissance had placed the largest Thai ships. The Lamotte-Picquet would head to the eastern side of the anchorage to block the route, while the sloops blocked the center and pounded the Thai ships there. The smaller French ships would concentrate to the west.

Battle

Amiral Charner

The French squadron closed on the anchorage at 05:30 on 17 January. At 05:45, they split into the three groups as planned, the Lamotte-Picquet heading for the eastern part of the anchorage, Dumont d'Urville and Amiral Charnercontinuing to the central position, and the Tahure and Marne heading for the western side. Conditions were perfect. The weather was fine, the seas calm and almost flat. Sunrise was at 06:30, and the scene was lit only by the first rays of light on the horizon and by the dim moonlight.

A final aerial reconnaissance of the target area had been arranged, using one of the Ream-based Loire 130s. The Lamotte-Picquet carried two such aircraft, but these could not be launched due to catapult problems. At 06:05, the Loire 130 overflew the anchorage and reported two torpedo boats. This came as a nasty surprise to the French. Previous reports led them to believe that only one was present, but during the night HTMS Chonburi had arrived to relieve the HTMS Chantaburi, which was to return to Sattahip later that day for repairs.

Once their presence had been passed to the Lamotte-Picquet, the aircraft attempted a bombing attack, but were driven off by a heavy barrage of anti-aircraft fire. The effect of this mission was double edged. The French were now aware of what they faced, but the element of surprise had been wasted and thirty minutes remained until sunrise. Caught with their crews asleep, the Thai ships desperately began to raise steam and prepared to slip their anchors. However, both torpedo boats were soon sunk by heavy gunfire from the Lamotte-Picquet. The cruiser also destroyed a shore observation post, preventing the Thai from quickly relaying information to their air forces at Chantaboun.


Reproduction scene of the HTMS Thonburi's bridge during the Battle of Koh Chang, National Memorial, Lam Luk Ka District, Pathum Thani Province

At 06:38, lookouts on the Lamotte-Picquet spotted the coastal defence ship HTMS Thonburi heading northwest, at a range of 10,000 metres (11,000 yd). A running battle began, with the fire of both ships frequently blocked by the towering islets. The fire from the Thai ship was heavy, but inaccurate. By 07:15, fires could be seen on the HTMS Thonburi, which then found herself engaging not only by the cruiser but also the sloops. At the beginning of the engagement, a lucky shot from the Lamotte-Picquet killed the captain of the Thonburi, Commander Luang Phrom Viraphan, and disrupted her operations. Believing they had a better chance of hurting the smaller French ships, the Thais shifted their fire onto the Admiral Charner, which soon found 8-inch (203 mm) salvoes falling around her.

The Thonburi shifted fire back to the Lamotte-Picquet after a salvo from the French cruiser put her aft turret out of action. She soon reached the safety of shallow water, which the French ships could not enter for fear of grounding, but the Thonburi was already burning fiercely and listing heavily to starboard. Her remaining turret was jammed and could not fire unless the manoeuvres of the ship put it in an appropriate position. At 07:50, the Lamotte-Picquetfired a final salvo of torpedoes at 15,000 metres (16,000 yd), but lost sight of the Thonburi behind an island from which she was not seen to emerge.

At 08:40, Bérenger ordered the squadron to head for home, but this coincided with the start of the expected Thai air attacks. Thai planes dropped several bombs close to the Lamotte-Picquet and scored one direct hit; however, the bomb failed to explode. The Lamotte-Picquet's anti-aircraft guns put up a vigorous barrage and further attacks were not pressed home. The final raid occurred at 09:40, after which the French squadron returned to Saigon.

Aftermath


HTMS Thonburi Memorial, Royal Thai Naval Academy, Samut Prakan, Thailand

The French left behind them a scene of total devastation. The Thonburi was heavily damaged and grounded on a sand bar in the mouth of the Chanthaburi river, with about 20 dead. The Thai transport HTMS Chang arrived at Ko Chang shortly after the French departed and took the Thonburi in tow, before purposefully running her aground again in Laem Ngop. The ship capsized in the shallow waters.

The torpedo boat Chonburi was sunk with a loss of two men, as was the HTMS Songhkla with fourteen dead. The survivors were rescued by the torpedo boat HTMS Rayong, the minelayer HTMS Nhong Sarhai, and the fishery protection vessel Thiew Uthok. These three ships, which had been sheltering to the north of Ko Chang, wisely chose not to break cover and were not spotted by the French. On the other hand, the French sailors were elated, believing they had inflicted a defeat as decisive in its way as the Japanese at Tsushima, while not suffering losses of significance, with only 11 men killed.

Their success is all the more notable when the difficulties of navigating and fighting in such confined waters are considered, and given the courage and tenacity which the Thai sailors exhibited during the action, a fact the French acknowledged in a Saigon radio broadcast. The French would never have the time to capitalize on their success. Fearing that any further action by the French might turn back the Thai invasion, the Japanese government offered to mediate a peaceful settlement.[2] The agreement ultimately confirmed the Thai annexations of the territory they had lost to France in the late 19th century. However, even this interim of peace did not last long, as the Imperial Japanese Army invaded Thailand in December of that year as part of its attempt to capture British Malaya. At the conclusion of World War II, Thailand was forced to return all of its short-lived gains to French Indochina.

The Thonburi was later raised by the Royal Thai Navy. She was repaired in Japan and was used as a training ship until she was finally decommissioned. Her guns and bridge are preserved as a memorial at the Royal Thai Naval Academy at Samut Prakan.

During the post-action investigations, the Thai Navy claimed, based on statements by Thai sailors and the fisherman around Ko Chang and merchantmen in Saigon, that heavy damage was seen to have been caused to the Lamotte-Picquet and her squadron. The report claimed the crew of the Lamotte-Picquet spent all of the following night repairing the damage. Such claims are not mentioneded in any French documentation, nor in the ships' logs.


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Koh_Chang
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HTMS_Thonburi
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_cruiser_Lamotte-Picquet
http://www.netmarine.net/bat/croiseur/lamotte/kohchang/

 

[Uwek]

Today in Naval History - Naval / Maritime Events in History
16 January 1998 - MV Flare (P3GL2) was a Cypriot-registered bulk carrier that sank with the loss of 21 lives in the Cabot Strait on January 16, 1998


MV Flare (P3GL2) was a Cypriot-registered bulk carrier that sank with the loss of 21 lives in the Cabot Strait on January 16, 1998.



Flare was en route from Rotterdam to Quebec when she broke in two during severe weather, approximately 20 nmi (37 km) west of Saint-Pierre-et-Miquelon on January 16, 1998. The stern section of the bulk carrier sank within 30 minutes while the bow remained afloat for days. 21 crew members perished, and four survived. The crew was able to send one truncated 20-second distress call that was received by the Canadian Coast Guard, who had to determine who and where the ship was within an area with a 40-mile (64 km) radius. Some of Flare's crewmembers on the sinking stern section saw the bow of another ship appear to approach them, only to realize that it was the separated front half of their own vessel. The propeller on the stern section had still been turning, and had brought them back towards it.





The survivors were rescued by a CH-113 Labrador helicopter from CFB Greenwood, Nova Scotia, belonging to 413 Search and Rescue Squadron of the Canadian Forces. The helicopter's crew consisted of aircraft commander Capt. C. Brown, co-pilot Capt. R. Gough, flight engineer/winch operator M.Cpl. R. Butler, and SAR Technicians Sgt. T. Isaacs and M.Cpl. P. Jackman.

The lightly clothed survivors were taken to hospital in Saint-Pierre-et-Miquelon and treated for extreme hypothermia. The bodies that were recovered were collected by the French Navy, Canadian Coast Guard and Navyships including the H.M.C.S Montreal, and a Labrador helicopter from 103 Rescue Unit in Gander, NL.

Flare's stern sank within minutes. The floating bow section drifted on the surface for several days, eventually sinking south of Cape Breton Island.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MV_Flare
http://www.bst-tsb.gc.ca/eng/rapports-reports/marine/1998/m98n0001/m98n0001.asp

 

[Uwek]

Today in Naval History - Naval / Maritime Events in History
Other Events on 16 January


1585 – Death of Edward Clinton, 1st Earl of Lincoln, English admiral and politician (b. 1512)

Edward Fiennes de Clinton, 1st Earl of Lincoln, KG (1512 – 16 January 1584/85) was an English nobleman and Lord High Admiral.



https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_Clinton,_1st_Earl_of_Lincoln


1704 - HMS Colchester (48), Cptn. David Wavell, foundered at Whitsand Bay

HMS Colchester was a 50-gun fourth rate ship of the line of the English Royal Navy, launched at Blackwall Yard in 1694. She foundered at Whitesand Bay, Sennen Cove on 16 January 1704 with the loss of approximately one hundred lives

Class and type: 50-gun fourth rateship of the line
Tons burthen: 696
Length: 131 ft 4 in (40.0 m) (gundeck)
Beam: 34 ft 3 in (10.4 m)
Depth of hold: 13 ft 7 in (4.1 m)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HMS_Colchester_(1694)


1757 – Birth of Richard Goodwin Keats, English admiral and politician, 3rd Commodore-Governor of Newfoundland (d. 1834)

Admiral Sir Richard Goodwin Keats (16 January 1757 – 5 April 1834) was a British naval officer who fought throughout the American Revolution, French Revolutionary War and Napoleonic War. He retired in 1812 due to ill health and was made Commodore-Governor of Newfoundland from 1813 to 1816. In 1821 he was made Governor of Greenwich Hospital in Greenwich, London. Keats held the post until his death at Greenwich in 1834. Keats is remembered as a capable and well respected officer. His actions at the Battle of Algeciras Bay became legendary.



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


1801 - HMS Garland (1800 - 22), Cptn. Robert Honyman, and consorts captured the unrated schooner L´Éclair (1799 - 2) at Guadeloupe

HMS Garland was the French privateer Mars, launched in 1798 that Amethyst captured in 1800. The Royal Navy took her into service and sent her out to the Jamaica Station. There she had a brief, uneventful career before she was wrecked in 1803.

Type: Sixth-rate post ship
Tonnage: 529 11⁄94 (bm)
Length:

• 124 ft 4 in (37.9 m) (overall)
• 100 ft 4 5⁄8 in (30.6 m) (keel)

Beam: 31 ft 5 3⁄4 in (9.6 m)
Depth of hold: 14 ft 1 in (4.3 m)
Sail plan: Full-rigged ship
Complement:

• Privateer: 180
• HMS: 135

Armament:

• Privateer: 20 × 12-pounder guns + 2 × 36-pounder carronades
• HMS: 22 × 32-pounder carronades + 2 × 9-pounder bow chasers

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HMS_Garland_(1800)
https://threedecks.org/index.php?display_type=show_ship&id=23428


1807 – Birth of Charles Henry Davis, American admiral (d. 1877)

Charles Henry Davis (January 16, 1807 – February 18, 1877) was a rear admiral in the United States Navy. Working for the Coast Survey, Davis researched tides and currents, and located an uncharted shoal that had caused wrecks off the New York coast. In the Civil War, he commanded the Western Gunboat Flotilla, winning an important engagement in the Battle of Memphis, before capturing enemy supplies on a successful expedition up the Yazoo river.



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


1815 - Benjamin Crowninshield takes office as the fifth Secretary of the Navy, serving until Sept. 30, 1818. He implements the new Board of Commissioners administrative system and the building of several ships. He also oversees strategy and naval policy for the brief and very successful war with Algiers in 1815.

Benjamin Williams Crowninshield (December 27, 1772 – February 3, 1851) served as the United States Secretary of the Navy between 1815 and 1818, during the administrations of Presidents James Madison and James Monroe.



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


1873 – Launch of HMS Renard, a schooner of the Royal Navy,

HMS Renard was a schooner of the Royal Navy, built by John Cuthbert, Millers Point, New South Wales and launched 16 January 1873.
She commenced service on the Australia Station at Sydney in 1873 for anti-blackbirding operations in the South Pacific and later hydrographic surveys around Chesterfield Islands, Fiji and the Russell Islands. Under the command of Captain Pugh, she was engaged in anti-blackbirding operations in 1876 and visited Nukufetau in the Ellice Islands in search of Bully Hayes, who was notorious for his blackbirding activities.
She was paid off in 1883 and sold. She was then employed in the Soloman Island trade.





Scale: 1:24. A full hull model of the topsail schooner HMS Renard (1873) made in wood with metal and organic material fittings and painted in realistic colours. The vessel is depicted fully equipped and rigged, with sails set on both masts. The hull below the waterline, together with the rudder, is coppered using individual plates and painted black above the waterline. The bowsprit is rigged with three jib-sails, the foremast with two square topsails, the mainmast with two sails and there are two additional sails set between the two masts. A white ensign is flying from the peek of the gaff. All masts and spars are depicted in unpainted wood. Other fittings include anchors, windlass, suits of oars, ship’s boat with white-painted hull, and skylight. The model is mounted on a pair of decorative brass crutches and displayed on a wooden rectangular baseboard with moulded edge. A plaque is affixed to the right-hand side of the baseboard. On stern counter ‘Renard’. On plaque ‘Model of H.M. Schooner "Renard" Built at Sydney, N.S.W., 1873. Length 80ft. Breadth 18ft 6in. Depth in hold 9ft 6in. Tons 120. 1 gun (12pdr) Total complement 28. Presented by Mr J.W. Owlett 1923.’ The modelmaker’s label is located underneath the plaque.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HMS_Renard_(1873)


1893 - The class protected cruiser USS Boston lands Marines at Honolulu, Hawaii, to protect American lives and property after the deposition of Queen Liliuokalani and the formation of a provisional government, under the influence of American residents.

The fifth USS Boston was a protected cruiser and one of the first steel warships of the "New Navy" of the 1880s. In some references she is combined with Atlanta as the Atlanta class, in others as the Boston class.



Boston was laid down on 15 November 1883 by John Roach & Sons, Chester, Pennsylvania, launched on 4 December 1884, and commissioned on 2 May 1887 at the New York Navy Yard, Captain Francis M. Ramsayin command.


Boston's landing force on duty at the Arlington Hotel, Honolulu, at the time of the overthrow of the Hawaiian monarchy, January 1893.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Boston_(1884)


1917 – Death of George Dewey, American admiral (b. 1837)

George Dewey (December 26, 1837 – January 16, 1917) was Admiral of the Navy, the only person in United States history to have attained the rank. He is best known for his victory at the Battle of Manila Bay during the Spanish–American War.

Born in Montpelier, Vermont, Dewey entered the United States Naval Academy in 1854. He graduated from the academy in 1858 and was assigned as the executive lieutenant of the USS Mississippi at the beginning of the Civil War. He participated in the capture of New Orleans and the Siege of Port Hudson, helping the Union take control of the Mississippi River. By the end of the war, Dewey reached the rank of lieutenant commander.



After the Civil War, Dewey undertook a variety of assignments, serving on multiple ships and as an instructor at the Naval Academy. He also served on the United States Lighthouse Board and the Board of Inspection and Survey. He was promoted to Commodore in 1896 and assigned to the Asiatic Squadron the following year. After that appointment, he began preparations for a potential war with Spain, which broke out in April 1898. Immediately after the beginning of the war, Dewey led an attack on Manila Bay, sinking the entire Spanish Pacific fleet while suffering only minor casualties. After the battle, his fleet assisted in the capture of Manila. Dewey's victory at Manila Bay was widely lauded in the United States, and he was promoted to Admiral of the Navy in 1903.

Dewey explored a run for the 1900 Democratic presidential nomination, but he withdrew from the race and endorsed President William McKinley. He served on the General Board of the United States Navy, an important policy-making body, from 1900 until his death in 1917.

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


1944 - TBF aircraft from Composite Squadron Thirteen (VC-13) of carrier USS Guadalcanal (CVE 60) sink the German submarine U-544 north-west of the Azores.

USS Guadalcanal (CVE-60) was a Casablanca-class escort carrier of the United States Navy, which served during and after World War II. She was the first ship to carry her name. She was the flagship of the Hunter-killer Group which captured the German submarine ("U-boat") U-505.



https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Guadalcanal_(CVE-60)


1944 - Japanese submarine I-181 (originally I-81) was a Kaidai type cruiser submarine ran aground and wrecked

Japanese submarine I-181 (originally I-81) was a Kaidai type cruiser submarine of the KD7 sub-class built for the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) during the 1940s. She was lost with all hands when she was ran agroundin New Guinea after a battle with American ships in early 1944.



https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_submarine_I-181


1945 - USS Otter (DE 210), USS Hubbard (DE 211), USS Hayter (DE 212) and USS Varian (DE 798) sink German submarine U 248 north-northeast of the Azores.

On 16 January 1945, without assistance from aircraft, the group located and sank German submarine U-248. Otter, after playing a crucial role in the depth charge attack, proudly displayed a submarine silhouette on her bridge.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Otter_(DE-210)