HMS Magnet (1807)
HMS Magnet (1807) was a Cruizer class brig-sloop built at Robert Guillaume’s yard at Northam and launched in 1807.[1] She served in the Baltic where she took one prize before wrecking in 1809.
Contents
Baltic
She was commissioned under Lieut. George Morris, who sailed her for the Baltic.[1] During the Finnish War or (Russo-Swedish War of 1808-1809) Sweden and Britain were allies and Britain had stationed a squadron there with as its main objective preventing the Russian high seas fleet from putting to sea.
On the 20th August, the frigate Salsette, the ship sloop Ariel and Magnet joined the squadron under Samuel Hood in Centaur , which was blockading the Russian fleet in Rogerwick Bay.[Note 1] On 30 August Sir James Saumarez arrived in Victory, together with a number of other ships of the line and Cruizer, Magnet's sister and the name ship of their class. A number of other smaller vessels also arrived the next day.
The British made no real attempt to attack the Russians at Rogerwick. On 30 September the British raised the blockade and sailed for Karlskrona; the Russians immediately sailed for Kronstadt. The bulk of the British fleet, including Saumarez, then departed Karlskrona for Britain, arriving in the Downs on 8 December. Magnet was one of the ships that stayed behind in the Baltic for trade protection purposes.
While cruising off the island of Bornholm on 5 December, Morris discovered a cutter inshore. He disguised Magnet (how is not clear), and succeeded in enticing her out. Magnet chased the cutter through the afternoon and caught up with her at dusk. The cutter was the Danish privateer Paulina, of 10 4 and 8-pounder guns and a crew of 42 men. By the time Magnet succeeded in taking the cutter only three guns remained as she had thrown the others overboard in her attempt to gain speed and escape. Paulina had been out from Copenhagen 12 days but had made no captures.
Loss
Salsette, the brig-sloop Fama, Magnet, and two Swedish naval vessels left Karlskrona on 23 December with the last convoy of the year. They met bad weather with strong winds and sleet.
Fama parted company and was wrecked on the north-east point of Bornholm Island.[2] The convoy sought shelter off Falsterbo on Christmas Day and remained there until 6 January 1809 when they weighed and attempted to reach Malmo. Ice blocked the entrance and the Swedish frigate Camilla and six ships of the convoy went aground.[3] Magnet and three other ships of the convoy were driven onto Saltholm Shoal on 11 January. The Magnet was got off but ran into further difficulties in the ice, finally being run ashore west of Malmo.[3] Morris managed to get his entire crew of 120 safely ashore and they eventually arrived in Gothenburg; Magnet was a complete loss.[4]
The teak-built Salsette escaped after being stuck in the ice for more than two months.
Note
References
- Gossett, William Patrick (1986) The lost ships of the Royal Navy, 1793-1900. (London:Mansell). ISBN 0-7201-1816-6
- Grocott, Terence (1997). Shipwrecks of the revolutionary and Napoleonic eras. Chatham. ISBN 1-86176-030-2.
- Winfield, Rif (2008). British Warships in the Age of Sail 1793–1817: Design, Construction, Careers and Fates. Seaforth. ISBN 1861762461.
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