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PHOEBE
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(36) |
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Built in 1795, Deptford.
Slopship in 1826. |
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- Capt. BARLOW, 12/1795, Channel.
On 10 January 1797, Cape Clear bearing NNW 20 leagues, captured the French corvette ATALANTE (16), Lieut. Dordeli, 112 men, after a case of 8 hours. She was well coppered with a 80 foot keel. - On 11 May 1800, about 650 miles W. S.W of Cape Clear, he captured the French privateer LE GRAND FERRAILLEUR of 16 brass 6-pounders. She was 16 days out of Bordeaux and had made no captures.
The French ship privateer BELLEGARDE of St. Malo was taken on 21 February. She carried 14 guns and a crew of 114 men.
In the 16 days she had been cruising she had captured the CHANCE of London and the brig FRIENDS of Dartmouth.
The former was recaptured by KANGAROO. - At about 4 o'clock in the afternoon of Thursday 19 February 1801 PHOEBE, about 6 miles eastward of Gibraltar, sighted a French frigate off Ceuta in Morocco also steering eastward.
Two and a half hours later Capt. BARLOW brought the enemy ship to a close action which lasted within pistol-shot for about two hours until she was a wreck, her guns dismounted and her decks covered in dead and wounded.
PHOEBE remained on the enemy's quarters throughout raking her with steady fire. - She proved to be the AFRICAINE, of twenty-six 18-pounders and eighteen 9-pounders, which had sailed Rochefort on the 13th. carrying 400 troops under General Desfourneaux in addition to her crew of 315 officers and men. She was commanded by Capitaine Majendie and flew the broad pennant of Commandant la Division Saunier.
Cap.
BARLOW believed that she was bound for Egypt. - The French report listed 200 killed in the action including the Commandant, the Chef de Brigade and two army captains, and 143 wounded, the later including the general and the captain, who was wounded in two places.
The dreadful slaughter was due to the French troops refusing, as a point of honour, to go below during the action, instead they crowded the upper deck without being of any service. - By comparison PHOEBE lost seaman Samuel HAYES, killed, and Mr HOLLAND, first lieutenant, and Mr GRIFFITHS, master, and ten seamen wounded.
Her masts, sails and rigging were badly damaged but she managed to continue to Port Mahon. - AFRICAINE was taken into the Royal Navy under the same name and the surviving members of PHOEBE's crew were awarded naval medals in 1849.
- 1803 Capt. Thomas Bladen CAPEL, Malta.
In April 1805, while NELSON was pursuing the French fleet from Toulon to the West Indies, Capt. CAPEL was left with 5 frigates and 2 bombs to cover Sicily, Sardinia and the route to Egypt.
PHOEBE joined the blockade of Cadiz later in the summer.
After the Battle of Trafalgar the wind increased until, by the night of 22 October it was blowing a heavy gale.
The SAN JUAN NEPOMUCENO, a Spanish 74 was saved by the exertions of PHOEBE and DONEGAL. - 1807 Capt. James OSWALD, Channel.
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