HMS Aigle (1801)
History | |
---|---|
United Kingdom | |
Name | HMS Aigle |
Ordered | 15 September 1798 |
Builder | Balthazar and Edward Adams |
Cost | £14,335 |
Laid down | November 1798 |
Launched | 23 September 1801 |
Commissioned | December 1802 |
Fate | Broken up |
General characteristics [1] | |
Class and type | Aigle-class fifth-rate frigate |
Tons burthen | 970 84⁄94 (bm) |
Length |
|
Beam | 38 ft 8 in (11.8 m) |
Depth of hold | 13 ft 0 in (4.0 m) |
Propulsion | Sails |
Sail plan | Fully Rigged Ship |
Complement | 264 |
Armament |
|
HMS Aigle was a 36-gun,
Aigle saw action at the
In October 1811, Aigle was sent to the
Construction and armament
HMS Aigle was the first of two
Built under contract by Balthazar and Edward Adams, Aigle was ordered on 15 September 1798 and her
Although classed as a 36-gun
Aigle
Service
Aigle was first commissioned for the English Channel, under Captain George Wolfe in December 1802 and completed for sea service on 24 March 1803.[1] A large press gang from Aigle, of more than 50 marines and sailors, led by Wolfe, put ashore at Portland on 2 April to capture men to supplement the crew. In what became known as the Easton Massacre, a scuffle broke out between the inhabitants and Wolfe's forces.[12] Several civilians were shot and four were killed;[13] sixteen members of the press gang received injuries. Nine were wounded so seriously they had to be discharged. Wolfe and three officers later stood trial for murder but were acquitted.[13] Continuing to patrol in home waters with the Channel Fleet, Aigle shared in the prize money for a 40-gun French frigate, Franchise, taken on 28 May[14] and six merchant vessels during the first week of June.[15] Then, while off Vigo on 27 September, she captured a French privateer of 14 guns.[16]
Aigle was part of a squadron blockading Brest when, on the morning of 25 March 1804, the 74-gun HMS Magnificent struck a reef. Aigle and other ships of the squadron closed in and removed most of the crew, and the remainder took to boats as the ship began to rapidly sink. Magnificent's entire crew survived, although one of the boats landed on the French coast where the 86 men aboard were taken prisoner.[17]
Not far from the Cordouan Lighthouse, on 12 July, Aigle encountered two French naval vessels, the ship-rigged Charente of 20 guns and the 8-gun brig Joie, out of Rochefort.[18][Note 2] At 17:00 Aigle caught up with them. The French ships shortened sail and looked as if they were about to do battle but after discharging their guns, both ran aground. Many of the French sailors were drowned when the boats they were attempting to escape in were engulfed by the large waves. Unable to re-float the stranded ships due to the heavy swell; Wolfe ordered them destroyed, after taking off the survivors.[18][19]
Boats from Aigle were sent after some small craft, seen in the early hours of 27 November in the
On 15 December, Aigle accidentally ran down and sank the 12-gun HM hired armed schooner Gertrude off Ushant. Aigle picked up Gertrude′s crew.[22][23] In January 1805, Aigle was rescuing sailors again after encountering the Danish vessel Frederica Dorothea, which had foundered while travelling from Bourdeaux to London.[24]
Temporary command of Aigle was given to
Nine Spanish gun-boats attacked Aigle in Vigo Bay on 28 September. For an hour she had to endure their fire before the wind got up and the previously becalmed Aigle was able to launch a counter-offensive; capturing one gun-boat and driving the others away.
Action off Groix
Aigle was in action again on 22 March 1808 against two large, French frigates; Italienne of 40 guns and the 38-gun Sirene. A squadron comprising Aigle, the 32-gun frigate
An hour later, having endured the fire of the guns on both shores, Aigle was in a position to attack the rear-most frigate of the pair as they emerged from the western side of the island. This frigate sought the shelter of Groix' batteries, so Aigle set off in pursuit of the other which was now making for Lorient. As it was now dark, Aigle displayed a blue light to indicate her position to the closing Impétueux, and at 21:00, coming within 50 yards, exchanged fire with the Frenchman. To prevent a boarding, which Wolfe was determined upon, the frigate came about and, shortly after the British had broken off their attack for lack of sea room, ran aground on the Pointe de Chats on the eastern edge of Groix.[33]
Saturn, Narcissus and Cuckoo joined Aigle and Impétueux during the night and the following morning at dawn, the five British ships returned to the island but no further attempt was made on either of the French frigates. Six days later the stranded ship was re-floated and both vessels arrived safely in Lorient.[34][Note 3]
Battle of Basque Roads
In 1809, Aigle was part of the Channel Fleet under Admiral
The following day, after much delay, Gambier took the rest of his fleet into the Basque Roads. To present their
On 14 April Cochrane was called to Gambier's flagship and was replaced in command of the attack by Wolfe aboard Aigle.
Walcheren Campaign
In the latter half of 1809, Aigle was part of a large force sent against the French-controlled Kingdom of Holland. Comprising more than 600 vessels and nearly 40,000 troops, the expedition left The Downs on 28 July, intent on destroying the dockyards and arsenals at Antwerp, Terneuse and Flushing, and capturing the French fleet stationed in the river Scheldt.[50]
Troops were landed on the Island of Walcheren at 16:30 on 30 July, while bomb-vessels and gun-boats began a bombardment of Veere. The town surrendered immediately but it took several days of fighting before the fort was captured on 1 August.[51] The British then mounted an attack on Flushing, and the island of Zuid-Beveland that was taken unopposed, the forts there having been deserted.[52] The British neglected Cadzand on the south-west side of the Scheldt, where more than 5,700 French troops crossed the river to reinforce Flushing.[53] The capitulation of Fort Rammekens allowed the British to besiege the town on 3 August[51] and to prevent further aid being sent, a flotilla of gun-boats was dispatched to the western arm of the Scheldt, to cut it off on the seaward side. The British then began locating and marking a channel for larger ships on 6 August.[54]
Poor weather delayed operations and it was not until 11 August that a large squadron under Captain Lord William Stuart, of ten frigates, including Aigle, was eventually able to make its way up the western passage. The British ships endured fire from batteries on both sides of the river for more than two hours and Aigle, in the centre, had her stern frame shattered when a shell fell through the deck and exploded, killing a marine and wounding four other members of the crew. She was the only ship to suffer any damage and her casualties amounted to almost half the total of two killed and nine wounded.[55][Note 6]
A two-day long bombardment of Flushing from both land and sea forced its capitulation on 15 August. Ratified the following day, it left the British in control of Walcheren, which they garrisoned with 10,000 troops.[56] Schouwen and Duiveland on the Eastern branch of the Scheldt, were occupied peacefully on 17 August.[57] The French fleet had already withdrawn to Antwerp, having been informed on 29 July when the British were still at sea.[58] Between the British and their objective were now more than 35,000 French soldiers, garrisoned in heavily armed forts at Lillo, Liefkenshoech, and Antwerp.[57] The deliberate destruction of dykes by the French had led to widespread flooding, and with disease spreading through the British army, it was decided to abandon the expedition in early September.[59] Aigle's crew received a share of the prize money for its part in the campaign.[60]
On 12 September 1810, while on an independent cruise some 400 miles north of the Azores, Aigle encountered a strange sail heading towards her. When 9 nmi (17 km) away, the vessel suddenly changed course. Aigle gave chase, following her for 13 hours over 134 nmi (248 km) of open water, averaging just over 10 knots (12 mph; 19 km/h). The quarry sailed on every point of the wind in her attempt to shake off her pursuer, and might have succeeded if it were not for a sudden gale which gave Aigle the wind she needed to catch up. The vessel turned out to be Phoenix, a French brig armed with eighteen 18 pdr (8.2 kg) carronades, sailing under a letter of marque with an experienced crew of 129 and a decorated captain. She had set out from Bordeaux 50 days previous and had been successfully preying on British and American shipping.[61][62]
Mediterranean service
Captain
Aigle returned home in the latter half of 1813 and paid off[65] but returned in time to assist in the capture of four merchant vessels and the cargoes of 15 others with the 74-gun HMS Pembroke and the 44-gun HMS Alcmene, in the Gulf of Genoa, on 11 April 1814. After driving the 20-strong convoy ashore, the British three-ship squadron, under the command of Captain Sir James Brisbane, was obliged to fire on Fort Maurizio until its guns were silenced before the prizes could be collected. The remaining vessels could not be taken off, having been scuttled by their crews, and so were destroyed.[66][67] When a joint British and
Post-war service and fate
Aigle was re-rated as a 42-gun frigate in February 1817 and underwent repairs and alterations at
Aigle was taken to Woolwich in October 1852 where she was converted to a dual-purpose
Prizes
Vessels captured or destroyed for which Aigle's crew received full or partial credit[Note 7] | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Date | Ship | Nationality | Type | Fate | Ref. |
28 May 1803 | Franchise | French | Frigate | Captured | [14] |
31 May - 7 June 1803 | Sapho | French | Merchantman | Captured | [15] |
31 May - 7 June 1803 | Augustina | French | Merchantman | Captured | [15] |
31 May - 7 June 1803 | Amitie | French | Merchantman | Captured | [15] |
31 May - 7 June 1803 | Maria Rose | French | Merchantman | Captured | [15] |
31 May - 7 June 1803 | Hercule | French | Merchantman | Captured | [15] |
31 May - 7 June 1803 | Dame Chenie | French | Merchantman | Captured | [15] |
28 September 1803 | Alerte | French | Privateer (14 guns) | Captured | [16][14] |
12 July 1804 | Charante | French | Corvette (20 guns) | Destroyed | [75][19] |
12 July 1804 | Joie | French | Brig (8 guns) | Destroyed | [75][19] |
28 September 1805 | No. 3 | Spanish | Gunboat | Destroyed | [35] |
18 April 1806 | Jonge Brouwer | Prussian | Not recorded | Detained | [76][77] |
16 March 1807 | Margaret | French | Brig | Captured | [30] |
7 December 1807 | Bueno Vista | Spanish | Schooner | Captured | [78][29] |
19 December 1807 | Adile | French | Lugger | Captured | [78][29] |
26 December 1807 | Othello | Not recorded | Not recorded | Captured | [79] |
17 January 1808 | Charles | French | Chasse-marée | Captured | [78][29] |
20 February 1808 | Sainte Anna | French | Chasse-marée | Captured | [78][29] |
11 April 1808 | Caroline | French | Chasse-marée | Captured | [78][29] |
11 April 1808 | Sainte Anne | French | Chasse-marée | Captured | [78][29] |
14 April 1808 | Marie Sainte Anne | French | Chasse-marée | Captured | [78][29] |
22 May 1808 | Jeune Adele | French | Chasse-marée | Captured | [78] |
1 January 1809 | Paix | French | Not recorded | Captured | [35] |
7 February 1809 | Prudent | French | Brig | Captured | [36] |
16 February 1809 | Friendship | Not recorded | Not recorded | Captured | [35] |
16 February 1809 | Anna Christina | Not recorded | Not recorded | Captured | [35] |
23 February 1809 | Six Freres | French | Brig | Captured | [35][80] |
11 - 12 April 1809 | Aquilon | French | Ship-of-the-line (74 guns) | Destroyed | [38][81] |
11 - 12 April 1809 | Ville de Varsovie
|
French | Ship-of-the-line (80 guns) | Destroyed | [38][82] |
11 - 12 April 1809 | Calcutta | French | Ship-of-the-line (56 guns) | Destroyed | [38][83] |
11 - 12 April 1809 | Tonnere | French | Ship-of-the-line (74 guns) | Destroyed | [38][84] |
11 - 12 April 1809 | Indienne | French | Frigate (44 guns) | Destroyed | [38][85] |
7 May 1809 | Eleanora | French | Brig | Captured | [35][80] |
12 September 1810 | Phoenix | French | Privateer (18 guns) | Captured | [61] |
11 April 1814 | Fortunee | French | Not recorded | Captured | [86] |
11 April 1814 | Notre Dame Leusainte | French | Not recorded | Captured | [86] |
11 April 1814 | Not recorded | Not recorded | Settee | Captured | [86] |
18 February 1815 | Cossack | Not recorded | Schooner | Captured | [87] |
Notes
- ^ The gun-rating of a vessel was the number of long guns it was designed to carry and did not always match its actual armament. Before 1817, carronades were not counted at all unless they were direct replacements for long guns.[9][10]
- ^ Charente, under the command of Lieutenant Joseph Samson, carried 20 long 6-pounders, four swivels, and had a crew of 104 men. Joie was commanded by Lieutenant Benjamin Gadobert and was recorded as carrying eight 12-pounders. Naval historian William James thought this an error, and suggested that Joie's guns must either have been 8-pounders or carronades.[18]
- ^ It is not recorded which French frigate was Italienne and which was Sirène but James postulates that after, as the latter only went to sea either as an armée en flute or store-ship, it seems likely it was the stranded vessel.[34]
- ^ A spring was a second rope attached to the anchor cable so that by pulling on it, the ship could be slewed round contrary to wind and tide, which would otherwise determine the angle of the vessel.[43]
- ^ A ship's "colours", a national flag or battle ensign, are hauled down from her mast, or "struck", to indicate that the ship has surrendered.[45]
- ^ The other ships in this squadron were; the 40-gun Lavinia, the 32-gun Heroine, the 36-gun Amethyst, the 38-gun Rota, Nymphen and Euryalus, both of 36 guns, the 38-gun Statira, the 36-gun Dryad, and the 38-gun Perlen. They sailed up river in that order with Aigle between Nymphen and Euryalus.[55]
- ^ Does not include prizes taken in fleet actions or campaigns where Aigle's crew were not directly involved
Citations
- ^ a b c d e f g h i Winfield p.156
- ^ "Frigate". Encyclopaedia Britannica Online. 2022. Archived from the original on 12 July 2022. Retrieved 18 September 2022.
- ^ Gardiner (2004) p. 56
- ^ a b c Gardiner (2012) p. 76
- ^ a b Gardiner (1994) p. 60
- ^ Lavery p. 82
- ^ O'Neill p. 70
- ^ Henry p.12
- ^ Davies p.24
- ^ Ireland p.42
- ^ Gardiner (1994) p. 89
- ^ Adkins pp.109–110
- ^ a b Adkins p.110
- ^ a b c "No. 15706". The London Gazette. 29 May 1804. p. 680.
- ^ a b c d e f g "No. 15662". The London Gazette. 31 December 1803. p. 7.
- ^ a b "No. 15632". The London Gazette. 18 October 1803. p. 1439.
- ^ Grocott pp. 170-171
- ^ a b c James (Vol.III) p.270-271.
- ^ a b c "No. 15725". The London Gazette. 4 August 1804. p. 937.
- ^ Heathcote p.59.
- ^ "No. 15761". The London Gazette. 8 December 1804. p. 1489.
- ^ Winfield (2008) p. 399
- ^ "Shipping and Commercial List". Caledonian Mercury. No. 13004. 14 January 1805.
- .
- ^ James (Vol.III) pp.302–303
- ^ James (Vol.III) p.303
- ^ "No. 15862". The London Gazette. 12 November 1805. p. 1412.
- ^ "No. 16077". The London Gazette. 17 October 1807. p. 1379.
- ^ a b c d e f g h "No. 16237". The London Gazette. 14 March 1809. p. 347.
- ^ a b "No. 16078". The London Gazette. 20 October 1807. p. 1402.
- ^ "Action between Aigle and Sirene". Bonhams. 2020. Retrieved 31 August 2022.
- ^ a b James (Vol.V) p.26
- ^ James (Vol.V) pp.26–27
- ^ a b James (Vol.V) p.27
- ^ a b c d e f g "No. 16311". The London Gazette. 31 October 1809. p. 1741.
- ^ a b "No. 16334". The London Gazette. 16 January 1810. p. 91.
- ^ Tracy p. 150
- ^ a b c d e f g "No. 17458". The London Gazette. 9 March 1819. p. 450.
- ^ James (Vol. V) pp. 103–104
- ^ a b James (Vol.V) p.105
- ^ James (Vol.V) p.104
- ^ James (Vol.V) pp. 108–109
- ^ Davies p. 188
- ^ James (Vol.V) p.114.
- ^ Davies pp. 60-61
- ^ James (Vol.V) p. 121
- ^ Clarke, McArthur (Vol. 22) p. 112
- ^ Clowes (Vol.V) pp. 266-267
- ^ Clowes (Vol.V) p. 268
- ^ James (Vol.V) pp.131–132
- ^ a b James (Vol.V) p.133
- ^ James (Vol.V) pp.133–134
- ^ James (Vol.V) pp.134–135
- ^ James (Vol.V) pp.135–136
- ^ a b James (Vol.V) p.136
- ^ James (Vol.V) p.137
- ^ a b James (Vol.V) p.138
- ^ James (Vol.V) p.134
- ^ James (Vol.V) pp.138–139
- ^ "No. 16650". The London Gazette. 26 September 1812. p. 1971.
- ^ a b "No. 16407". The London Gazette. 22 September 1810. p. 1489.
- ^ Marshall p. 310
- ^ a b "No. 16755". The London Gazette. 20 July 1813. p. 1430.
- ^ a b "No. 16755". The London Gazette. 20 July 1813. p. 1431.
- ^ a b c d e f g Winfield p.157
- ^ "No. 16935". The London Gazette. 17 September 1814. p. 1881.
- ^ Clarke, McArthur (Vol. 31) p. 506
- ^ "No. 17361". The London Gazette. 19 May 1818. p. 912.
- ^ Rosselli p. 168
- ^ James (Vol.VI) Appendix p.21
- ^ Morgan and Creuze p. 380
- ^ Gardiner (2004) p. 145
- ^ a b O'Byrne p. 850
- ^ "Submarine Warfare". The Times. No. 26878. London. 11 October 1870. col C.
- ^ a b "No. 15807". The London Gazette. 14 May 1805. p. 658.
- ^ "No. 16575". The London Gazette. 15 February 1812. p. 320.
- ^ "No. 16574". The London Gazette. 11 February 1812. p. 295.
- ^ a b c d e f g h "No. 16255". The London Gazette. 9 May 1809. p. 664.
- ^ "No. 16380". The London Gazette. 19 June 1810. p. 908.
- ^ a b "No. 16310". The London Gazette. 28 October 1809. p. 1711.
- ^ Winfield, Roberts p. 90
- ^ Winfield, Roberts p. 58
- ^ Winfield, Roberts p. 77
- ^ Winfield, Roberts p. 91
- ^ Winfield, Roberts p. 139
- ^ a b c "No. 16935". The London Gazette. 7 September 1814. p. 1881.
- ^ "No. 17206". The London Gazette. 4 January 1817. p. 12.
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External links
Media related to HMS Aigle (ship, 1801) at Wikimedia Commons