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BELLE POULE
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(38) |
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Taken by Vice Ad. WARREN's squadron, in the Atlantic on 13 March 1806.
Sold in 1818. |
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- 1808 Capt. James BRISBANE, 04/1808. He escorted a large convoy of merchantmen to the Mediterranean and then assumed command of the squadron blockading Corfu. He successfully cut off all supplies sent from Italy for the garrison
- During the dark and stormy night of 13 February 1809 the French attempted to run a supply of corn to the island from Brindisi in the frigate VAR, pierced for 32 guns but with only 26 mounted. She was sighted by BELLE POULE at daylight and chased into the Gulf of Valona (Vlone) where she sought the protection of two Turkish forts. On the afternoon of the 15th. Capt. BRISBANE anchored close in and opened fire on the French frigate which soon surrendered, the forts making no efforts to support her. Most of her crew of 200 escaped ashore. BELLE POULE had no casualties.
- BELLE POULE was later superseded as senior ship on the station by the line-of-battle ship MAGNIFICENT.
- At the end of September MAGNIFICENT, BELLE POULE and KINGFISHER joined WARRIOR, (Capt. SPRANGER), PHILOMEL, SPARTAN, troop transports and gunboats off Cephalonia and on the 1 October they anchored in the Bay of Zante. The following morning, while BELLE POULE, SPARTAN and the gunboats silenced the batteries, two divisions of the army under Brig. Gen. Oswald were landed about 3 miles from the town. Later in the day the French, who had retired into the castle, decided to capitulate. The inhabitants formed a provisional government and the troops were re-embarked.
On the 4 October the squadron, augmented by LEONIDAS, sailed to the port of Cephalonia which immediately surrendered. Both islands were occupied without loss. - Early on the morning of 21 March 1810 BELLE POULE, IMOGENE, three gunboats and five transports sailed with Capt. EYRE in MAGNIFICENT from Zante. MONTAGU, which was to have accompanied them, had knocked her rudder off as she entered the road so her troops and marines were divided among the other ships.
- They reached St. Maura the same evening and the following morning the troops landed without opposition, but it was not until the 15 April before the enemy surrendered the citadel to which they had retired with 1,000 men.
Capts. BRISBANE and GRIFFITHS with their masters sounded all round the citadel but found it impossible to get the ships closer than a mile, so ten of MAGIFICENT's guns were landed with 150 seamen to assist with the siege. The ships prevented any supplies being taken in and the commandant sent a flag of truce to propose capitulation.
BELLE POULE captured the Italian brig-of-war CARLOTTA with 10 guns mounted and a complement of 100 men. - In May 1811 BELLE POULE and ALCESTE were cruising of the coast of Istria when, on the 4th., they chased a French 18-gun-brig into the small harbour of Parenza Capts. BRISBANE and MAXWELL considered that she was probably taking stores to the French frigates which had escaped from an action off Lissa and were now in Ragusa. The two ships stood in within a cable's length of the rocks at the entrance and opened fire on the brig and a battery forcing her to haul ashore out of range.
At about 11 o'clock at night 200 seamen and marines with Lieut. HICKMAN; Mr MOORE, master; Lieut. LLOYD; and Messrs. ADAIR, CROKER and REDING, all of ALCESTE and the officers and petty officers of BELLE POULE under Lieut. M'CURDY, landed on an island in the harbour. A battery of four guns was set up which pounded the brig to pieces. The frigates were hulled by the batteries but any damage was quickly repaired. - BELLE POULE returned to England in August 1811 and was employed cruising in the Channel. She captured the American privateer GENERAL GATES and other American vessels. Capt. BRISBANE moved to PEMBROKE in September 1812.
- 1812 Capt. George HARRIS. (His father was the chief proprietor of Covent Garden Theatre).
BELLE POULE continued cruising in the Bay of Biscay and on 13 April 1813 she captured the American schooner GRAND NAPOLEON which was taking a valuable cargo from New York to Bordeaux. A copper-fastened vessel of 305 tons she was armed with 4 guns, although pierced for 22, and had a crew of 32 men. The largest schooner which had sailed from America - The American schooner letter of marque ZEBRA, mounting 10 guns and with 38 men was captured by BELLE POULE and PYRAMUS on 20 April while on passage from Bordeaux to New York.
- After a chase through the night of 10/1811 May 1813 BELLE POULE captured the American letter of marque schooner REVENGE. Thirty-seven days from Charleston to Bordeaux she was a brand new vessel, copper bottomed and fastened, and armed with four long 9-pounders (pierced for 16) and 32 men.
- BELLE POULE was in Passages with a naval force under Rear Ad. PENROSE on 22 March 1814 when a message from Lord Wellington arrived asking if the ships could enter the Gironde to assist the allied forces approaching Toulouse. Contrary winds prevented their sailing until the 24th. and on the 27th. EGMONT, BELLE POULE, ANDROMACHE and other smaller vessels entered the Gironde.
Capt. HARRIS landed with the boats and marines of the squadron and destroyed five batteries in the course of a fifty mile march along the right bank, and organised the siege of the fortress at Blaye, BELLE POULE proceeding up the river "in advance of the advanced squadron. " - Cdr. Francis BAKER, 27/06/14, was promoted out of RODNEY to command BELLE POULE as a troopship.
- She was used as a prison hulk for a time before being sold at Deptford.
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