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BREVDRAGEREN
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Taken on 7 September 1807 at the surrender of Copenhagen.
A gun-brig she was re-rated as a sloop in May 1813.
Army depot in 1817. |
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- 1808 Lieut J. S. DENNIS, Sheerness.
- 1809 Lieut. Thomas Baker DEVON, then 25 years old and newly married to Anne Thompson from Exeter. North Sea station.
During the afternoon of 31 July 1811 BREVDRAGEREN was off Langesund on the Norwegian coast in company with ALGERINE, Lieut. John BLOW, and two prizes they had taken the day. The wind was light and variable. Three vessels were observed standing out from the land and two boats that were sent to reconnoitre reported that they were three large enemy brigs. The British ships hoisted sails and swept away from the coast all night.
At daybreak they attempted to cut off one of the enemy vessels which had separated from the rest but her consorts lowered boats and by towing and sweeping the three enemy ships drew nearer to the British pair. BLOW signalled his intention to attack the nearest brig and ALGERINE and BREVDRAGEREN exchanged fire with her at musket shot range for three quarters of an hour until ALGERINE hauled out of the battle when the other enemy ships came up. Half an hour later ALGERINE sent a boat with ten men to assist BREVDRAGEREN and they helped to tow and sweep her out of danger until, after an hour, they were out range of all but long guns. The enemy continued to chase them until nightfall but the British continued sweeping until midnight at which time their people were exhausted having been nearly 30 hours at the sweeps.
BREVDRAGEREN lost one man killed and three wounded and received eight shots in the hull.
A serious investigation would have taken place into the conduct of Lieut. BLOW if he had not already been dismissed his ship for challenging a marine officer to a duel. - During 1812 BREVDRAGEREN was employed on the Heligoland station and made a number of captures including a French privateer lugger lugger and an armed vessel cut out from Delfzijl in the Ems.
- At the beginning of March 1813 BREVDRAGEREN, which had just returned from a 6 weeks cruise in very bad weather, and BLAZER, Lieut. Francis BANKS, sailed for the Elbe to hamper the French evacuation of Cuxhaven in the face of the invading Russian army.
On 16 March they captured and destroyed two gunboats and forced the French to destroy 18 others.
DEVON made an agreement with the Russians that all the military stores captured should be delivered to the two British vessels. - On 21 March, while searching for privateers in the River Elbe some 18 miles away from the brig's anchorage, BREVDRAGEREN's galley with Lieut. DEVON and 9 men and BLAZER's cutter with 12, were fired on by two apparent merchant ships but which turned out to be Danish gunboats. Since there was no other means of escape the two boats each boarded and took one of Danes without the loss of a man and with only two of the enemy wounded. The success of the attack was partly attributed to the explosion of some cartridges on the deck of the first one at the moment Devon boarded. The Danish gunboats were the JONGE TROUTMAN, Lieut. LUTKIN, and LIEBE, Lieut. WRITT. each with a complement of 25 men and mounting two long 18-pounders and three 12-pounder carronades. The two vessels had been sent from Gluckstadt three days before to intercept the trade from Heligoland.
Devon's brother, a 13 year old midshipman named Frederick DEVON was in the galley.
The C. in C., Admiral YOUNG, apologising for the fact that gunboats made bad prizes, volunteered his share of any prize money to be distributed amongst the boat's crews in appreciation of their conduct. - On 4 May DEVON was promoted to commander and BREVDRAGEREN re rated as a sloop so that he could continue in command.
- In October 1813 BREVDRAGEREN was attached to Captain Arthur FARQUHER's squadron based at Heligoland and operating off the North German coast. She took part in the blockade of Delfzyl at the mouth of the Ems in N. E. Holland which had been fortified by the French. She was anchored just outside the range of the enemy batteries and contained 17 armed vessels during the siege which lasted until the occupation of Paris in April 1814.
- BREVDRAGEREN returned home in July 1814 and, being unfit for service, was put out of commission.
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