Nelson & His World

We all know that the British Navy was an extremely dominant force during the Revolutionary/Napoleonic wars but I don't think I had realised until now quite HOW dominant.

I happened upon an old newspaper article from the 1840s which contained these summary figures.

Between 1793 and 1815:

British ships of the line: Captured 5 Destroyed 0

Enemy ships of the line: Captured 113 Destroyed 30

I don't know for certain that these numbers are correct but if so that is definitely more extreme than I had realised. I might try and do a few rough calculations and see if I can get anywhere near these numbers.

Meanwhile if anyone else would care to comment . . . . . . . .

MB

These stats have certainly got me intrigued.

Especially the fact that only 5 British ships-of-the-line were captured and none destroyed in a war that lasted nigh on 22 years!

I have done some very detailed digging to see if I could determine what ships they were and the details surrounding the capture.

Well so far I got to 4!

1794 HMS Alexander (74). Captured after escorting a convoy to Spain. Recaptured in 1795.

1795 HMS Berwick (74). Berwick lost her masts during a refit and was jury rigged. She sailed to join the British fleet at Leghorn, but ran into the French fleet. Her captain was killed. Command then devolved upon Lieutenant Nesbit Palmer, who consulted with the other officers. Palmer decided that Berwick was unable to escape in her disabled state and that all further resistance was useless; he then ordered that Berwick strike her colours. Recaptured at Trafalgar.

1798 HMS Leander (50 gun 4th rate). Carrying Nelson's dispatches from the Nile and accompanied by Sir Edward Berry, Leander encountered the 74-gun French third rate Généreux off Crete on 18 August 1798. Both ships had been at the Battle of the Nile. Recaptured in 1799.

1801 HMS Hannibal (74). Ran aground during the First Battle of Algeciras on 5 July 1801, which resulted in her capture. She then served in the French Navy until she was broken up in 1824.

I'LL KEEP HUNTING FOR NO.5 BUT IF SOMEONE CAN BEAT ME TO IT I'LL BE MORE THAN GRATEFUL.

Swiftsure 74 (Ben Hallowell) Captured by Ganteaume's squadron June 24th 1801 in the Mediterranean.

Brian

Thanks you Brian. That's brilliant. I'm pretty sure those must be the 5 referred to in that article.

It's even more extraordinary that 4 of the 5 British ships captured were later REcaptured.

As soon as time allows I will make a stab at all the enemy ships captured and destroyed. If I can get within 10 or so of the total I'll be a "happy bunny".

Thanks again.

MB