HMS Pomone (1811)
| Career (France) |  |
|---|---|
| Name: | Astrée |
| Namesake: | Astraea |
| Builder: | Cherbourg |
| Laid down: | May 1808 |
| Launched: | 1 May 1809 |
| Commissioned: | 22 July 1809 |
| Captured: | 4 December 1810 |
| Career (UK) |  |
| Name: | HMS Pomone |
| Acquired: | 4 December 1810 |
| Commissioned: | February 1812 |
| Fate: | Broken up in 1816 |
| General characteristics | |
| Armament: |
British service: 44 guns |
| Armour: | Timber |
The Astrée was a 44-gun Pallas-class frigate of the French Navy, launched at Cherbourg in 1809. The Royal Navy captured her in 1810 and took her into service under her French name, but then in 1811 recommissioned her as HMS Pomone. She served during the War of 1812 and was broken up after the war, in 1816.
French service
She took part in the campaign in the Indian Ocean under Captain Le Marant, part of Hamelin's squadron. She was present in the final stages of the Battle of Grand Port.
Astrée came to be part of a squadron under Pierre Bouvet, who had assumed command of the French squadron at Grand Port after Duperré was wounded, and had been promoted to capitaine de frégate. The squadron also comprised Iphigenia as a flagship, and the sloop Entreprenant.
On 12 September 1810, Bouvet's squadron intercepted HMS Africaine (commanded by Commodore Corbett) off Saint-Denis, as the frigate HMS Boadicea, the corvette HMS Otter and the brig HMS Staunch were sailing from the bay of Saint-Paul. Bouvet lured the British into pursuit until midnight; at this time, Astrée was sent forwards, as if Iphigénie would attempt to slow Africaine down to allow the rest of the squadron to flee. At 3 AM, Astrée regained her place at the rear of the squadron; the weather, which had been rough, improved somewhat, and in the moonlight Astrée suddenly found herself at gun range of Africaine. A gunnery duel followed immediately, in which Astrée had her rigging damaged; she closed in to Iphigénie, Africaine in close pursuit. She soon found herself under fire from Iphigénie at point-black range, her guns still trained at Astrée. After half an hour of gunnery and rifle exchanged, in which the French had the upper hand, the British attempted a boarding, which Iphigénie easily eluded and which gave Astrée an opportunity for raking her bow. At 4:30, Africaine struck her colour. All officers of Africaine had been killed or wounded in the action, save for Colonel Barry, and only 69 men were uninjured. Bouvet was given Corbett's dagger, which he kept ever since [1]. The French abandoned Africaine and the next day HMS Boadicea recaptured her.[2]
On 3 December 1810, the Île de France fell to the British. The ships moored at the island were surrendered, including Iphigénie, Bellone and Astrée. The British took Astrée into service as a 38-gun, fifth-rate frigate and renamed her HMS Pomone on 26 October 1811,[3] the previous HMS Pomone having been wrecked earlier in the month.[4]
British service
Pomone underwent repairs at Portsmouth from November 1811 to April 1812. She was commissioned under Captain Robert Lambert in February 1812.[5] At some point Captain Francis Fane took command, and on 23 May 1812 sailed her for Newfoundland. Captain Philip Cartaret took command in December 1812.[5]
On 26 May 1813, Pomone received salvage from the owners on the recapture of the two Spanish vessels El Correv Diligente de Carraccas and Nostra Senora de los Desemperados. She apparently shared the reward with Tuscan.[6]
Early on the morning of 21 October 1813, Pomone was in the Bay of Biscay repairing damage following a gale in which she had lost her fore-yard. By chance she fell in with a ship under jury masts that proved to be a French frigate.[7]
Carteret was about to attack when another vessel, which appeared to be a frigate, and a brig flying French colours, appeared out of the haze, followed by three more indistinct vessels. To avoid hazarding Pomone, Carteret got well to windward of them. However, when the wind cleared in the afternoon it was discovered that they were all merchantmen except for the disabled frigate and the second ship.[7]
Carteret bore up to attack the second frigate but she turned out to be a large Portuguese East Indiaman, which the French had taken and the British retaken. Carteret then went off in a vain four day search for the crippled frigate before learning that Andromache had captured her on 23 October. The French frigate turned out to be the 46-gun Trave.
An anonymous letter from "The Pomone's Ship's Company" was passed to the Admiral at Lisbon asserting with respect to Carteret that "he had run from a French frigate". Carteret asked for a court martial to clear his name. The court martial took place at Plymouth on Salvador del Mundo on 31 December. When no one could be found to offer testimony against him, Carteret summoned those he suspected, plus one quarter of the ship's company chosen by lot. After the Board had examined the witnesses the Board acquitted Carteret of all blame in not bringing the enemy to action.[7]
After service in the North Sea and the waters around France, Pomone sailed to the east coast of the United States to serve during the War of 1812. With HMS Cydnus, Pomone captured the American privateer Bunker's Hill (the former HMS Linnet), on 4 March 1814. Bunker's Hill carried 14 guns and 86 men. Previously very successful, she had been cruising for eight days out of Morlaix without making a single capture.
Pomone was also part of the squadron that captured the USS President on 15 January 1815. In April 1815 Carteret moved to Desiree and Capt. John Lumley took over command.[5]
Fate
In the summer of 1815 Pomone was paid off at Chatham. She was broken up at Deptford in June of 1816.[3]
References
- ↑ Un extrait des mémoires de l'amiral Bouvet
- ↑ NAVAL HISTORY of GREAT BRITAIN - Vol V
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 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.
- ↑ "HMS Pomone - Needles Wreck Site". Isle of Wight Council website. http://www.iwight.com/council/departments/museums/Museum_of_Island_History/Past_Exhibitions/SHIPWRECK/HMS_POMONE/. Retrieved 2007-03-10.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Winfield (2008), p.181.
- ↑ London Gazette, 22 June 1821.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 Gentlemen's Magazine September 1828, p. 276.
- Sailing Ships of the Royal Navy
- Winfield, Rif (2008). British Warships in the Age of Sail 1793–1817: Design, Construction, Careers and Fates. Seaforth. ISBN 1861762461.
