HMS Alceste (1806)
The engagement with the French Squadron off Rochefort, HMS Monarch Capt. Richard Lee, engaging La Minerve, L'Armide & La Glore
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History | |
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France | |
Name | Minerve |
Builder | Rochefort |
Laid down | May 1804 |
Launched | 9 September 1805 |
Completed | November 1805 |
Captured | By the British on 25 September 1806 |
United Kingdom | |
Name | HMS Alceste |
Acquired | Captured on 25 September 1806 |
Commissioned | March 1807 |
Reclassified | Troopship in 1814 |
Fate |
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General characteristics [1] | |
Class and type | 38-gun Armide-class frigate; re-rated as 46 guns in 1817 |
Tons burthen | 1,09771⁄94 (bm) |
Length |
|
Beam | 40 ft (12.2 m) |
Draught | 12 ft 8 in (3.9 m) |
Propulsion | Sails |
Sail plan | Full-rigged ship |
Complement | 284 (later 315) |
Armament | UD: 28 × 18-pounder guns
QD: 14 × 32-pounder carronades
Fc: 2 × 9-pounder guns and 2 × 32-pounder carronades |
HMS Alceste was built at Rochefort in 1804 for the French Navy as Minerve, an Armide-class frigate. In the spring of 1806, prior to her capture, she engaged HMS Pallas, then under Lord Cochrane. During the duel she ran aground but Cochrane had to abort his attack when French reinforcements appeared.
The British captured her in an action on 25 September 1806, and the Royal Navy took Minerve into service as Alceste in March 1807; Alceste then continued to serve throughout the Napoleonic Wars. On 29 November 1811, Alceste led a British squadron that captured a French military convoy carrying more than 200 cannon to Trieste in the Balkans. After this loss, Napoleon changed the direction of his planned eastward expansion in 1812 from the Balkans to Russia. The British historian James Henderson has suggested that the two events were linked, and may have changed the course of the war.
In 1814, Alceste was converted to a troopship and used to transport British soldiers to North America during the War of 1812. Following the Treaty of Paris in 1815, Alceste carried Lord Amherst on his 1816 diplomatic mission to China. On the return journey, she struck a reef in the Java Sea; her wreck was subsequently plundered and burned by Malayan pirates.
Construction and armament
Alceste was built to a design by
French service
Minerve was initially commanded by Capitaine Jaques Collet, entering service during the early days of the
Pallas returned on 12 May with
Capture
By September 1806 Minerve had joined a squadron—along with the large frigates Armide,
The remaining French frigates closed-up for mutual protection. At 10:00, Monarch engaged Minerve and Armide, as the weather prevented Monarch from opening her lower gun ports, she was badly mauled. An hour later, Centaur caught up and began firing at Armide and Gloire, leaving Monarch to continue her fight with Minerve. Armide
British service
The captured Minerve arrived at Plymouth on 26 October 1806, and after languishing there for some months, was taken into service as HMS Alceste. Commissioned in March 1807 under Captain Murray Maxwell and refitted between April and August, she was sent to the Mediterranean in December.[1] Following the French invasion of Portugal in November 1807, a British expedition to capture the island of Madeira was proposed. Admiral Samuel Hood's squadron—comprising ships-of-the-line, Centaur, York, Captain and Intrepid, and the frigates Alceste, Africaine, Shannon, and Success—escorted troopships into Funchal Bay on 24 December. The island was peacefully occupied two days later.[13]
In the
In 1808, with Napoleon controlling much of Europe, a plan was conceived by Sir Robert Adair, ambassador to Venice, to extract Pope Pius VII from Rome. It was thought that the Pope in exile could encourage the Catholic countries of Spain and Italy to rise up against Napoleon. Admiral Collingwood, Commander-in-Chief of the Mediterranean Fleet, dispatched Alceste and an 18-gun sloop, Acorn, to Palermo where they arrived on 12 August. The British diplomat there, William Drummond, selected four priests willing to undertake the mission. They boarded Alceste and set sail on 26 August. On 31 August boats from Alceste put the party ashore at Ostia, near Rome, where they made contact with a representative of the Vatican who agreed to speak to the Pope but failed to return. When it was deemed necessary to travel to Rome to re-establish contact, the priests refused to go. Maxwell sent them back to Palermo in Acorn, which returned a week later with another volunteer of Drummond's. Landed on the night of 19 September, the envoy was captured and shot as a spy the following day. Consequently, the entire plan was abandoned.[16]
On 22 May 1810, Alceste encountered some French
Boats of Alceste and Topaze captured two vessels in the bay of Martino, Corsica on 21 June 1810.[Note 2] Protecting the entrance to the bay was a three-gun battery, which a landing party captured and put out of action. Several of the garrison were wounded or killed during the attack. British casualties amounted to one killed and two wounded.[19]
In 1811, Alceste entered the
At the action of 29 November 1811, Alceste led the British frigate squadron that outran and defeated a French military convoy carrying a cargo of cannon. The day before, Alceste had been stationed at the island of Lissa (now Vis), with the frigates Unité and Active, when word was received of a similar sized French squadron heading north.[22] The British frigates could not immediately set sail because Maxwell feared an attack from a strong French force nearby. As a defence, he placed two batteries on an island in the harbour's entrance, manned by the ships' marines, and three previously captured gun-boats manned by around 30 seamen from Alceste and Active. These precautions not only weakened but delayed Maxwell's squadron, which put to sea at 19:00, twelve hours later.[23]
The British eventually caught up with the French ships at 10:00 the following morning, identifying them as the two large frigates Pomone and Pauline, and the smaller Persanne. Persanne, fired the first shots at 12:30, off the coast of Pelagosa (Palagruža); an hour later Alceste and Pomone exchanged shots from their bow and stern guns respectively. Alceste began to overhaul Pomone at 13:40 and fired a broadside into her while simultaneously spreading more sail in the hope of catching Pauline, a little further ahead. This plan was thwarted though when a shot from Pomone brought down Alceste's main topmast, slowing her suddenly.[24] When Active arrived at 14:00 and also started firing into Pomone, Pauline was obliged to come about to protect her now out-gunned colleague. Just after 15:00 the British sloop, Kingfisher appeared on the horizon and Pauline, now in danger of capture herself, disengaged and sailed off. Pomone struck shortly after.[24] Unité which had set off in pursuit of Persanne, forced Persanne to surrender at 16:00 after a single exchange of broadsides.[25]
The captured frigates contained more than 200 cannon, which were being transported to Trieste, a city in north-east Italy on the border of the Balkan States.[Note 3][22] It has been suggested by the British historian James Henderson that this action was a factor in Napoleon's decision to change the direction of his planned eastward expansion in 1812 from the Balkans to Russia.[22]
In late 1812, Alceste was decommissioned and placed
Diplomatic mission to China
After the
Exploration of Korea and Ryukyu Islands
Having arranged to travel back overland from
Return to Whampoa
Alceste required some repairs after a long journey in inclement weather so Maxwell petitioned the
Fate
With the many uncharted shoals and reefs, and frequent storms, the South China Seas remain some of the most dangerous waters in the world.[44][45] Despite the continual use of a sounding lead, on 18 February 1817, Alceste grounded on one of the many hidden reefs in the Java Sea.[Note 6] Maxwell ordered the anchor dropped to prevent the ship from slipping into deeper water, an undesirable situation if the hull had been breached, which turned out to be the case. The pumps were unable to cope with the influx of water and the ship's carpenter, Cheffy, reported that Alceste was beyond repair.[44]
Maxwell ordered his first lieutenant, Henry Parkyns Hoppner, to take Lord Amherst and his party in two of the boats to an island, known today as Pulo Leat, three miles away. The island's thick vegetation prevented an assessment of whether it was inhabited, and forced the boat crews to row a further three miles along the shore before finding a suitable landing spot between the mangroves. The rest of the ship's company were evacuated in the remaining boats and a large raft.[46] Because of the lack of provisions, in particular drinking water, it was decided that Hoppner would continue with Amherst and his embassy to Java, roughly 200 miles to the south. Once there, a rescue could be initiated.[47]
Hoppner's return journey to Java could not be accomplished in less than nine days, so further supplies would be required for the 200 remaining survivors. An unarmed expedition made its way back to Alceste to see what could be salvaged, but was forced back by the arrival of Malay Dyak pirates who plundered the wreck.[48] Maxwell ordered the construction of a stockade and the improvisation of additional weapons to counter the threat of an attack.[49] The digging of a well solved the problem of water. On 22 February, an armed party set out to reclaim the ship but the pirates set fire to Alceste and made off. The fire lasted throughout the night and destroyed the wreck; the following morning Maxwell sent out a boat that managed to retrieve some barrels of flour, cases of wine, and a cask of ale.[50] The pirates returned at dawn on 26 February, entering the cove aboard two proas and two canoes. Second lieutenant Hay led a sortie that boarded one of the proas, killing four pirates and capturing two more. The proa could not be brought to shore and was scuttled.[50] More pirates arrived over the next two days. They made no attempt to land, but behaved aggressively by firing their swivel guns towards the shore. By 1 March there were fourteen pirate proas in the cove, with more arriving on the following night.[51]
Provisions were now running low, and with the rescue mission overdue, Maxwell began formulating a plan to capture sufficient proas to escape from the island.
Ternate returned to Batavia with the castaways, where Amherst chartered the ship
Notes
- ^ A single French account claims that Minerve did not run aground but that her anchor fell, causing her to stop abruptly. The British naval historian William James considers this unlikely as she would not have needed re-floating but could simply have cut her cable.[6]
- ^ This may be San-Martino-di-Lota, near Bastia.
- ^ Persanne, a 26-gun ship of 860 tons, carried a cargo of 130 × 24-pounder and 20 × 9-pounder cannons. Pomone's hold contained 51 cannons, the majority of which were 18-pounders, plus 220 gun-carriage wheels. It is not known for certain whether Pauline also bore a shipment of guns but sources agree that she probably carried a similar amount to Pomone.[22][25]
- tons burthen; the largest carried a 24-pound long gun mounted on a pivot, four 12-pounder carronades and four swivels guns. The other four each carried a 32-pound long gun, six 6-pound long guns, two 5-inch howitzers, and four swivels. The other two smaller vessels bore only one gun each.[28]
- ^ The 'Names of Ships for which Claims have been proved' are as follows: warships Tonnant, Norge, Royal Oak, Ramillies, Bedford, Armide, Cydnus, Trave, Seahorse, Sophie, Meteor; troopships Gorgon, Diomede, Alceste, Belle Poule
- ^ Alceste was a little undermanned, carrying a complement of 257, including Lord Amherst and his entourage. It would have been usual practice to remove some guns to create more space for distinguished guests. Fewer guns allowed for a smaller crew and this may have been a contributing factor.[44]
Citations
- ^ a b c d e Winfield, p. 178
- ^ a b Henderson, p. 101
- ^ a b c Woodman, p. 224
- ^ Henderson, p. 102
- ^ Henderson, pp. 102–103
- ^ a b James (Vol. IV), p. 232
- ^ Woodman, pp. 224–225
- ^ Woodman, p. 225
- ^ Henderson, p. 104
- ^ James (Vol. IV), p. 262
- ^ a b c James (Vol. IV), p. 263
- ^ Henderson, pp. 104–105
- ^ James (Vol. IV), p. 350
- ^ "No. 16139". The London Gazette. 23 April 1808. p. 570.
- ^ James (Vol. V), p. 38
- .
- ^ a b Woodman, p. 251
- ^ James (Vol. V), p. 251
- ^ "No. 16395". The London Gazette. 11 August 1810. p. 1205.
- ^ a b James (Vol. V), p. 364
- ^ "No. 16511". The London Gazette. 6 August 1811. p. 1547.
- ^ a b c d e Henderson, p. 168
- ^ James (Vol. V), p. 376
- ^ a b James (Vol. V), p. 377
- ^ a b James (Vol. V), p. 379
- ^ Burgoyne, pp.24-27
- ^ Marley, p. 462
- ^ Long, p. 265
- ^ Clowes, pp. 148–149
- ^ Long, pp. 265–266
- ^ Clowes, p. 150
- ^ "No. 17730". The London Gazette. 28 July 1821. p. 1561.
- ^ "No. 20939". The London Gazette. 26 January 1849. p. 247.
- ^ a b Longman, Rees, Orme, Brown, Green and Longman, p. 229
- ^ Longman, Rees, Orme, Brown, Green and Longman, pp. 229–230
- ^ Longman, Rees, Orme, Brown, Green and Longman, p. 230
- ^ Longman, Rees, Orme, Brown, Green and Longman, p. 231
- ^ Longman, Rees, Orme, Brown, Green and Longman, pp. 231–232
- ^ a b Longman, Rees, Orme, Brown, Green and Longman, p. 232
- ^ a b Henderson, p. 169
- ^ Longman, Rees, Orme, Brown, Green and Longman, pp. 232–233
- ^ Blackwood, p. 53
- ^ Blackwood, p. 54
- ^ a b c Henderson, p. 170
- ^ Domonique Mosbergen (11 June 2013). "World's Most Dangerous Seas". HuffPost. Retrieved 29 August 2016.
- ^ Henderson, p. 171
- ^ Henderson, pp. 171–172
- ^ Henderson, p. 172
- ^ Henderson, p. 173
- ^ a b Henderson, p. 174
- ^ Henderson, p. 175
- ^ Henderson, p. 177
- ^ Henderson, pp. 176–177
- ^ Longman, Rees, Orme, Brown, Green and Longman, p. 253
- ^ Longman, Rees, Orme, Brown, Green and Longman, p. 254
- ^ Hepper, p. 156
References
- The Annual Biography and Obituary for the Year 1832 (Volume XVI). London: Longman, Rees, Orme, Brown, Green and Longman.
- "English Embassies to China". Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine. Vol. 89. Edinburgh: William Blackwood. January 1861. Retrieved 2 October 2016.
- Burgoyne, Roderick Hamilton (1883). Historical Records of the 93rd Sutherland Highlanders. London: Richard Bentley & Sons. OCLC 866639082.
- Clowes, William Laird (1997) [1900]. The Royal Navy, A History from the Earliest Times to 1900, Volume VI. London: Chatham Publishing. ISBN 1-86176-015-9.
- Henderson, James (2011). Frigates, Sloops and Brigs. Barnsley: Pen and Sword. ISBN 978-1-84884-526-8.
- Hepper, David J. (1994). British Warship Losses in the Age of Sail, 1650–1859. Rotherfield: Jean Boudriot. ISBN 0-948864-30-3.
- James, William (2002) [1827]. The Naval History of Great Britain, Volume IV, 1805–1807. London: Conway Maritime Press. ISBN 0-8117-0023-2.
- James, William (2002) [1827]. The Naval History of Great Britain, Volume V, 1808–1811. London: Conway Maritime Press. ISBN 0-85177-909-3.
- Long, W. H. (2010). Medals of the British Navy and how they were won. United Kingdom: Lancer Publishers. ISBN 978-1-935501-27-5.
- Lyon, David; Winfield, Rif (2004). The Sail and Steam Navy List, All the Ships of the Royal Navy 1815–1889. London: Chatham Publishing. ISBN 1-86176-032-9.
- Marley, David (1998). Wars of the Americas: A Chronology of Armed Conflict in the New World, 1492 to the Present. Santa Barbara, California: ABC CLIO. ISBN 0-87436-837-5.
- MacLeod, John (1818) Voyage of His Majesty's ship Alceste, along the coast of Corea. London. John Murray (The British Library Viewer)
- Winfield, Rif (2008). British Warships in the Age of Sail 1793–1817: Design, Construction, Careers and Fates. Barnsley: Seaforth Publishing. ISBN 978-1-84415-717-4.
- Woodman, Richard (2014) [2001]. The Sea Warriors – Fighting Captains and Frigate Warfare in the Age of Nelson. Barnsley: Seaforth Publishing. ISBN 978-1-84832-202-8.
External links