Robert Corbet
Robert Corbet | |
|---|---|
| Died | 13 September 1810 Raid on Saint Paul • Action of 13 September 1810 |
Captain Robert Corbet
Early service
Corbet was born in
In 1802 he was promoted to
In November 1806, Corbet returned to Britain and commissioned
Mauritius campaign
In late 1808, Nereide was attached to the squadron under
On arrival in Britain in early 1810, Corbet was transferred to HMS Africaine, which ship was deemed more appropriate for service in the Indian Ocean, to which Corbet was ordered to return. When word that Corbet was to take command arrived on board Africaine, the crew protested to the Admiralty, furious that such a brutal captain had been placed in command of them. They also warned that they would take steps to prevent Corbet from embarking the ship should he attempt to come aboard. Claiming mutiny, Corbet requested support and Admiral Edward Buller was sent aboard to listen to the crew's complaints.[3]: 298 In addition, the frigate HMS Menelaus pulled alongside and threatened to fire on the mutineers unless they allowed Corbet aboard. Under pressure, the crew relented and Corbet took command.[1]
Returning to the Indian Ocean, Corbet was destined for
Death
During the night of 12 September, Africaine outran her compatriots and attacked both French ships in the darkness. On the second broadside from Astrée, Corbet's right foot was shot off, the captain collapsing to the deck and being taken below. Although their captain had gone, the crew continued to fight and Astrée hauled off to allow Iphigénie to attack. Two hours later, Africaine surrendered, her casualties mounting and the ship in a battered state. The French took possession but later abandoned the ship when Boadicea arrived.[1] By the time British officers had resumed control of the ship, Corbet was dead.
Almost immediately rumours spread that his death had not simply been the result of his wound: stories were repeated in reputable histories that Corbet had either been murdered by his crew, or committed suicide to avoid the shame of defeat.[3]: 307 Though the truth remains unknown, Corbet's crew had indeed displayed an unwillingness to enter action with him in command and once he was dead expressed a desire to pursue the French ships despite their own damage and casualties.[3]: 305
The debate about Corbet's final action continued for many years. The contemporary historian Basil Hall was the subject of a lawsuit in 1820 over his claim that Corbet's men had refused to load their cannon and preferred death at the hands of the French to continued service under their brutal captain.[1] The case was proven and Hall forced to make a retraction. Attention has also focused on Corbet's failure to train his men in the accurate and efficient use of their cannon, preferring to maintain the order and cleanliness of his ship than exercise his gun teams.[3]: 303
In literature
Corbet and a fictionalized account of the events leading up to his death appear in Patrick O'Brian's 1977 novel The Mauritius Command, in which Rowley is replaced as the commander of the squadron by O'Brian's protagonist, Jack Aubrey.
See also
- Fragging – a term, originating with US troops during the Vietnam War, for killing unpopular officers
References
- ^ doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/6293. Retrieved 13 December 2008. (Subscription or UK public library membershiprequired.)
- ^ "No. 15728". The London Gazette. 14 August 1804. p. 997.
- ^ ISBN 0-85177-909-3.
External links
"Archival material relating to Robert Corbet". UK National Archives.
