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HMS Phoenix (1783)

HMS Phoenix was a 36-gun Perseverance-class fifth-rate frigate of the Royal Navy. The shipbuilder George Parsons built her at Bursledon and launched her on 15 July 1783. She served in the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars and was instrumental in the events leading up to the battle of Trafalgar. Phoenix was involved in several single-ship actions, the most notable occurring on 10 August 1805 when she captured the French frigate Didon, which was more heavily armed than her. She was wrecked, without loss of life, off Smyrna in 1816.

An 1805 watercolor (shown here in black and white) probably depicting HMS Phoenix in chase of Didon
History
Great Britain
NameHMS Phoenix
BuilderParsons, Bursledon
Launched15 July 1783
Honours and
awards
Naval General service Medal with clasp "Phoenix 10 Augt. 1805"[1]
FateWrecked on 20 February 1816
General characteristics [2]
Class and typePerseverance-class fifth-rate frigate
Tons burthen884 1094 (bm)
Length137 ft 1 in (41.8 m) (overall); 113 ft 2+78 in (34.5 m) (keel)
Beam38 ft 3+34 in (11.7 m)
Depth of hold13 ft 5 in (4.1 m)
PropulsionSails
Complement270
Armament
  • Gundeck:26 x 18-pounder guns
  • QD:8 x 9-pounder guns + 4 x 18-pounder carronades
  • Fc:2 x 9-pounder guns + 4 x 18-pounder carronades

Active service edit

She was commissioned in October 1787 under Captain John W. Payne, and paid off in December. Recommissioned in October 1788, she sailed for the East Indies in November under Captain George A. Byron.

East Indies edit

In the beginning of November 1791, Minerva, Commodore William Cornwallis, Phoenix, Captain Sir Richard Strachan, and Perseverance, Captain Isaac Smith, were off Tellicherry, a fort and anchorage situated a few leagues to the south of Mangalore. Cornwallis ordered Phoenix to stop and search the French frigate Résolue, which was escorting a number of merchant ships that the British believed were carrying military supplies to support Tippu Sultan. Résolue resisted Phoenix and a brief fight ensued before Résolue struck her colours. Résolue had 25 men killed and 40 wounded; Phoenix had six men killed and 11 wounded. There was no contraband on the French vessels. The French captain insisted on considering his ship as a British prize, so Cornwallis ordered Strachan to tow her into Mahé and return her to the French commodore. Phoenix came home in August 1793.[3]

North Sea edit

On 27 November 1793, the ships of a squadron under the command of Captain Thomas Pasley of HMS Bellerophon captured Blonde. At the time of her capture Blonde was armed with 28 guns and had a crew of 210 men under the command of Citizen Gueria.[4] A subsequent prize money notice listed the vessels that shared in the proceeds as Bellerophon, Vanguard, Phoenix, Latona, and Phaeton.[5]

In December Phoenix captured the French East Indiaman Pauline,[6] valued at £30,000, and brought her into Portsmouth.[7]

Phoenix was commissioned in October 1795 under Captain Lawrence Halsted. At first she was attached to the fleet under Admiral Adam Duncan, operating in the North Sea.[8] On 12 May 1796 at daybreak the 28-gun Pegasus and the brig-sloop Sylph brought Duncan the news that a Dutch squadron consisting of the 36-gun frigate Argo and three brigs had departed Flickeroe, Norway, bound for the Texel.[9]

Duncan took his fleet to intercept the Dutch squadron, sending a squadron the included Phoenix, the 50-gun Leopard, Pegasus, and Sylph, and under the overall command of Halsted, northward of the Texel.[10] The British intercepted the Dutch at 5am on 12 May. Phoenix and Leopard chased Argo, while Pegasus and Sylph made after the brigs.[9][11] Leopard eventually fell some way behind, and consequently it was Phoenix alone that engaged Argo in the action of 12 May 1796 at 8am.[9]

After twenty minutes of fighting Halsted forced Argo to strike her colours.[10] Phoenix carried eight 32-pounder carronades in lieu of her lighter guns in the upper works as well as her main battery of twenty-six 18-pounders, and a crew of 271 men and boys. The only damage she sustained was in her rigging and sails, and her only loss was one man killed and three wounded.[10] Argo was armed with 26 long 12-pounders, six long 6-pounders, and four brass 24-pounder carronades, with a crew of 237 men and boys, and thus was substantially outgunned.[12] She lost six men killed and 28 wounded.[10] The third rate Powerful then came up to assist Phoenix in dealing with the prisoners.[10]

Phoenix also captured a cutter, which turned out to be the packet ship Duke of York, which Argo had captured the day before. Duke of York had been sailing from Yarmouth to Hamburg.[10]

Meanwhile Pegasus and Sylph forced two of the brigs aground at Bosch, about 10 leagues east of the Texel; these were the Echo, of 18 guns and the De Grier of 14 guns. One floated off but then grounded and was last seen sending out distress signals.[10]

Pegasus and Sylph then captured the third brig, the 16-gun Mercury.[11] The Royal Navy took both Argo and Mercury into service, Argo became Janus while Mercury became Hermes.[11]

After this success Halsted was assigned to operate off the Irish coast. On 12 February 1797 Phoenix was in company with HMS Unite, Stag, Triton and Scourge at the capture of the French privateer Difficile. She was armed with 18 guns and had a crew of 206 men. She was three days out of Brest.[13] The same four ships also captured Jeune Emilie and Recovery.[14]

On 18 May 1797 Phoenix captured the French privateer lugger Espiègle off Waterford. Espiègle was armed with four guns and had a crew of 38 men. she had captured a brig that Phoenix had recaptured and that had put her on the trail of the lugger.[15]

On 24 April 1798 Phoenix captured the French privateer Brave. She was pierced for 22 guns and was carrying eighteen, mixed 12 and 18-pounders. Brave resisted capture, suffering several men killed and 14 wounded, before she surrendered. Phoenix had no casualties and suffered trifling damage to her sails and rigging. Brave had a crew of 160 men, and there were also some 50 English prisoners on board, none of whom were injured. Halsted described Brave as being "a very fine ship, of 600 Tons, is coppered, and sails exceedingly fast." The Navy took Brave into service as Arab. The next day, Phoenix recaptured Thetis, an American ship that had been sailing from Charlestown to London when Brave had captured her.[16]

Then one month later, on 31 May, Phoenix captured the French privateer Caroline and her prize, the brig Henry. Halsted had been searching for Caroline after being alerted to her presence by the transport Success two days earlier. Caroline was only eight months old and a fast sailer, ten days out of Nantes. She was pierced for 20 guns, 16 and 6-pounders, but had thrown most overboard while trying to escape. She had a crew of 105 men. She had only captured Henry and a small Danish ship. Henry had been sailing to Jamaica when Caroline captured her on 3 May, on which day Phoenix had also sent in an American ship, Emily Grant that she had encountered a few days earlier.[17] The Royal Navy took Caroline into service as the 18-gun sloop Fleche.

On 23 January 1799 Phoenix captured the 20-gun French privateer Foudroyant on the Irish station after a pursuit of some 12 hours that covered over 120 miles. She was pierced for 24 guns, but mounted 20 brass 12-pounder and iron 6-pounder guns, of which she jettisoned eight during the chase. She had been launched at Bordeaux about three months earlier and had sailed on this cruise about nine weeks earlier. During the cruise she had captured two English and one American vessel.[18] The British vessels were the brig Malbridge, sailing from Martinique to London, and the brig Duncan, sailing from Halifax to London. The American vessel was the ship Argo, sailing from Sweden to Charlestown. The Royal Navy took Foudroyant into service as the 20-gun post ship Poulette.

On 5 April Phoenix captured the French privateer Coureur.[19]

Mediterranean edit

On 11 February 1800 Phoenix and the fireship Incendiary captured the French privateer Éole off Cape Spartel. Éole was armed with 10 guns and had a crew of 89 men. She was ten days out of Guelon, Spain and had not taken any prizes.[20]

In May Phoenix was part of a naval squadron at the Siege of Genoa (1800). The squadron consisted of HMS Minotaur, Phoenix, Mondovi, Entreprenante, and the tender Victoire, all under the command of Vice-Admiral Lord Keith.[21][a]

On 3 June Phoenix and Port Mahon captured the 14-gun brig Albanaise. She was sailing from Toulon with provisions for Genoa when she encountered Port Mahon, which initiated the chase about 35 miles west of Corsica. The chase lasted until early evening when Phoenix came up as Albanaise was just six miles out of Porto Ferraio on Elba. Lieutenant Étienne Rolland fired two broadsides and then struck. (A subsequent court martial exonerated Rolland of the loss of his vessel.)[23] The Royal Navy took her into service as HMS Albanaise.

On 17 June boats from Phoenix took the French naval vessel Revanche near Hieres Island in the Mediterranean.[24] She was armed with four carriage guns and four swivel guns had a crew of 27 men. She was partly laden with brandy, wine, cheese and pork, two days from Toulon on her way to Malta with dispatches, which she threw overboard prior to her capture. In capturing Revanche Phoenix lost one man. Furthermore, Revanche capsized the next day,[25] though there were no deaths.

On 16 September Phoenix captured the Spanish schooner Felix. She was armed with four guns and was carrying merchandise from Corunna to Veracruz.[26]

On 14 February 1801, Phoenix captured the Danish ship Minerva. She was sailing from Ivica to Holmitand with a cargo of salt.[27]

Later in 1801 Phoenix was involved in supporting operations for the British expedition to Egypt. Around 2 May she left her station off Porto-Ferrajo, which gave the French the opportunity to establish a blockade that lasted until 1 August when Sir John Borlase Warren with his squadron arrived to lift it.

On 3 August 1801 the frigates Phoenix, Pomone, and Pearl captured the Venetian-built but French 44-gun frigate Carrère and her crew of 356 men at the mouth of Elbe after a short fight. She was escorting a small convoy from Porto Ercole to Porto Longone. Pomone was the actual captor and lost two men dead, two more died of wounds shortly thereafter, and two more lightly wounded. Phoenix could not get close enough to do more than fire a few random shots and Pearl positioned herself between Carrerre and the port to cut her off if necessary.[28]

The Royal Navy took Carrere into service under her own name but rated as an 18-pounder frigate of 36 guns.[29] Frederick Lewis Maitland was her first captain.

Almost a month later, on 2 September, Phoenix, Pomone, and Minerve re-captured the frigate Success, a former British 32-gun fifth-rate frigate under the command of Monsieur Britel. (The French had captured Success in February, off Toulon.) They also ran onshore the 46-gun French frigate Bravoure, under the command of Monsieur Dordelin, but were unwilling to set her on fire because not all her crew had gotten off[30]

 
The Engagement between H.M.S. Phoenix and the French Frigate Didon, 10 August 1805, Thomas Luny, 1829, Ashmolean Museum

Thomas Baker took command of Phoenix on 28 April 1803.[19][31] He was assigned to the Channel Fleet under Admiral William Cornwallis, and on 10 August 1805 he came across the 40-gun French frigate Didon off Cape Finisterre.[19][31]

Prior to the sighting Phoenix had intercepted an American merchant, en route from Bordeaux to the United States. The American master had been invited onto Phoenix, sold the British some of his cargo of wine, and had toured Phoenix before being allowed to continue on his way.[32] Phoenix had at this time been altered to resemble from a distance a large sloop-of-war. Didon, which was carrying despatches instructing Rear-Admiral Allemand's five ships of the line to unite with the combined Franco-Spanish fleet under Vice-Admiral Pierre-Charles Villeneuve, intercepted the American merchant and from him received news that a 20-gun British ship was at sea and might be foolish enough to attack Didon.[32]

Didon's commander, Captain Milius, decided to await the arrival of the British ship, and take her as a prize. On 10 August 1805, the two vessels met off Cape Finisterre.

Phoenix was able to approach and engage Didon before the French realised that she was a larger frigate than they had anticipated.[32] The action lasted several hours, with Baker on one occasion having his hat shot off his head.[33] Finally the French surrendered at 43°16′N 12°14′W / 43.267°N 12.233°W / 43.267; -12.233.[34] Phoenix had 12 killed and 28 wounded; the French sustained losses of 27 killed and 44 wounded.[35]

By intercepting the ship carrying the despatches for Allemand, Baker had unwittingly played a role in bringing about the battle of Trafalgar, but he was to play an even greater role a few days later, possibly even staving off an invasion of England.[31] In 1847 the Admiralty awarded the Naval General service Medal with clasp "Phoenix 10 Augt. 1805" to all surviving claimants from the action.

 
The battle-scarred HMS Phoenix and Didon shortly after their engagement on 10 August 1805, depicted by Thomas Whitcombe

While sailing to Gibraltar with his prize in tow, Baker fell in with the 74-gun HMS Dragon on 14 August.[31][36] The following day the combined fleet under Villeneuve, heading for Brest and then on to Boulogne to escort the French invasion forces across the Channel sighted the three British ships. Villeneuve mistook the British ships for scouts from the Channel Fleet and fled south to avoid an action.[31][37][38] A furious Napoleon raged 'What a Navy! What an admiral! All those sacrifices for nought!'[37] Villeneuve's failure to press north was a decisive point of the Trafalgar Campaign as far as the invasion of England went, for abandoning all hope of fulfilling his plans to secure control of the Channel Napoleon gathered the Armée d'Angleterre, now renamed the Grande Armée, and headed east to attack the Austrians in the Ulm Campaign.[37][39] The British ships altered their course and made for Plymouth, where they arrived on 3 September, having prevented an attempt by their French prisoners to capture Phoenix and retake Didon.[40]

Channel edit

Although Phoenix had missed the battle of Trafalgar, she saw action in November 1805. Baker was under orders to patrol west of the Isles of Scilly when meeting some merchantmen he received intelligence that they had seen a small squadron of presumably French ships of the line in the Bay of Biscay. The British were looking for the celebrated Rochefort squadron of five sail of the line, three frigates, and two brigs, under Rear-admiral Zacharie Allemand, which was loose somewhere in the Atlantic (the Allemand's expedition of 1805). Baker decide to investigate.

On 2 November 1805, Phoenix discovered four ships, which Baker presumed to be part of the Rochefort squadron, but were actually vessels under Rear Admiral Dumanoir, consisting of four French ships of the line that had escaped Trafalgar. Phoenix sailed in search of Sir Robert Strachan's squadron to report the find, who, as it happened, was fairly close by. During the ensuing Battle of Cape Ortegal, Phoenix and the other British frigates harassed the French rear. While doing so, she helped to capture the French ship Scipion, which was then commissioned into the Royal Navy. During the action Phoenix lost two men killed and four wounded.[41] Serving aboard Phoenix at this time, as First lieutenant was Samuel Brown, later to become a distinguished engineer and reach the rank of captain.

In December 1805, Captain Zachary Mudge took command of Phoenix.

In the first week of January 1807, Phoenix and the hired armed brig Colpoys sent into Plymouth Cupedo, which had been sailing from Montevideo to St Sebastian.[42]

On 17 January 1808 off Rochefort, Phoenix observed a French squadron, under Admiral Ganteaume putting to sea. Phoenix despatched the 18-gun brig-sloop Raleigh to England with the information and sailed in search of the watching squadron under Strachan, which bad weather had driven out to sea. Not finding Strachan, Phoenix too sailed for England, having informed the gun-brig Attack of the news. Attack found Strachan on 23 January, but bad weather and other difficulties delayed Strachan and he was unable to intercept the French before they reached Toulon.[43]

In March 1809 Phoenix received some 32-pounder carronades.

On 28 January 1810 Phoenix, with the ship-sloop Jalouse, chased the 14-gun French privateer brig Charles, but lost her in thick fog. The next day Phoenix discovered Charles anchored close under the French coast. A cutting out expedition then went in with boats. Charles had a crew of 70 men, who resisted, killing one seaman on Phoenix and wounding another.[44] Still, the boats succeeded in taking Charles, where they found two English masters and 13 seamen who had been taken out of vessels a few days previously. One of the vessels Charles had captured was David, Wilkinson, master, which had been sailing from Newfoundland to Waterford. Her captors sent Charles into Plymouth.[45][b]

Later career edit

 
Phoenix beating into Marsamashet Harbor, Malta, by J. Bushman

In 1810 Captain James Bowen assumed command of Phoenix and sailed her for the East Indies on 11 May 1810.[2] On 4 July she and the convoy of East Indiamen she was escorting were "all well" at 8°52′S 26°30′W / 8.867°S 26.500°W / -8.867; -26.500.[48]

Captain William Webley assumed command of Phoenix in 1813 and held the post until September 1814.[2] From 14 September 1814 on, her last captain was Charles Austen, brother of the novelist Jane Austen. In 1815, following Napoleon's escape from Elba, the Admiralty sent Phoenix, Undaunted, and Garland to the Adriatic to co-operate with the Austrians and to prevent the escape of some Neapolitan warships. Phoenix and Garland watched two large frigates at Brindisi, while Undaunted searched the coast to the northward. After the surrender of Naples, following the Treaty of Casalanza, Austen persuaded the captains of the two Neapolitan frigates to switch their allegiance to the restored monarch, Ferdinand IV of Naples.[49]

Phoenix, Aquilon, Garland, and Renard next proceeded to the Greek Archipelago in search of a French squadron comprising the frigate Junon, the 32-gun corvette Victorieuse, two brigs and two large schooners, which had been preying on trade in the area. Unfortunately Austen discovered that the enemy was no longer in the islands; shortly afterwards peace was restored.[49]

Fate edit

Phoenix was lost in a storm off Smyrna (İzmir) on 20 February 1816, due to the ignorance of her pilots when a sudden change of wind threw her on the shore. Fortunately, all aboard her survived; the vessel was so close to the shore that her fallen top-gallant mast reached from the wreck to the shore. Also, Renard helped save her crew.[50]

Austen was able to procure a storehouse for the crew where they were provided with fires, bread and wine. Mr. Curotavich of Chisme took in Austen and his officers, supplying them with clothes, food, and beds.[51] While the crew was in Smyrna Austen had to have several members flogged for drunkenness and thieving.[52]

On 2 March the British burnt Phoenix to the water's edge to get her copper bolts.[50] They then sold the remains to Mr. Curotavich that same day for £600. The transport Zodiac took the crew to Malta.[52] The subsequent court martial absolved Austen of blame.

Miscellany edit

The earliest example of the use of HMS as an abbreviation is a reference to HMS Phoenix in 1789.[53]

Notes edit

  1. ^ Victoire may have been the privateer of two guns and 28 men that HMS Mutine had captured near Genoa on 29 March 1800.[22]
  2. ^ Charles was a 14-gun privateer from Bordeaux. From December 1808, she was under the command of Captain Plassiard, who commanded a crew of 90 men.[46] She was a joint-venture between Plassiard, the merchant Balguerie, and the Protestant merchants Baour frères. She made a voyage to Senegal and on her return in 1809 the partners fitted her out as a privateer.[47]

Citations edit

  1. ^ "No. 20939". The London Gazette. 26 January 1849. p. 238.
  2. ^ a b c Winfield (2008), p. 139.
  3. ^ James (1837), Vol 1, 118-9.
  4. ^ "No. 13601". The London Gazette. 7 December 1793. p. 1100.
  5. ^ "No. 13704". The London Gazette. 16 September 1794. p. 946.
  6. ^ "No. 13611". The London Gazette. 7 January 1794. p. 28.
  7. ^ Roger Houghton, A Peoples' History 1793 – 1844 from the newspapers: Prize-taking.
  8. ^ United Service Magazine (1841), 380.
  9. ^ a b c James. The naval history of Great Britain. Vol. 1. p. 363.
  10. ^ a b c d e f g "No. 13894". The London Gazette. 21 May 1796. pp. 491–492.
  11. ^ a b c Allen (1852), p. 428.
  12. ^ James (1837), Vol 1, pp.292 and 327.
  13. ^ "No. 13981". The London Gazette. 18 February 1797. p. 173.
  14. ^ "No. 14029". The London Gazette. 18 July 1797. p. 681.
  15. ^ "No. 14011". The London Gazette. 20 May 1797. p. 459.
  16. ^ "No. 15013". The London Gazette. 5 May 1798. p. 378.
  17. ^ "No. 15036". The London Gazette. 26 June 1798. p. 592.
  18. ^ "No. 15107". The London Gazette. 12 February 1799. p. 150.
  19. ^ a b c Winfield (2008), p. 130.
  20. ^ "No. 15253". The London Gazette. 29 April 1800. p. 421.
  21. ^ "No. 15262". The London Gazette. 1 June 1800. p. 561.
  22. ^ "No. 15278". The London Gazette. 22 July 1800. pp. 842–843.
  23. ^ Troude (1867), pp. 240–1.
  24. ^ "No. 15298". The London Gazette. 30 September 1800. p. 1130.
  25. ^ Gosset (1986), p. 27.
  26. ^ "No. 15358". The London Gazette. 25 April 1801. p. 446.
  27. ^ "No. 15428". The London Gazette. 17 November 1801. p. 1384.
  28. ^ "No. 15426". The London Gazette. 10 November 1801. pp. 1354–1355.
  29. ^ James (1837), p. 138.
  30. ^ "No. 15426". The London Gazette. 10 November 1801. p. 1355.
  31. ^ a b c d e Tracy (2006), p. 20.
  32. ^ a b c James. The Naval History of Great Britain. p. 164.
  33. ^ James. The Naval History of Great Britain. pp. 168–9.
  34. ^ "No. 15838". The London Gazette. 27 August 1805. p. 1091.
  35. ^ "No. 15840". The London Gazette. 3 September 1805. p. 1115.
  36. ^ James. The Naval History of Great Britain. p. 170.
  37. ^ a b c Adkin. The Trafalgar Companion. p. 57.
  38. ^ Mostert. The Line Upon the Wind. p. 470.
  39. ^ Mostert. The Line Upon the Wind. p. 471.
  40. ^ James. The Naval History of Great Britain. p. 171.
  41. ^ James (1837) Vol 4, 103-106.
  42. ^ Lloyd's List, no. 4116,[1] - Retrieved 22 February 2014.
  43. ^ James (1837), Vol. 5, p. 3.
  44. ^ "No. 16339". The London Gazette. 3 February 1810. p. 178.
  45. ^ Lloyd's List, №4430 - Retrieved 18 November 2015.
  46. ^ Demerliac (2003), p. 288, №2305.
  47. ^ Crowhurst (1989), p. 113.
  48. ^ Lloyd's List №4489.
  49. ^ a b Marshall (1828), Supplement, Part 2, pp.75-6.
  50. ^ a b Gosset (1986), p. 97.
  51. ^ Charles Austen's log-book entry, quoted in Myer (1997), 223.
  52. ^ a b Hepper (1994), p. 154.
  53. ^ "HMS", The Oxford Companion to Ships and the Sea. (Oxford: Oxford University Press), 2006, Encyclopedia.com. (16 September 2009). [2][dead link]

References edit

  • Allen, Joseph (1852). Battles of the British Navy. Vol. 1. Henry G. Bohn.
  • Colledge, J. J.; Warlow, Ben (2006) [1969]. Ships of the Royal Navy: The Complete Record of all Fighting Ships of the Royal Navy (Rev. ed.). London: Chatham Publishing. ISBN 978-1-86176-281-8.
  • Crowhurst, Patrick (1989). The French War on Trade: Privateering 1793–1815. Scholar Press. ISBN 0-85967-8040.
  • Demerliac, Alain (2003). La Marine du Consulat et du Premier Empire: Nomenclature des Navires Français de 1800 A 1815 (in French). Éditions Ancre. ISBN 2-903179-30-1.
  • Gosset, William Patrick (1986). The lost ships of the Royal Navy, 1793–1900. Mansell. ISBN 0-7201-1816-6.
  • Hepper, David J. (1994). British Warship Losses in the Age of Sail, 1650–1859. Rotherfield: Jean Boudriot. ISBN 0-948864-30-3.
  • James, William (1837). Naval History of Great Britain 1793–1827. London.
  • Marshall, John (1823–1835). "Index" . Royal Naval Biography. London: Longman and company.
  • Myer, Valerie Grosvenor (1997) Jane Austen: obstinate heart: a biography. (New York: Arcade). ISBN 978-1-55970-387-1
  • Tracy, Nicholas (2006). Who's who in Nelson's Navy: 200 Naval Heroes. London: Chatham Publishing. ISBN 1-86176-244-5.
  • Troude, O. (1867). Batailles navales de la France (in French). Vol. 3. Paris: Challamel ainé.
  • The United Service Magazine. Vol. 2. H. Colburn. 1841.
  • Urban, Sylvanus (1849) The Gentleman's Magazine, Vol.XXXI January to June. (London: John Bowyer Nichols and Sons)
  • Winfield, Rif (2007). British Warships in the Age of Sail 1714–1792: Design, Construction, Careers and Fates. Seaforth. ISBN 978-1844157006.
  • Winfield, Rif (2008). British Warships in the Age of Sail 1793–1817: Design, Construction, Careers and Fates. Seaforth Publishing. ISBN 978-1-86176-246-7.

External links edit

  •   Media related to HMS Phoenix (ship, 1783) at Wikimedia Commons
  • Overview of HMS Phoenix
  • Naval Database

phoenix, 1783, other, ships, with, same, name, phoenix, phoenix, perseverance, class, fifth, rate, frigate, royal, navy, shipbuilder, george, parsons, built, bursledon, launched, july, 1783, served, french, revolutionary, napoleonic, wars, instrumental, events. For other ships with the same name see HMS Phoenix HMS Phoenix was a 36 gun Perseverance class fifth rate frigate of the Royal Navy The shipbuilder George Parsons built her at Bursledon and launched her on 15 July 1783 She served in the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars and was instrumental in the events leading up to the battle of Trafalgar Phoenix was involved in several single ship actions the most notable occurring on 10 August 1805 when she captured the French frigate Didon which was more heavily armed than her She was wrecked without loss of life off Smyrna in 1816 An 1805 watercolor shown here in black and white probably depicting HMS Phoenix in chase of DidonHistoryGreat BritainNameHMS PhoenixBuilderParsons BursledonLaunched15 July 1783Honours andawardsNaval General service Medal with clasp Phoenix 10 Augt 1805 1 FateWrecked on 20 February 1816General characteristics 2 Class and typePerseverance class fifth rate frigateTons burthen884 10 94 bm Length137 ft 1 in 41 8 m overall 113 ft 2 7 8 in 34 5 m keel Beam38 ft 3 3 4 in 11 7 m Depth of hold13 ft 5 in 4 1 m PropulsionSailsComplement270ArmamentGundeck 26 x 18 pounder guns QD 8 x 9 pounder guns 4 x 18 pounder carronades Fc 2 x 9 pounder guns 4 x 18 pounder carronades Contents 1 Active service 1 1 East Indies 1 2 North Sea 1 3 Mediterranean 1 4 Channel 2 Later career 3 Fate 4 Miscellany 5 Notes 6 Citations 7 References 8 External linksActive service editShe was commissioned in October 1787 under Captain John W Payne and paid off in December Recommissioned in October 1788 she sailed for the East Indies in November under Captain George A Byron East Indies edit In the beginning of November 1791 Minerva Commodore William Cornwallis Phoenix Captain Sir Richard Strachan and Perseverance Captain Isaac Smith were off Tellicherry a fort and anchorage situated a few leagues to the south of Mangalore Cornwallis ordered Phoenix to stop and search the French frigate Resolue which was escorting a number of merchant ships that the British believed were carrying military supplies to support Tippu Sultan Resolue resisted Phoenix and a brief fight ensued before Resolue struck her colours Resolue had 25 men killed and 40 wounded Phoenix had six men killed and 11 wounded There was no contraband on the French vessels The French captain insisted on considering his ship as a British prize so Cornwallis ordered Strachan to tow her into Mahe and return her to the French commodore Phoenix came home in August 1793 3 North Sea edit On 27 November 1793 the ships of a squadron under the command of Captain Thomas Pasley of HMS Bellerophon captured Blonde At the time of her capture Blonde was armed with 28 guns and had a crew of 210 men under the command of Citizen Gueria 4 A subsequent prize money notice listed the vessels that shared in the proceeds as Bellerophon Vanguard Phoenix Latona and Phaeton 5 In December Phoenix captured the French East Indiaman Pauline 6 valued at 30 000 and brought her into Portsmouth 7 Phoenix was commissioned in October 1795 under Captain Lawrence Halsted At first she was attached to the fleet under Admiral Adam Duncan operating in the North Sea 8 On 12 May 1796 at daybreak the 28 gun Pegasus and the brig sloop Sylph brought Duncan the news that a Dutch squadron consisting of the 36 gun frigate Argo and three brigs had departed Flickeroe Norway bound for the Texel 9 Duncan took his fleet to intercept the Dutch squadron sending a squadron the included Phoenix the 50 gun Leopard Pegasus and Sylph and under the overall command of Halsted northward of the Texel 10 The British intercepted the Dutch at 5am on 12 May Phoenix and Leopard chased Argo while Pegasus and Sylph made after the brigs 9 11 Leopard eventually fell some way behind and consequently it was Phoenix alone that engaged Argo in the action of 12 May 1796 at 8am 9 After twenty minutes of fighting Halsted forced Argo to strike her colours 10 Phoenix carried eight 32 pounder carronades in lieu of her lighter guns in the upper works as well as her main battery of twenty six 18 pounders and a crew of 271 men and boys The only damage she sustained was in her rigging and sails and her only loss was one man killed and three wounded 10 Argo was armed with 26 long 12 pounders six long 6 pounders and four brass 24 pounder carronades with a crew of 237 men and boys and thus was substantially outgunned 12 She lost six men killed and 28 wounded 10 The third rate Powerful then came up to assist Phoenix in dealing with the prisoners 10 Phoenix also captured a cutter which turned out to be the packet ship Duke of York which Argo had captured the day before Duke of York had been sailing from Yarmouth to Hamburg 10 Meanwhile Pegasus and Sylph forced two of the brigs aground at Bosch about 10 leagues east of the Texel these were the Echo of 18 guns and the De Grier of 14 guns One floated off but then grounded and was last seen sending out distress signals 10 Pegasus and Sylph then captured the third brig the 16 gun Mercury 11 The Royal Navy took both Argo and Mercury into service Argo became Janus while Mercury became Hermes 11 After this success Halsted was assigned to operate off the Irish coast On 12 February 1797 Phoenix was in company with HMS Unite Stag Triton and Scourge at the capture of the French privateer Difficile She was armed with 18 guns and had a crew of 206 men She was three days out of Brest 13 The same four ships also captured Jeune Emilie and Recovery 14 On 18 May 1797 Phoenix captured the French privateer lugger Espiegle off Waterford Espiegle was armed with four guns and had a crew of 38 men she had captured a brig that Phoenix had recaptured and that had put her on the trail of the lugger 15 On 24 April 1798 Phoenix captured the French privateer Brave She was pierced for 22 guns and was carrying eighteen mixed 12 and 18 pounders Brave resisted capture suffering several men killed and 14 wounded before she surrendered Phoenix had no casualties and suffered trifling damage to her sails and rigging Brave had a crew of 160 men and there were also some 50 English prisoners on board none of whom were injured Halsted described Brave as being a very fine ship of 600 Tons is coppered and sails exceedingly fast The Navy took Brave into service as Arab The next day Phoenix recaptured Thetis an American ship that had been sailing from Charlestown to London when Brave had captured her 16 Then one month later on 31 May Phoenix captured the French privateer Caroline and her prize the brig Henry Halsted had been searching for Caroline after being alerted to her presence by the transport Success two days earlier Caroline was only eight months old and a fast sailer ten days out of Nantes She was pierced for 20 guns 16 and 6 pounders but had thrown most overboard while trying to escape She had a crew of 105 men She had only captured Henry and a small Danish ship Henry had been sailing to Jamaica when Caroline captured her on 3 May on which day Phoenix had also sent in an American ship Emily Grant that she had encountered a few days earlier 17 The Royal Navy took Caroline into service as the 18 gun sloop Fleche On 23 January 1799 Phoenix captured the 20 gun French privateer Foudroyant on the Irish station after a pursuit of some 12 hours that covered over 120 miles She was pierced for 24 guns but mounted 20 brass 12 pounder and iron 6 pounder guns of which she jettisoned eight during the chase She had been launched at Bordeaux about three months earlier and had sailed on this cruise about nine weeks earlier During the cruise she had captured two English and one American vessel 18 The British vessels were the brig Malbridge sailing from Martinique to London and the brig Duncan sailing from Halifax to London The American vessel was the ship Argo sailing from Sweden to Charlestown The Royal Navy took Foudroyant into service as the 20 gun post ship Poulette On 5 April Phoenix captured the French privateer Coureur 19 Mediterranean edit On 11 February 1800 Phoenix and the fireship Incendiary captured the French privateer Eole off Cape Spartel Eole was armed with 10 guns and had a crew of 89 men She was ten days out of Guelon Spain and had not taken any prizes 20 In May Phoenix was part of a naval squadron at the Siege of Genoa 1800 The squadron consisted of HMS Minotaur Phoenix Mondovi Entreprenante and the tender Victoire all under the command of Vice Admiral Lord Keith 21 a On 3 June Phoenix and Port Mahon captured the 14 gun brig Albanaise She was sailing from Toulon with provisions for Genoa when she encountered Port Mahon which initiated the chase about 35 miles west of Corsica The chase lasted until early evening when Phoenix came up as Albanaise was just six miles out of Porto Ferraio on Elba Lieutenant Etienne Rolland fired two broadsides and then struck A subsequent court martial exonerated Rolland of the loss of his vessel 23 The Royal Navy took her into service as HMS Albanaise On 17 June boats from Phoenix took the French naval vessel Revanche near Hieres Island in the Mediterranean 24 She was armed with four carriage guns and four swivel guns had a crew of 27 men She was partly laden with brandy wine cheese and pork two days from Toulon on her way to Malta with dispatches which she threw overboard prior to her capture In capturing Revanche Phoenix lost one man Furthermore Revanche capsized the next day 25 though there were no deaths On 16 September Phoenix captured the Spanish schooner Felix She was armed with four guns and was carrying merchandise from Corunna to Veracruz 26 On 14 February 1801 Phoenix captured the Danish ship Minerva She was sailing from Ivica to Holmitand with a cargo of salt 27 Later in 1801 Phoenix was involved in supporting operations for the British expedition to Egypt Around 2 May she left her station off Porto Ferrajo which gave the French the opportunity to establish a blockade that lasted until 1 August when Sir John Borlase Warren with his squadron arrived to lift it On 3 August 1801 the frigates Phoenix Pomone and Pearl captured the Venetian built but French 44 gun frigate Carrere and her crew of 356 men at the mouth of Elbe after a short fight She was escorting a small convoy from Porto Ercole to Porto Longone Pomone was the actual captor and lost two men dead two more died of wounds shortly thereafter and two more lightly wounded Phoenix could not get close enough to do more than fire a few random shots and Pearl positioned herself between Carrerre and the port to cut her off if necessary 28 The Royal Navy took Carrere into service under her own name but rated as an 18 pounder frigate of 36 guns 29 Frederick Lewis Maitland was her first captain Almost a month later on 2 September Phoenix Pomone and Minerve re captured the frigate Success a former British 32 gun fifth rate frigate under the command of Monsieur Britel The French had captured Success in February off Toulon They also ran onshore the 46 gun French frigate Bravoure under the command of Monsieur Dordelin but were unwilling to set her on fire because not all her crew had gotten off 30 Further information Action of 10 August 1805 nbsp The Engagement between H M S Phoenix and the French Frigate Didon 10 August 1805 Thomas Luny 1829 Ashmolean MuseumThomas Baker took command of Phoenix on 28 April 1803 19 31 He was assigned to the Channel Fleet under Admiral William Cornwallis and on 10 August 1805 he came across the 40 gun French frigate Didon off Cape Finisterre 19 31 Prior to the sighting Phoenix had intercepted an American merchant en route from Bordeaux to the United States The American master had been invited onto Phoenix sold the British some of his cargo of wine and had toured Phoenix before being allowed to continue on his way 32 Phoenix had at this time been altered to resemble from a distance a large sloop of war Didon which was carrying despatches instructing Rear Admiral Allemand s five ships of the line to unite with the combined Franco Spanish fleet under Vice Admiral Pierre Charles Villeneuve intercepted the American merchant and from him received news that a 20 gun British ship was at sea and might be foolish enough to attack Didon 32 Didon s commander Captain Milius decided to await the arrival of the British ship and take her as a prize On 10 August 1805 the two vessels met off Cape Finisterre Phoenix was able to approach and engage Didon before the French realised that she was a larger frigate than they had anticipated 32 The action lasted several hours with Baker on one occasion having his hat shot off his head 33 Finally the French surrendered at 43 16 N 12 14 W 43 267 N 12 233 W 43 267 12 233 34 Phoenix had 12 killed and 28 wounded the French sustained losses of 27 killed and 44 wounded 35 By intercepting the ship carrying the despatches for Allemand Baker had unwittingly played a role in bringing about the battle of Trafalgar but he was to play an even greater role a few days later possibly even staving off an invasion of England 31 In 1847 the Admiralty awarded the Naval General service Medal with clasp Phoenix 10 Augt 1805 to all surviving claimants from the action nbsp The battle scarred HMS Phoenix and Didon shortly after their engagement on 10 August 1805 depicted by Thomas WhitcombeWhile sailing to Gibraltar with his prize in tow Baker fell in with the 74 gun HMS Dragon on 14 August 31 36 The following day the combined fleet under Villeneuve heading for Brest and then on to Boulogne to escort the French invasion forces across the Channel sighted the three British ships Villeneuve mistook the British ships for scouts from the Channel Fleet and fled south to avoid an action 31 37 38 A furious Napoleon raged What a Navy What an admiral All those sacrifices for nought 37 Villeneuve s failure to press north was a decisive point of the Trafalgar Campaign as far as the invasion of England went for abandoning all hope of fulfilling his plans to secure control of the Channel Napoleon gathered the Armee d Angleterre now renamed the Grande Armee and headed east to attack the Austrians in the Ulm Campaign 37 39 The British ships altered their course and made for Plymouth where they arrived on 3 September having prevented an attempt by their French prisoners to capture Phoenix and retake Didon 40 Channel edit Although Phoenix had missed the battle of Trafalgar she saw action in November 1805 Baker was under orders to patrol west of the Isles of Scilly when meeting some merchantmen he received intelligence that they had seen a small squadron of presumably French ships of the line in the Bay of Biscay The British were looking for the celebrated Rochefort squadron of five sail of the line three frigates and two brigs under Rear admiral Zacharie Allemand which was loose somewhere in the Atlantic the Allemand s expedition of 1805 Baker decide to investigate On 2 November 1805 Phoenix discovered four ships which Baker presumed to be part of the Rochefort squadron but were actually vessels under Rear Admiral Dumanoir consisting of four French ships of the line that had escaped Trafalgar Phoenix sailed in search of Sir Robert Strachan s squadron to report the find who as it happened was fairly close by During the ensuing Battle of Cape Ortegal Phoenix and the other British frigates harassed the French rear While doing so she helped to capture the French ship Scipion which was then commissioned into the Royal Navy During the action Phoenix lost two men killed and four wounded 41 Serving aboard Phoenix at this time as First lieutenant was Samuel Brown later to become a distinguished engineer and reach the rank of captain In December 1805 Captain Zachary Mudge took command of Phoenix In the first week of January 1807 Phoenix and the hired armed brig Colpoys sent into Plymouth Cupedo which had been sailing from Montevideo to St Sebastian 42 On 17 January 1808 off Rochefort Phoenix observed a French squadron under Admiral Ganteaume putting to sea Phoenix despatched the 18 gun brig sloop Raleigh to England with the information and sailed in search of the watching squadron under Strachan which bad weather had driven out to sea Not finding Strachan Phoenix too sailed for England having informed the gun brig Attack of the news Attack found Strachan on 23 January but bad weather and other difficulties delayed Strachan and he was unable to intercept the French before they reached Toulon 43 In March 1809 Phoenix received some 32 pounder carronades On 28 January 1810 Phoenix with the ship sloop Jalouse chased the 14 gun French privateer brig Charles but lost her in thick fog The next day Phoenix discovered Charles anchored close under the French coast A cutting out expedition then went in with boats Charles had a crew of 70 men who resisted killing one seaman on Phoenix and wounding another 44 Still the boats succeeded in taking Charles where they found two English masters and 13 seamen who had been taken out of vessels a few days previously One of the vessels Charles had captured was David Wilkinson master which had been sailing from Newfoundland to Waterford Her captors sent Charles into Plymouth 45 b Later career edit nbsp Phoenix beating into Marsamashet Harbor Malta by J BushmanIn 1810 Captain James Bowen assumed command of Phoenix and sailed her for the East Indies on 11 May 1810 2 On 4 July she and the convoy of East Indiamen she was escorting were all well at 8 52 S 26 30 W 8 867 S 26 500 W 8 867 26 500 48 Captain William Webley assumed command of Phoenix in 1813 and held the post until September 1814 2 From 14 September 1814 on her last captain was Charles Austen brother of the novelist Jane Austen In 1815 following Napoleon s escape from Elba the Admiralty sent Phoenix Undaunted and Garland to the Adriatic to co operate with the Austrians and to prevent the escape of some Neapolitan warships Phoenix and Garland watched two large frigates at Brindisi while Undaunted searched the coast to the northward After the surrender of Naples following the Treaty of Casalanza Austen persuaded the captains of the two Neapolitan frigates to switch their allegiance to the restored monarch Ferdinand IV of Naples 49 Phoenix Aquilon Garland and Renard next proceeded to the Greek Archipelago in search of a French squadron comprising the frigate Junon the 32 gun corvette Victorieuse two brigs and two large schooners which had been preying on trade in the area Unfortunately Austen discovered that the enemy was no longer in the islands shortly afterwards peace was restored 49 Fate editPhoenix was lost in a storm off Smyrna Izmir on 20 February 1816 due to the ignorance of her pilots when a sudden change of wind threw her on the shore Fortunately all aboard her survived the vessel was so close to the shore that her fallen top gallant mast reached from the wreck to the shore Also Renard helped save her crew 50 Austen was able to procure a storehouse for the crew where they were provided with fires bread and wine Mr Curotavich of Chisme took in Austen and his officers supplying them with clothes food and beds 51 While the crew was in Smyrna Austen had to have several members flogged for drunkenness and thieving 52 On 2 March the British burnt Phoenix to the water s edge to get her copper bolts 50 They then sold the remains to Mr Curotavich that same day for 600 The transport Zodiac took the crew to Malta 52 The subsequent court martial absolved Austen of blame Miscellany editThe earliest example of the use of HMS as an abbreviation is a reference to HMS Phoenix in 1789 53 Notes edit Victoire may have been the privateer of two guns and 28 men that HMS Mutine had captured near Genoa on 29 March 1800 22 Charles was a 14 gun privateer from Bordeaux From December 1808 she was under the command of Captain Plassiard who commanded a crew of 90 men 46 She was a joint venture between Plassiard the merchant Balguerie and the Protestant merchants Baour freres She made a voyage to Senegal and on her return in 1809 the partners fitted her out as a privateer 47 Citations edit No 20939 The London Gazette 26 January 1849 p 238 a b c Winfield 2008 p 139 James 1837 Vol 1 118 9 No 13601 The London Gazette 7 December 1793 p 1100 No 13704 The London Gazette 16 September 1794 p 946 No 13611 The London Gazette 7 January 1794 p 28 Roger Houghton A Peoples History 1793 1844 from the newspapers Prize taking United Service Magazine 1841 380 a b c James The naval history of Great Britain Vol 1 p 363 a b c d e f g No 13894 The London Gazette 21 May 1796 pp 491 492 a b c Allen 1852 p 428 James 1837 Vol 1 pp 292 and 327 No 13981 The London Gazette 18 February 1797 p 173 No 14029 The London Gazette 18 July 1797 p 681 No 14011 The London Gazette 20 May 1797 p 459 No 15013 The London Gazette 5 May 1798 p 378 No 15036 The London Gazette 26 June 1798 p 592 No 15107 The London Gazette 12 February 1799 p 150 a b c Winfield 2008 p 130 No 15253 The London Gazette 29 April 1800 p 421 No 15262 The London Gazette 1 June 1800 p 561 No 15278 The London Gazette 22 July 1800 pp 842 843 Troude 1867 pp 240 1 No 15298 The London Gazette 30 September 1800 p 1130 Gosset 1986 p 27 No 15358 The London Gazette 25 April 1801 p 446 No 15428 The London Gazette 17 November 1801 p 1384 No 15426 The London Gazette 10 November 1801 pp 1354 1355 James 1837 p 138 No 15426 The London Gazette 10 November 1801 p 1355 a b c d e Tracy 2006 p 20 a b c James The Naval History of Great Britain p 164 James The Naval History of Great Britain pp 168 9 No 15838 The London Gazette 27 August 1805 p 1091 No 15840 The London Gazette 3 September 1805 p 1115 James The Naval History of Great Britain p 170 a b c Adkin The Trafalgar Companion p 57 Mostert The Line Upon the Wind p 470 Mostert The Line Upon the Wind p 471 James The Naval History of Great Britain p 171 James 1837 Vol 4 103 106 Lloyd s List no 4116 1 Retrieved 22 February 2014 James 1837 Vol 5 p 3 No 16339 The London Gazette 3 February 1810 p 178 Lloyd s List 4430 Retrieved 18 November 2015 Demerliac 2003 p 288 2305 Crowhurst 1989 p 113 Lloyd s List 4489 a b Marshall 1828 Supplement Part 2 pp 75 6 a b Gosset 1986 p 97 Charles Austen s log book entry quoted in Myer 1997 223 a b Hepper 1994 p 154 HMS The Oxford Companion to Ships and the Sea Oxford Oxford University Press 2006 Encyclopedia com 16 September 2009 2 dead link References editAllen Joseph 1852 Battles of the British Navy Vol 1 Henry G Bohn Colledge J J Warlow Ben 2006 1969 Ships of the Royal Navy The Complete Record of all Fighting Ships of the Royal Navy Rev ed London Chatham Publishing ISBN 978 1 86176 281 8 Crowhurst Patrick 1989 The French War on Trade Privateering 1793 1815 Scholar Press ISBN 0 85967 8040 Demerliac Alain 2003 La Marine du Consulat et du Premier Empire Nomenclature des Navires Francais de 1800 A 1815 in French Editions Ancre ISBN 2 903179 30 1 Gosset William Patrick 1986 The lost ships of the Royal Navy 1793 1900 Mansell ISBN 0 7201 1816 6 Hepper David J 1994 British Warship Losses in the Age of Sail 1650 1859 Rotherfield Jean Boudriot ISBN 0 948864 30 3 James William 1837 Naval History of Great Britain 1793 1827 London Marshall John 1823 1835 Index Royal Naval Biography London Longman and company Myer Valerie Grosvenor 1997 Jane Austen obstinate heart a biography New York Arcade ISBN 978 1 55970 387 1 Tracy Nicholas 2006 Who s who in Nelson s Navy 200 Naval Heroes London Chatham Publishing ISBN 1 86176 244 5 Troude O 1867 Batailles navales de la France in French Vol 3 Paris Challamel aine The United Service Magazine Vol 2 H Colburn 1841 Urban Sylvanus 1849 The Gentleman s Magazine Vol XXXI January to June London John Bowyer Nichols and Sons Winfield Rif 2007 British Warships in the Age of Sail 1714 1792 Design Construction Careers and Fates Seaforth ISBN 978 1844157006 Winfield Rif 2008 British Warships in the Age of Sail 1793 1817 Design Construction Careers and Fates Seaforth Publishing ISBN 978 1 86176 246 7 External links edit nbsp Media related to HMS Phoenix ship 1783 at Wikimedia Commons Overview of HMS Phoenix Naval Database Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title HMS Phoenix 1783 amp oldid 1213678272, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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