On this day 8 October - the HMS Modeste captures the French corvette Iéna

[7eat51]

On the 8th of October, 1808, the HMS Modeste (44) captured the French corvette Iéna (18) in the Bay of Bengal. Modeste, under the command of Captain George Elliot, gave chase to Iéna, under the command of Captain Maurice, after the French vessel approached her near the mouth of the Ganges river, having mistaken her for a merchant. After nine hours of pursuit, the two ships engaged in a night battle fought at musket range. For 2 1/2 hours, the ships exchanged fire until Iéna struck colors, having been dismasted, crippled, and taking in water. The number of casualties onboard Iéna is unclear, with accounts ranging from 0 to 5 French killed or wounded; Modeste lost her master and a seaman was wounded. Iéna was en route to the Persian Gulf with dispatches, and was carrying 25,000 dollars she took from a ship named Swallow. Iéna was accompanied by an Arab prize, the Frederick, which the British retook. The British commissioned Iéna as the HMS Victor, an 18-gun sloop.

George Elliot:




For more on today's event:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_corvette_Revenant
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HMS_Modeste_(1793)

[csadn]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_corvette_Revenant

Another of those "black cloud" ships....

[Gunner]

A 2 1/2 hour battle at musket range and only 0 to 5 French killed or wounded and the British had 1 dead and one wounded.
Sounds like I was rolling the dice for casualties.

[David Manley]

Another of those "black cloud" ships....

And a handy one for a future miniature release.

[Comte de Brueys]

A 18 gun corvette?

How would you use them for battles with 3rd rates and frigates?

Their strengh lied in speed and maneuverability. Chasing merchants, courier services, recon duty, etc...

As soon as this shipp gets a broadside from a 3rd rate, the party is over.

I don't know if you can play SoG in such a skilled way, to stay always out of range of one of the big ones and try to damage enemy ships.



Anyways it's a size you can put on a SoG ship base.