HMS Mutine (1806)
| Career (UK) |  |
|---|---|
| Name: | HMS Mutine |
| Builder: | Chapman, Bideford |
| Launched: | 15 August 1806 |
| Fate: | Sold on 3 February 1819 |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type: | 18-gun Cruizer class brig-sloop |
| Tons burthen: | 386 bm |
| Length: | 100 ft 6 in (30.63 m) |
| Beam: | 30 ft 6 in (9.30 m) |
| Propulsion: | Sails |
| Armament: |
16 guns:
|
HMS Mutine was a Royal Navy 18-gun Cruizer class brig-sloop, built by Henry Tucker at Bideford and launched in 1806.[1] During her career she was under fire in Danish waters, in the Bay of Biscay, and at Algiers. She also visited North America, South America, and the West Coast of Africa. She was sold in 1819.
Contents
Career
Danish waters
From August 1806 Mutine came under the command of Cmdr. Hew Stewart, and spent 1807 fitting out at Plymouth for the North Sea and the Baltic Sea. She then participated in Britain's Gunboat War with Denmark during the Napoleonic Wars.
Mutine's first duties involved escorting the King's German Legion to and from the island of Rugen. In August 1808, she covered the landings of British troops at Køge, south of Copenhagen, where they set up a battery north of Køge in preparation for laying siege to the Danish capital. When a number of Danish gun-vessels attempted to interfere in these operations, the British mustered a flotilla consisting of Mutine, Hebe and Cruizer, and four bomb vessels, Thunder, Vesuvius, Aetna and Zebra. Captain Peter Puget of Goliath took command of the flotilla and deployed to protect the troops.
On 22 August a Danish fleet consisting of three praams, each carrying 20 guns, and over 30 gunboats, attacked the inshore squadron off the entrance to the harbour at Copenhagen. The Danish ships were supported by fire from a number of floating batteries and block-ships. The battle lasted for four hours, but resulted in little damage and few casualties.
On 2 October, the Juliana, out of Liverpool had encountered and driven off a French privateer 200 miles west of Scilly. The next day, Juliana spotted a brig, and after closing on her under a French flag, raised the English flag and boarded her. Suspicious because her captain was carrying several different sets of papers, Captain Bibby of the Juliana planned to take her into Liverpool. Mutine arrived on the scene in the evening, and after ascertaining the situation, Captain Stewart took over the prize vessel, by now identified as the Joannah, and put his own crew aboard her.
South America
By May 1808 command of the Mutine had passed to Cmdr. Charles Montague Fabian. He sailed to Sierra Leone via Madeira and Goree, to deliver the new governor of the colony, Thomas Perronet Thompson.[2] Mutine then returned to Britain. Fabian sailed for Brazil on 8 November.[1]
Mutine was part of the squadron under Rear Admiral Michael de Courcy when Agamemnon wrecked near the island of Gorita in the Rio de Plata on 20 June 1809. Her carpenter joined those of Agamemnon, Bedford, Elizabeth and Foudroyant in signing a document attesting that although Agamemnon might be righted, pumped out and somewhat repaired, she was effectively a total loss.[3] Mutine remained on station, helping with the salvage operations, particularly of the cannons, 38 of which were rescued and landed at Gorita.[4]
Mutine was also anchored in the harbour of Buenos Aires on 25 May 1810 during May Week when the revolution broke out in the city. Captain Fabian broke out bunting and saluted the revolution with salvos of cannon. He also gave a rousing speech on liberty and revolution, praising the revolutionaries for having gained their freedom. By 7 August Mutine was back in Britain, reporting to Lord Wellesley on the revolution in Argentina.
Battle with the French
On 22 October 1810, Cmdr. Frederick William Burgoyne briefly took command before passing it on on 31 October to Cmdr. Nevison de Courcy, who sailed her in 1812, to Quebec, and then home.[1]
In 1813, Mutine was operating in the Western Approaches. De Courcy spotted a strange sail on his lee bow on the morning of 17 April, whilst sailing in the Bay of Biscay, and gave chase. By 2 o'clock in the afternoon the stranger had hoisted French colours and opened fire with her stern chasers. The Mutine’s rigging was disabled and she began to fall astern. She managed to stay close enough though to enable her to carry out an exchange of fire that lasted two hours. Mutine's fire took away the Frenchman's main-top-gallant-mast and jibs, allowing Mutine to close with him. After a further 50 minutes of battering, the French vessel struck. She was found to be the privateer Invincible, carrying 16 guns (12 French caliber 18-pounder carronades and four long 6-pounders). Mutine took the crew of 86, partly Americans, prisoner. Mutine had suffered only two men slightly wounded in the engagement.
Invincible was later recaptured by the American privateer Alexander, but was soon recaptured by boats from Shannon and Tenedos on 16 May and sent to Halifax. The Alexander did not last much longer, being driven ashore off Kenebank by Rattler on 19 May. The Alexander’s crew escaped to the shore, whilst Rattler pulled off the ship herself wand salvaged it with the assistance of the schooner Bream.
From 7 June 1814 Mutine sailed under Cmdr. James Athill in the Leeward Islands. From 15 October her captain was Cmdr. James Mould.[1]
Later years, and at Algiers
She took part in Lord Exmouth's punitive expedition against the Dey of Algiers, and was present at the Bombardment of Algiers in 1816. During the bombardment she was anchored off the port bow of HMS Impregnable, whilst the other sloops kept under way.
In October Cmdr. William Sargent took command for the Cork Station.[1] Most of Mutine’s remaining years were spent sailing on patrols along the south coast of England to Cork, Ireland.
Fate
Mutine was finally sold on 3 February 1819 to G. Young for ₤1,310.[1]
References
- 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. ISBN 9781861762818. OCLC 67375475.
- Deane, Anthony (1996) Nelson's favourite: HMS Agamemnon at war, 1781-1809. (Annapolis, Md.: Naval Institute Press).
- Johnson, Leonard G. (1857) General T. Perronet Thompson; 1783-1869. (London: George Allen & Unwin).
- HMS Mutine's career
- Winfield, Rif (2008). British Warships in the Age of Sail 1793–1817: Design, Construction, Careers and Fates. Seaforth. ISBN 1861762461.
