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LEANDER
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Built in 1780, Chatham.
Sold in 1817. |
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- 1797 Capt. Thomas Boulden THOMPSON, Mediterranean.
In July NELSON, who had been commanding the inshore squadron off Cadiz, prepared to storm the Spanish island fortress of Tenerife and capture the Mexican treasure fleet which was believed to be sheltering in Santa Cruz.
He arrived off the island on 20 July and on the 24th. his squadron was augmented by the arrival of LEANDER.
The following day nearly 700 marines and seamen in the squadron's boats, another 150 on board FOX and 75 more in a captured boat, with a detachment of royal artillery, pulled in towards the town at half past one in the afternoon.
Nearly 1100 men led by NELSON in person. - FOX was sunk with the loss of all on board, NELSON, as he was about to draw his sword on landing was hit in the elbow by a shot and taken back on board his ship.
Others were killed but the mole, defended by 400 men and six 24-pounders, was carried and the advance continued under a heavy fire from the citadel which few survived.
Capts.
TROUBRIDGE and WALLER missed the mole and landed south of the citadel then, not finding the admiral at the place of rendezvous, joined Capts.
HOOD amnd MILLER to the south-west.
The next morning the 340 survivors found themselves at the mercy of 8,000 Spaniards and Capt. TROUBRIDGE proposed to the governor that, if the British were allowed to re-embark with their arms, he promised that the squadron would make no more attacks on the Canary Islands.
The governor, a kindly man, entertained Capts.
TROUBRIDGE and HOOD to dinner and, providing boats for them to depart, sent each man off with a loaf bread and a flask of wine. - 141 of the attackers were killed or drowned, 105 were wounded and 5 were missing.
Among the dead was Lieut. Robinson of LEANDER's marines. - 1798 off Toulon.
On 12 June she was with Lord NELSON when he steered for Corsica in search of the French fleet that had sailed from Toulon at the end of May.
The British squadron reached Naples on the 17th. and proceeded to Messina, where they learnt that the French had taken Malta and Gozo.
The fleet then steered for Alexandria, actually crossing the enemy track on the 22nd., but finding no enemy, returned northward and watered at Syracuse on 19 July. - Six days later they sailed again and this time news reached them that the French had been sighted on the coast of Candia four weeks earlier, steering south east.
This time they were found.
Seventeen ships, including thirteen of the line, were sighted in Aboukir Bay on the afternoon of 1 August. - ZEALOUS, keeping the lead constantly going, led the British line towards the French.
Then at 6 o'clock, with colours hoisted, GOLIATH, ZEALOUS, ORION, AUDACIOUS, THESEUS,VANGUARD, MINOTAUR, DEFENCE, BELLEROPHON, MAJESTIC and LEANDER, advanced in line.
CULLODEN, ALEXANDER and SWIFTSURE were still endeavouring to get up.
CULLODEN grounded on the reef off the island of Aboukir and, despite efforts by LEANDER, remainder there until the following morning. - When LEANDER did arrive, she advanced towards the enemy's line on the outside and took station athwart the bows of FRANKLIN (80) and did great execution in her.
The DEFENCE later joined LEANDER in attacking FRANKLIN.
All the shot which passed FRANKLIN hit L'ORIENT At 10 o'clock ORIENT blew up and FRANKLIN's deck was showered with burning fragments which set her on fire in several places.
Finding herself alone, and with her main and mizzen-masts fallen, FRANKLIN surrendered.
LEANDER lost fourteen wounded in the action.
Her first lieutenant, William RICHARDSON, along with the others, was promoted to commander. - LEANDER transferred a lieutenant, a midshipman and 50 men to one of the captured ships as a prize crew, leaving her with only 282 men and boys.
- Capt. BERRY, NELSON's flag captain, was sent away in LEANDER with the dispatches.
At daybreak on 18 August she was lying becalmed off the west end of Candia when a large ship was seen standing towards her in a fine breeze. She was soon found to be the GENEREAUX (74) which had escaped from Aboukir and was bound for Corfu.
LEANDER made sail as soon as the breeze reached her but the enemy came within half gun-shot and started firing.
After half an hour GENEREAUX made several attempts to board but the marines and small-arms men on the quarter deck drove them back with loss each time. - By this time LEANDER had lost her mizzen mast and fore-top-mast and her fore and main yards were lying across the booms but, under sprit-sail only, she managed to cross her enemy's stern and rake her with good effect.
After a period of calm a breeze enabled GENEREAUX to take up a position on LEANDER's larboard bow.
LEANDER had lost 23 killed and 58 wounded, a third of her crew, and only the shattered remains of her fore and main masts and her bowsprit were left standing.
In this situation she agreed to surrender and since neither ship had any boats left, the boatswain and a midshipman swam across from the French ship to take possession.
GENEREAUX with her crew augmented to 936 lost 100 killed and 180 wounded. - The prisoners were badly treated and all their possessions plundered by the French.
Capt. THOMPSON, who had been badly wounded, was refused treatment.
Mr MULBERRY, the surgeon was smuggled on board after they reached Corfu to remove a musket ball from his arm.
Capt. Lejoille attempted, without success, to induce some of the British seamen to join the French navy.
George BANNISTER, maintop-man, expressed the feelings of them all "No! You damned French rascal; give us back our little ship, and we'll fight you again until we sink!" - Most of the officers were sent home on parole, but Thomas JARRAT, the carpenter, was detained for refusing to supply the French with the dimensions of LEANDER's masts and spars.
- At their court martial at Sheerness on 17 December, Capt. THOMPSON and his officers were judged worthy of the highest praise for their gallant conduct against a force so superior.
On his return to shore the captain was cheered from all the ships in the harbour.
Capt. BERRY had been knighted on the 10th. and Capt. THOMPSON received a knighthood after the court martial. - LEANDER was retaken by the Russians and the Turks at Corfu on 3 March 1799 and restored to the Royal Navy.
- 1800 Capt. Michael HALLIDAY, Mediterranean.
- 1803 Flagship of Vice Ad. Sir A. MITCHELL at Halifax, Capt. James OUGHTON.
- 1805 Ditto, Capt. John TALBOT.
- 1807 Out of commission at Portsmouth.
- 1808 Plymouth.
- 1811 Portsmouth.
- She was renamed HYGEIA in 1813 and used as a medical depot at Portsmouth.
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