On This Day 13 September

**David Manley** · 09-12-2012, 22:08

On This Day 13 September 1799

On 9 September Vice-Admiral Mitchell detached Arrow (20) and Wolverine (14) to attack a ship and a brig belonging to the Batavian Republic and anchored under the Vlie at the entrance to the Texel. Arrow had to lighten ship and the following day they crossed over the Flack abreast of Wieringen and saw the enemy in the passage leading from Vlie Island towards Harlingen. On 12 September Wolverine anchored within 60 yards of the brig and only had to fire one gun before the brig hauled down her colours. She proved to be the Gier, armed with fourteen 12-pounders. Arrow exchanged broadsides with the ship, Draak, of 24 guns (six 50-pound brass howitzers, two 32-pounder guns, and sixteen long 18-pounder guns), which surrendered when Wolverine came up. Draak turned out to be a sheer hulk so Captain Bolton burnt her. The British also captured two schooners, each of four 8-pounder guns, and four schuyts, each of two 8-pounder guns. The Dutch prisoners numbered 380 men.[11] In 1847 the Admiralty awarded the Naval General Service Medal with clasps "Arrow 13 Sept 1799" and "Wolverine 13 Sept. 1799" to any survivors of the two crews that claimed them

**David Manley** · 09-12-2012, 22:11

On This Day in 1801

On September 13th Lark chased a Spanish privateer schooner along the coast of Cuba until evening, when the schooner took refuge within the Portillo Reefs. Johnstone sent his yawl and cutter, each with sixteen men, including officers, to capture her. The privateer, which was armed with a long 8-pounder and two 4-pounders, opened fire on the boarding party. Still, the British prevailed, though they lost one man killed and a midshipman and 12 sailors wounded. The Spanish lost 21 dead, including their captain Joseph Callie, and six wounded; Lark took the remainder of the 45 man crew prisoner.

In the previous 2 years Lark had been responsible for the destruction or capture of over 40 enemy vessels

Also on this day RN shore parties stormed French batteries covering Porto Ferrajo on the island of Elba, ensuring the security of the port until the Treaty of Amiens ended the war

**David Manley** · 09-12-2012, 22:26

On This Day 1782 - Spanish and French Assault on Gibraltar (under siege since June 1779)

On 13 September 1782 the Bourbon allies launched their attack; 5190 fighting men both French and Spanish aboard ten of the newly engineered 'floating batteries' with 138 heavy guns, as well as 18 ships of the line, 40 Spanish gunboats and 20 bomb-vessels with a total of 30,000 sailors and marines. They were supported by 86 land guns and 35,000 Spanish and French troops (7,000–8,000 French) on land intending to assault the fortifications once they had been demolished. An 'army' of over 80,000 spectators thronged the adjacent hills over the Spanish border, among them the highest families in the land, assembled to see the fortress beaten to powder and 'the British flag trailed in the dust'. The 138 guns opened fire from floating batteries in the Bay and the 86 guns on the land side, directed on the fortifications after weeks of preparatory artillery fire. But the garrison replied with red-hot shot to set fire to and sink the attacker's floating batteries and warships in the Bay. In that great conflict, the British destroyed three of the floating batteries, which blew up as the 'red-hot shot' did its job. The other seven batteries were scuttled by the Spanish because they were too heavily damaged to continue the fight. In addition 719 men on board the ships (many of whom drowned) were casualties.

At the time of this assault the latest in a series of resupply convoys was being assembled and despatched from Britain. Command of the sea allowed the British to reinforce and resupply the garrison in Gibraltar virtually at will. The siege was finally lifted in February 1783

**Anav** · 09-13-2012, 18:38

1814 - British bombardment of Fort McHenry inspires the Star Spangled Banner.

**David Manley** · 09-13-2012, 23:15

I've enjoyed a lovely couple of visits to Fort Mchenry whilst working in Baltimore with NATO and the USN. I've uploaded some pics in a couple of folders, one called "Baltimore" (from my 2006 trip) and one called "Fort McHenry" (from my 2002 trip)