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HANNIBAL
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(74) |
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Built in 1786, Blackwall.
Taken in 1801. |
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- 1792 Capt. John COLPOYS, guardship at Plymouth.
Following the likelihood of war with France at the end of the year guardships were ordered to rendezvous at Spithead and HANNIBAL sailed on 11 December, arriving the following day. She and HECTOR sailed on a cruise on 15 February 1793 and chased two French frigates.
A French merchant ship from the West Indies was sent into Plymouth.
They returned on 4 March to prepare for service in the West Indies and sailed with Rear Ad. Sir Alan GARDNER's fleet on 24 March. - 1794 Capt. MARKHAM.
- 1796 Capt. LEWIS, 01/1796.
- 1796 Capt. E. T. SMITH, 10/1796.
Jamaica. - 1801 Capt. Solomon FERRIS. She sailed from Spithead on 6 June 1801 and joined Rear Ad. Sir James SAUMAREZ in Cawsand Bay on the 12th.
ready to sail for the Mediterranean.
On the morning of 5 July Sir James's squadron VENERABLE, POMPEE, AUDACIOUS, CAESAR, SPENCER and HANNIBAL, was off Cabareta Point standing in for Alaciras Bay on the port tack with the wind westerly.
Anchored in the bay was a French squadron commanded by Rear Ad. Linois consisting of three line-of-battle ships and a frigate. - Capt. HOOD in VENERABLE led in the British ships but found it necessary to anchor when the wind failed.
Capt. STIRLING anchored POMPEE opposite opposite the innermost enemy ship with the AUDACIOUS astern of her.
The Admiral in CAESAR then anchored ahead of AUDACIOUS and HANNIBAL anchored ahead of the Admiral where she kept up a good fire from one broadside for about an hour. - At about 10 o'clock Capt. FERRIS received an order from the Admiral to go and rake the French flagship so he made sail to the northward and tacked for the French Admiral's ship, the FORMIDABLE.
Unfortunately the variable wind caused him to drift to windward and HANNIBAL took the ground and stuck fast.
In this situation he opened fire on FORMIDABLE with as many of his foremost guns as could bear, the rest being directed with good effect, on the town, batteries and gunboats. - CAESAR and VENERABLE both sent boats to see if they could assist HANNIBAL.
CAESAR's pinnace was sunk by a shot while alongside so Capt. FERRIS sent back her crew in one of his own cutters.
Soon afterwards the British ships drove out of the bay leaving HANNIBAL to face the fire of the whole French squadron, the batteries and the gunboats.
After consulting with his officers the captain decided that to strike was the only way of preserving the lives of those that remained.
Seeing that HANNIBAL's fire had now slackened to be almost useless he ordered his people to take shelter and hauled down his colours - J. D. WILLIAMS, Lieutenant of Marines; David LINDSAY, Captain's clerk; sixty-eight seamen and five marines were killed.
Lieut.
TURNER; J. WOOD, master; A. DUDGEON, Midshipman; George DUNFORD, Lieutenant of Marines; forty-four seamen and fourteen marines were wounded.
six seamen were missing.
Total 143 killed, wounded and missing. - Lieut. WILLIAMS was wounded by the same shot which killed Mr LINDSAY and six marines and knocked down the captain The surgeon amputated his leg and, after the surrender had him transferred to the hospital in Algiciras but he died the next day.
- The French manned HANNIBAL with drafts from their vessels and, after several French and Spanish ships arrived at Algiciras, towed her to Cadiz on 12 July.
The official paper 'Moniteur' claimed that the action was a great French victory and that 300 had been killed on board HANNIBAL and that the other British ships were no longer fit for service.
Rear Ad. SAUMAREZ reported that two of the French 84's had been run ashore and that all his squadron except for POMPEE, who could not replace her masts in time, was able to come out and attack the Franco-Spanish ships as they left for Cadiz.
Two Spanish ships caught fire and blew up, the SAN ANTONIA (74) was taken by the SUPERB.
The actions on 6 June and 12 July saved Lisbon which was to have been attacked by the enemy squadron. - Capt. FERRIS and his officers and crew were tried by court martial on board Gladiator in Portsmouth on 1 September.
They received an honourable acquittal. - While RACOON was escorting a convoy to Gibraltar at the beginning of November she sighted HANNIBAL and SPEEDY being taken to Brest under French colours. Both were under jury masts.
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