HMS Raven (1804)

For other ships of the same name, see HMS Raven.

HMS Raven (1804) was a Cruizer class brig-sloop built by Perry, Wells and Green at Blackwall Yard and launched in 1804. Although she embodied some interesting innovations tailored for service in the area of the Straits of Gibraltar, she was wrecked before she even got on station and so never got to test them. Her captain, the innovator, was the subject of a miscarriage of justice in his court martial for the loss of his ship from which his career never recovered.

Service

She was commissioned under Cmdr. William Layman in August. Based on his experience in the Straits of Gibraltar with Weazle he had a number of ideas of what modifications to existing vessels would make them more successful in operating in that area. (Weazle, with Layman in command, had wrecked on 1 March 1804 when a gale drove her near Cabritta Point in Gibraltar Bay and smashed to pieces, with the loss of one man killed.) Layman was a protégé of Lord Nelson’s with whom he had served on three ships, and with Nelson’s support he was allowed to implement some of his ideas.

All Layman had the time to do was to make changes to Raven's armament. He had her two foremost ports closed and the guns removed. To replace them he had a single 68-pounder carronade mounted on a traverse immediately before the fore-mast in a way that it could fire over the gunwales. Similarly, a second 68-pounder replaced the two stern chasers. The idea was that should the vessel be becalmed and threatened by gunboats she could present a powerful response on any azimuth.

Loss

On 21 January 1805 Raven sailed with dispatches for Lord Nelson, whose squadron she was to join, and for Sir John Orde off Cadiz. When she arrived off Cadiz on 28 January there was no sign of Orde's squadron.

Layman reduced sail, and finding that there was no bottom at 80 fathoms (150 m) assumed that they were about 25 nautical miles (50 km) out, hove-to for the night. When he retired he left instructions that the watch should take soundings every half hour.

At about midnight he was called with the news that the lights of the squadron had been sighted but before he could get on deck the officer of the watch reported that they were really the lights of Cadiz. The lead showed 10 fathoms (18 m)10 fathoms rapidly shoaling to 5 fathoms (9 m) as they veered.

At daylight Layman found that Raven was close inshore between Spanish warships at anchor off Cadiz and batteries in a fort at Santa Catalina. In spite of a strong wind from the west he managed to beat out over the shoals until the main yard broke and Raven was forced to anchor off Rota.

The wind increased to gale strength and the anchor cables parted. The gale then threw Raven broadside on to the beach at Santa Catalina. Only two men were lost; they disobeyed Layman’s orders and drowned while trying to reach shore at the height of the gale.

Raven herself was unsalvageable, though the Spaniards were able to recover her carronades. The Spanish took the crew prisoners but gave the officers liberty to journey where they wished within a range of 200 nautical miles (370 km). Shortly thereafter the officers were exchanged.

Court martial

When Layman made inquiries amongst the crew he found that the lead had not been used as he had instructed and that when the lights had first been seen the Officer of the Watch was below and not sober. He reported these findings to Nelson after he had been exchanged.

Unfortunately Nelson advised Layman not to submit his accusations against his Boatswain, Master and Officer of the Watch. Nelson feared that the Officer of the Watch would certainly be sentenced to death for his conduct. Nelson assured Layman that "You will not be censured."

However, Nelson had misjudged the situation. The court martial on 9 March ordered Layman to be reprimanded severely and sentenced him to loss of seniority. Apparently there was one member of the court martial who was particularly adamant the Layman be censured. Layman may have annoyed some senior officers with his outspoken suggestions for improvements to the Navy and its vessels.

Layman appealed his sentence, with support from Nelson, but the Admiralty was not willing to overturn the court martial verdict. Unfortunately, Nelson fell at Trafalgar and so could not rescue Layman.

Apparently, subsequent courts martial dealt with Layman’s officers. The Board judged that the Master, John Edwards had been negligent in not monitoring Raven's movements. He was barred for two years from being able to sit for the examination for promotion to Lieutenant. The Court Martial of Raven's Second Lieutenant, who had been the officer of the watch, resulted in his being dismissed from the service.

References

• "Biographical Memoir of Captain William Layman, of the Royal Navy". Naval Chronicle (1817), vol. 38, pp. 1–18 & 89–113.
• Gossett, William Patrick (1986) The lost ships of the Royal Navy, 1793-1900. (London:Mansell). ISBN 0-7201-1816-6
• Winfield, Rif (2008). British Warships in the Age of Sail 1793–1817: Design, Construction, Careers and Fates. Seaforth. ISBN 1861762461.