HMS Recruit (1806)
| 300px Intrepid behaviour of Captn Charles Napier, in H M 18 gun Brig Recruit for which he was appointed to the D' Haupoult. The 74 now pouring a broadside into her. April 15 1809. Hautpoult can be seen in the background. | |
| Career (UK) |  |
|---|---|
| Name: | HMS Recruit |
| Ordered: | 27 January 1806 |
| Builder: | Andrew Hills, Sandwich, Kent |
| Laid down: | April 1806 |
| Launched: | 31 August 1806 |
| Fate: | Sold for breaking up 7 August 1822 |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type: | 18-gun Cruizer class brig-sloop |
| Tons burthen: | 383 bm |
| Length: |
100 ft (30 m) (overall) 77 ft 3.5 in (23.559 m) (keel) |
| Beam: | 30 ft 6 in (9.30 m) |
| Depth of hold: | 12 ft 9 in (3.89 m) |
| Propulsion: | Sails |
| Sail plan: | Brig-sloop |
| Complement: | 121 |
| Armament: |
|
HMS Recruit was an 18-gun Cruizer class brig-sloop of the Royal Navy, launched in 1806 at Sandwich, Kent. She is best known for an act of pique by Cmdr. Warwick Lake, who marooned a seaman, and for an inconclusive but hard fought ship action under Cmdr. Charles John Napier against the French corvette Diligente. She captured a number of American vessels as prizes during the War of 1812 before being laid up in 1815 and sold for breaking up in 1822.
Recruit was ordered on 27 January 1806 from the shipwright Andrew Hills, of Sandwich, Kent. She was laid down in April 1806 and launched on 31 August 1806.[1]
Contents
Napoleonic Wars
The marooning of Seaman Jeffrey
Recruit was commissioned under Cmdr. George Ackholm in March 1807. Then in July sailed to the Caribbean under Cmdr. Lake.[1] During the voyage, a young sailor named Robert Jeffrey was discovered to have stolen the midshipmen's beer and Lake furiously ordered him to be marooned on the island of Sombrero. Some months later, Lake's commanding officer Sir Alexander Cochrane discovered what had happened and immediately ordered Lake to retrieve Jeffrey. When Recruit arrived at Sombrero, Jeffrey could not be found. Eventually the story got out and a court martial dismissed Lake from the service for his actions. As it turned out, Jeffery had been picked up by an American ship and was eventually discovered in Massachusetts. He was returned to Britain and awarded compensation.[2]
Captain Charles Napier
Command passed to Cmdr. Napier, who led Recruit into action against the French corvette Diligente on 6 September 1808.[1] The action was fierce and resulted in Recruit losing her mainmast and suffering heavy casualties, including Napier, whose leg was broken by a cannon shot. Diligente was only driven off after a lucky shot from Recruit ignited an ammunition store. Recruit lost six killed and 23 wounded, half of them mortally, out of a crew of 106.[3]
Following repairs, Recruit participated in the invasion of Martinique in January 1809. Napier observed that Fort Edward at Fort Royal Bay appeared abandoned. He took a gig and with four men, landed, scaled the fort's walls, and hoisted a British flag. Sir Alexander Cochrane immediately landed marines to occupy the fort and turn its mortars, which had not been spiked, against the French.[4] In 1847 the Admiralty authorized the issuance of the Naval General Service Medal with clasp "MARTINIQUE" to all survivors of the campaign.
Shortly thereafter, Napier was promoted to Post-captain and to Jason, but remained with Recruit for a few more months. Thus he participated in the defeat of a French reinforcement squadron in April. During the engagement, Napier was instrumental in maintaining contact with the French force, harrying their flagship D'Hautpoult continuously at some great risk to Recruit that only Napier's skillful shiphandling mitigated. Recruit was present at the surrender of the D'Hautpoult and Napier was temporarily appointed to command the captured ship of the line, but then removed to Jason and sailed her back to Britain. However, on his arrival the Admiralty confirmed his rank but not his appointment, and he was put on half-pay. Jason's new captain was the Hon. Captain King, who had been Napier's passenger on Jason. Napier protested to the Admiralty that had he not stayed on Recruit and contributed to the capture of the D'Hautpoult he would have received a command, but to no avail.[5]
In June 1809 command of Recruit transferred to Cmdr. James Murray and then in May 1810 to Cmdr. John Cookesley.[1]
War of 1812
In December 1810 Cmdr. Humphrey Senhouse took command and later sailed Recruit back to Britain. In 1811, Recruit was at Spithead. She sailed for North America on 9 November 1811. She was at Halifax, Nova Scotia at the outbreak of the War of 1812. In 1813, Recruit was trapped in ice off Cape Breton where over half her complement were taken ill with sicknesses related to a lack of fresh vegetables. On 10 July she captured the privateer Yorktown, and eight days later she captured the privateer Lavinia. then on 20 August she captured the American ship King George. In May 1813, under the command of Lieut. George Pechell (acting commander), she drove the privateer Inca ashore off Georgia.[1]
On 4 January 1814 she captured the merchantman Mary Ann. Cmdr. Thomas Sykes assumed command in February 1814;[1] and on 10 August she captured the American merchantman Federalist. Sykes' successor in 1815 was Cmdr. John Lawrence.
Fate
On 13 June 1815, Recruit was paid off into Ordinary at Plymouth. She was sold to R. Forbes on 7 August 1822 for ₤1,050.[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.
- Lyon, David and Winfield, Rif (2004) The Sail and Steam Navy List, All the Ships of the Royal Navy 1815-1889. (Chatham). ISBN 1-86176-032-9
- Derriman, James (2006) Marooned. (Polpero Heritage Press). ISBN 0954913779
- Napier, Edward Delaval Hungerford Elers (1862) The life and correspondence of Admiral Sir Charles Napier, K.C.B., from personal recollections, letters, and official documents .... (London: Hurst and Blackett).
- Winfield, Rif (2008). British Warships in the Age of Sail 1793–1817: Design, Construction, Careers and Fates. Seaforth. ISBN 1861762461.
- Ships of the Old Navy
