HMS Polyphemus (1782)
HMS Polyphemus was a John Williams designed Intrepid Class, 64 gun, ship of the line, built by M/shipwright George White until the March of 1778, and then by John Jenner until the May of 1779, she was completed by Henry Peake at Sheerness. Ordered on the 1st of December 1773 and approved on the 16th of that month, she was laid down in the January of 1776 and launched on the 27th of April, 1782, and completed, including coppering, on the 24th of July of that year.
Polyphemus
History Great Britain Name: HMS Polyphemus Ordered: 1 December 1773 Builder: Sheerness Dockyard. Laid down: January 1776 Launched: 27 April 1782 Honours and
awards:
- Battle of Cape Spartel
- Naval General Service Medal with clasps:
- "Copenhagen 1801"
- "Trafalgar"
- Boat Service "16 July 1806"
- Siege of Santo Domingo
Fate: Broken up, 1827 General characteristics Class and type: Intrepid Class 64 gun ship of the line Tons burthen: 140871⁄94 (bm) Length:
- 160 ft 0 in (48.8 m) (gundeck)
- 133 ft 3 in (40.6 m) (keel)
Beam: 44 ft 7 in (13.6 m) Depth of hold: 19 ft 0 in (5.8 m) Propulsion: Sails Sail plan: Full rigged ship Armament:
- Gundeck: 26 × 24-pounder guns
- Upper gundeck: 26 × 18-pounder guns
- QD: 10 × 4-pounder guns
- Fc: 2 × 9-pounder guns
Service.
HMS Polyphemus was commissioned under Captain William C. Finch in the April of 1782, and then sailed for Gibraltar forming a part of a British fleet under Admiral Richard Howe. They successfully resupplied Gibraltar which was in the process of being besieged by the French forces. Shortly after this, on the 20th of October in that year, the British fleet met the combined Franco-Spanish fleet under the command of Admiral Louis de Cordova y Cordova. The resulting Battle of Cape Spartel being indecisive. Polyphemus was part of the second division of the van, and suffered only four men wounded.
In the latter part of the year, Polyphemus, now under the command of Captain Thomas Sotheby sailed for the West Indies in a squadron commanded by Admiral Sir Richard Hughes. During the voyage, on the 6th of December off the Island of Martinique they encountered a French convoy. The British squadron attacked and in an action, which only lasted 40 minutes, the Ruby, under Captain John Collins, captured the French 64 gun ship Solitaire, which suffered dead and 55 wounded, wearas the Ruby escaped with only two men wounded. On arrival at Barbados two days following the action, the The Royal Navy took Solitaire into service as HMS Solitaire. Polyphemus shared with Ruby in the prize money for the capture of Solitaire, although the rest of the squadron were excluded, suggesting that Polyphemus had a hand in the capture or that she was the only other ship in sight when it was made.
Following the end of her wartime service in the June of 1783, she was paid off.. Then she underwent a small repair at Chatham between the December of that year and the September of 1784 at a cost of £6,371.10.4d. Another more substantial repair and refit took place between the also at Chatham between the December of 1793 and June 1794, this time at a cost of £8,771. In the April of that year during her refit she was recommissioned by Captain George Lumsdaine who was destined to command her until 1800.
The French Revolutionary Wars.
The following year on the 21st of September, 1795, Polyphemus and the Santa Margarita, a fifth rate ex Spanish prize, shared in the recapture of the vessel Hibberts. Next, on the 22nd of October whilst operating off Queenstown, Ireland. Polyphemus captured the Dutch 64-gun ship Overyssel, which the Royal Navy later took into service under the name HMS Overyessel. At the commencement of 1796 Polyphemus became the flagship for Vice Admiral Robert Kingsmill, on the Irish Station until 1800, during which time between the May and July of that year she underwent a refit at Plymouth for £5,605. Immediately on her return to service there were very few ships on the Irish station. At Cork, Kingsmill only had Polyphemus and a frigate squadron under his command when the French made their attempt to create a republican uprising in Ireland in the d’Irlande expedition.
During this attempt at a landing, in the December of that same year, Polyphemus and Apollo were off the Irish coast when, acting in concert, they took the 14 gun French privateer Schooner Deux Amis, The Royal Navy took her into service under her existing name. Polyphemus next seized the transport Justine on the 30th of December, and to round off the year in style, on the 31st of the same month, Polyphemus captured the Tartar.
HMS Jason captured the transport Suffren shortly afterwards, and although the French 44 gun Frigate Tartu managed to recaptured Suffren, on the 5th of January, 1797 Polyphemus took theTartu herself. The Royal Navy took her into service as HMS Uranie. Polyphemus also captured another transport, but with nightfall, and a stormy sea running she did not take possession in spite of the fact that the transport was making distress signals because she was leaking badly. This vessel may well have been the Fille-Unique, which sank in the Bay of Biscay on the 6th of January.
Between the November of 1799 and the March of 1800 Polyphemus underwent repairs at Chatham at a cost of £12,753. She was then recommissioned still under Lumsdaine, but on the 1st of August in that year Captain John Lawford was appointed to her command and assumed his post only three days later. By the 9th of the month she had sailed from Yarmouth, with a squadron under Vice Admiral Archibald Dixon aboard HMS Monarch on route to the Baltic. Wind conditions forced the faster sailing vessels to tow the poor sailers and it was not until the 15th of August that they raised the Skaw. On the following day the entire squadron advanced to the mouth of the Sound where three of the Danish 74 gun ships were anchored. A fourth later joined them between Kronberg Castle and the Swedish shore. Because of severe gales the Admiral’s squadron took shelter in Elsinore Roads and then proceeded in HMS Romney as far as the Sophienberg Castle to confer with Lord Whitworth, who was negotiating on behalf of the British Government, with the Danes. After matters were resolved amicably the squadron returned to Yarmouth in September of that year.
In the March of 1801, Rear-Admiral Thomas Graves raised his flag on Polyphemus, replacing Kingsmill. Polyphemus was with the fleet under the command of Admiral Sir Hyde Parker which bombarded Copenhagen on the 2nd of April in that year. The British objective was to break up the League of Armed Neutrality, which also included Sweden and Prussia, which Tsar Paul 1 of Russia had established.
During the battle, Polyphemus and Desiree came to the assistance of the 50 gun fourth rate HMS Isis, which was being hard-pressed by the Danes' 56-gun ship Provesteenen, and succeeded in silencing her.
Polyphemus at Copenhagen.
In the action Polyphemus lost six men killed, and 25 wounded. In 1847 the Admiralty awarded the Naval General Service Medal with clasp "Copenhagen 1801" to all surviving claimants from the battle.
The division of the North Sea fleet commanded by Admiral Thomas in Polyphemus returned to Yarmouth from the Baltic on the13th of July in that same year, and then sailed to join Admiral Dickson's squadron blockading the Dutch fleet in the Texel. At some point Graves transferred his flag to HMS Defiance.
In the April of 1802 Polyphemus was paid off and went into ordinary at Chatham following the Treaty of Amiens which put a period to hostilities.
The Napoleonic Wars.
After war with France resumed in 1803, Polyphemus underwent fitting out at Chatham between March and September 1804. In the July of that year she was recommissioned under Captain Robert Redmill for service in the Channel, and sailed for the Channel fleet.
Polyphemus then joined the Cadiz squadron under Admiral John Orde. On the 26th of November in that year, together with Donegal and Defence, she shared in the proceeds from the capture of the Spanish ship Virgen del Rosario.
Late that month or in the early December (records disagree), Polyphemus, under Captain John Lawford's command, captured several Spanish ships. One was the Snow San Joseph. Which had been sailing from La Guayra to Cadiz with a cargo of Indigo, Cocoa, Cochineal, and cotton. Taken with her was the Santo Christo, which had been sailing from Montevideo also to Cadiz with a cargo of hides and copper. Polyphemus also captured the St Edward which was on route from Vera Cruz to Cadiz with a cargo of cocoa, cochineal, and cotton, and $98,539.in specie. Finally, Polyphemus captured the Bon Air, which was sailing from Vera Cruz, again to Cadiz, with a cargo of cocoa, indigo, and cochineal, and $20,000 in specie.
Three days later Polyphemus accompanied by Lively captured the 40 Gun Spanish Frigate Santa Gertruyda, sailing armed en flute with only 14 guns aboard, off Cape St Mary, as she was sailing from Peru via Mexico to Coruna. Polyphemus and Santa Gertruyda were separated in a gale which damaged the Spanish ship. However she still managed to reached Plymouth on the 10th of January, 1805, being towed in by the defence ship Harriet, which had encountered her several days following the storm. Santa Gertruyda was carrying $1,215,000 in specie, and merchandize. The Royal Navy took her into service as, Santa Gertruda to serve as a receiving ship.
Captain Robert Redmill was in command by the 8th of February,1805 when Polyphemus captured the Marianna, which arrived in Plymouth a few days later.
The Battle of Trafalgar.
Under Redmill, Polyphemus took part in the Battle of Trafalgar on the 21st October in that year. She fought in the Lee column, and during the battle only suffered two men killed and four wounded, despite having engaged both the French ships Neptune and Achille. Following the battle she also captured the Argonauta. In the aftermath, Polyphemus towed the damaged Victory back to Gibraltar carrying the body of Lord Nelson.
Parliament later voted a grant of £300,000 to the participants in the battle, payable in the September of 1806. Following this,in the March of,1807 there was a further distribution of prize money for the hull, stores, and head money for four French and two Spanish ships captured at Trafalgar. In 1847 the Admiralty awarded the Naval General Service Medal with clasp "Trafalgar" to all surviving claimants from the battle.
In the January of 1806, Polyphemus, in concert with the frigate Sirius, was escorting a convoy from Gibraltar when they encountered a French squadron under Admiral Willaumez. The French succeeded in capturing two of the merchant vessels and four of the French fleet unsuccessfully persued the Sirius for two hours, but forced her to separate from the convoy.
By the 3rd of April in that year, Polyphemus, Fame and Africa were off Madeira, having escorted the East India Fleet southward. On the 20th of that month, Polyphemus shared in the capture of the Spanish ship Estrella and a week later Polyphemus, Fame, and Africa shared in the capture of the Spanish ship San Pablo, on her way from Vera Cruz with a valuable cargo which they seized.
In the July of that same year, Polyphemus had joined Lord St Vincent’s squadron off Ushant. On the 14th her boats, together with others of the squadron, were conveyed by the Iris to join Captain John Tremayne Rodd in the Indefatigable off Rochefort in order to to attack two French corvettes and a convoy in the Garonne estuary. On the 15th of July the weather appeared to be suitable for the attempt, but after the boats had commenced the operation, an adverse wind blew up and despite capturing the 36 gun corvette Le Cesar, they were unable to apprehend the convoy which escaped up the river. The French had anticipated such an attack and were thus ready to put up a strong defence. I In the action, British losses amounted to six killed, 36 wounded and 21 missing. Indefatigable alone losing two men killed and 11 wounded whilst Polyphemus suffered only two of her crew lightly wounded. The 21 missing were in a boat crewed by men from the Revenge. A later report suggested that most, if not all, had been taken prisoner. The majority of the boats were either shot through or so badly stove in that they were swamped, and had to be cut adrift from the brig as she was brought out under fire from the batteries and the ex-British brig Teaser. The vessels claiming prize money for the action included Pilchard and the Lugger Nile, in addition to the various ships of the line and frigates. This cutting out expedition resulted in the participants qualifying for the Naval General Service Medal with clasp "16 July Boat Service 1806".
In July 1806 Polyphemus was recommissioned. Captain Joseph O. Masefield replaced Redmill in September and In the action on the 25th of that month, a British squadron of six ships of the line which were effecting a close blockade of the port of Rochefort intercepted a French squadron comprising five frigates and two corvettes, attempting to sail for the West Indies carrying much needed supplies and reinforcements. The British ships, under the command of Commodore Sir Samuel Hood sighted the French convoy shortly after it left port. The British caught the French convoy after a five-hour general chase, having thus become separated from one another. The British succeeded in taking the French frigates Armide, Gloire, Indefatigable, and Minerve, Polyphemus sharing in the prize money for all four frigates.
Following this success, in the following month, Captain John Broughton replaced Masefield as Polyphemus’ commanding officer.
In 1807 Polyphemus, came underr the command of Captain Peter Heywood, as the flagship of Rear-Admiral Sir George Murray, and in the March of that year Murray's squadron carried troops from the Cape of Good Hope to South America in support of a second attempt to capture the River Plate area from the Spanish. A detachment of sailors and marines from Polyphemus served on shore in the Advance Brigade during the disastrous (for the British) attack on Buenos Aires. Admiral Murray evacuated Lieutenant Crowley of Polyphemus, who had been wounded, and his men, aboard the frigate Néréide.
Polyphemus remained in the area, carrying out surveying duties and also merchant vessel protection. On her return to England, btween the January and February of 1808 Polyphemus underwent a refit at Portsmouth. During the refit Heywood retained command until the May of that year, when he was superseded by Captain William Pryce Cumby, and Polyphemus became the flagship of Vice-Admiral Bartholomew Rowley. Two months later she sailed for Jamaica, escorting a large convoy of merchantmen, and also carrying the Vice-Admiral Rowley to take up his appointment as Commander of that station. On arrival Rowley took up residence on shore, thus freeing up Polyphemus to undertake cruises against the enemy.
On the morning of the 14th of November in that year, whilst on just such a cruise, Cumby sent his boats, under Lieutenant Joseph Daly in the barge, to chase a schooner attempting to enter the harbour at San Domingo. An hour later the British succeed in boarding the schooner despite facing a hail of grape shot and musketry. Their quarry proved to be the French navy 3 gun schooner Colibry, during the boarding of which, the French lost one man killed and five wounded; Polyphemus had one man killed.
On the 17th of April, 1809, a British squadron captured the French 74 gun Le de Hautpoult. The initial distribution of prize money excluded Polyphemus and Tweed, who appealed. Polyphemus's appeal succeeded. On the 28th of April, Polyphemus recaptured Carlotta, which had been sailing from St Bartholomews to Jacmel when a French privateer captured her.
In the June of 1809 Cumby received command of a squadron comprising Polyphemus, Aurora, Tweed, Sparrow, Thrush, Griffon, Lark, Moselle, Fleur de la Mer, and Pike. On the 7th of June in that year, they departed Port Royal with troops under the command of Major-General Hugh Lyle Carmichael to assist their now Spanish allied force besieging the French in the city of San Domingo.
On the 1st of July Polyphemus anchored at Caleta and disembarked eight of her 24-pounder guns into Sparrow for landing at Palenqui to augment the batteries sited to the west of the city. Captain Burt of Sparrow then transported two of the guns from Andre Bay to the eastern sited battery, a journey of almost 30 miles across nearly impassable terrain. In face of this new threat, the French garrison surrendered on the 6th.. Cumby signed the terms of capitulation in his capacity as senior officer in command of "His Majesty's Ships and Vessels before the City of Santo Domingo." one payment of prize money not occurring until the October of 1832.
Captain Cumby was appointed to Hyperion in the March of 1811, and the command of Polyphemus now came under Captain Thomas Graves on the Jamaica station. In his turn he was superseded in the October of that year by Commander Nicholas Pateshall until December, and then Captain Cornelius Quinton as the Flagship of Vice Admiral Charles Stirling still on the Jamaica station. Following his tenure came Captain Peter Douglas and under his command, Polyphemus recaptured Diana and Fame.
In the August of 1812 Polyphemus and Barbadoes escorted a fleet of 47 merchant vessels sailing from Jamaica to London. On the 20th of the month, as the convoy was sailing off Savannah the US Revenue Cutter James Madison began shadowing them in an attempt to pick off the slower and more vulnerable vessels. Two days later, after a seven hour chase, Barbadoes closed with the Madison and succeeded in capturing her. The British immediately fitted out James Madison for the protection of the fleet. They put two officers and 40 men on board, drawn from Barbadoes, and those men of James Madison's existing crew that were willing to change sides. On the 26th of August, the vessels of the convoy were scattered by a Hurricane which also totally dis-masted Barbadoes, forcing it to limped back to Jamaica. Polyphemus' main and foremasts also having been sprung, it left the James Madison to re-gather the vessels in the convoy. She was successful in recovering 21 in all. Then on the 3rd of September an American privateer schooner of 14 guns started shadowing James Madison and the vessels she was escorting. During the subsequent four days the privateer stayed close enough to exchange occasional shots with the Madison, but did not succeed in capturing anything. One month exactly after the confrontation with the privateer, on the 3rd of October, Polyphemus and James Madison made port quite separately at Portsmouth. Prize money for the capture was paid out in the March of 1815.
Later In October Polyphemus took the American vessel Amazon, from Philadelphia, and also dispatched her into Portsmouth. Amazon arrived there on the 4th of October. Polyphemus paid off at Chatham in the following month.
Polyphemus' figurehead.
Fate.
Between the March and September of 1813 she was converted to serve as a powder hulk at Chatham, and she then went into ordinary until 1815. She was then used as a powder hulk in the Medway until 1826, when she once again was placed into ordinary between the February and the April of 1826. The following year she was broken up at Chatham, this being completed on the 15th of September 1827.
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