|
HARRIER
|
(18) |
|
Built in 1804, Deptford (Cruizer class).
Lost in 1809. |
|
|
- 1805 William WOOLDRIDGE, Plymouth.
On 11 January 1805 alarm was occasioned in Plymouth by signals from the westward for an enemy fleet off the coast.
In the middle of the following night AMPHION and HARRIER, lying in the Sound with sailing orders, were sent out by Ad. YOUNG to discover the reason.
It turned out that a small Russian squadron making for the Straits had not made the proper signals when sighted from the headland and had been mistaken for the enemy.
HARRIER later sailed for the East Indies. - 1805 Edward RATSEY.
On 24 August 1805 HARRIER was in company with the frigate PHAETON as they entered the St. Bernadino Strait between Luzon and Samar in the Philippines when a strange frigate was sighted at anchor off St. Jacinta.
As HARRIER approached, the frigate hoisted French colours and moved closer inshore under the protection of a battery and a reef of rocks. She then opened fire with her stern guns to which HARRIER replied with her starboard broadside.
About twenty minutes later PHAETON joined and the two ships engaged the frigate, the battery and a round tower.
An hour and a half later red hot shot from the battery set fire to the hammocks in HARRIER's waist but the fire was soon extinguished.
More seriously the wind now dropped and the brig started to drift on to the rocks so Capt. RATSEY had to use his boats to pull her head round and shortly afterwards PHAETON signalled him to break off the action. - Since HARRIER had been closer to the shore she suffered more damage than her consort.
Her rigging and sails were badly cut about and all her boats damaged but since the enemy fire, as usual with the French, had been aimed at her rigging, her only casualties were two men wounded.
The following day the two British ships closed in to reconnoitre and found that the enemy had warped closer to the beach and that another battery of six guns had been erected.
On the 4th. they continued their passage through the straits. - The enemy frigate was the SEMILLANTE and she had 13 men killed and 36 wounded during the action.
The damage to her rigging and hull was such as to prevent her sailing to Mexico to load specie. - 1806 Edward Thomas TROUBRIDGE.
East Indies.
On 4 July HARRIER assisted in the destruction of the Dutch East India Company's armed brig ELIZABETH under the fort of Manado in North Celebes (Sulawesi) and on the 6th., the capture of a cruiser named the BELGICA. - On the evening of 25 July 1806 HARRIER was accompanying GREYHOUND (32) through the Straits of Salaya in the East Indies in chase of four strangers.
At dawn they proved to be a Dutch frigate, PALLAS (36) two Dutch Company's armed ships and a 14 gun corvette.
After a short action the frigate surrendered to GREYHOUND and the armed ships, VITTORIA, 800bm, and BATAVIA, 500bm, which were both laden with the produce of the Moluccas, were taken by HARRIER.
The corvette, WILLIAM made her escape.
HARRIER had only three men wounded while her two adversaries lost four killed and six wounded between them.
PALLAS was commanded by N. S. Aalbers who was mortally wounded. - 1808 L. FINLEY, Cape of Good Hope.
- 1809 John James RIDGE, Cape of Good Hope. She was supposed to have foundered in the Indian Ocean in the vicinity of Madagascar during March 1809.
There were no survivors.
|
|
|
