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PLANTAGENET
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(74) |
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Built in 1801, Woolwich.
Broken up in 1817. |
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- 1803 Capt. G. E. HAMOND, Cawsand Bay.
- 1805 Capt. William BRADLEY, Nore 1807 Channel fleet.
- 1808 coast of Portugal.
Ships of war, including PLANTAGENET, together with transports arrived off Corunna from Vigo on 14 and 15 January 1809 to assist in the evacuation of Sir John Moore's army.
In spite of foul weather all except the rear guard of about 2,000 had been taken off by the 17th.
When the French brought up cannon the transports had to cut or slip and the remainder of the troops were taken over a sandy beach into the warships. - 1813 Capt. Robert LLOYD, America.
In August the Americans attempted to destroy the ship in Lynnhaven Bay by using a torpedo invented by a Mr E. Mix.
It went off about half a cable away, throwing up an immense column of water and flame, without doing any injury.
VICTORIOUS picked up another one and it was found to consist of six barrels of gunpowder floating about 12 feet below the surface and remotely exploded by means a line reaching to a boat. - 100 fathom lines from each end attached to buoys were designed to catch the cable of any ship at anchor and swing the device against the side.
- In September 1814 PLANTAGENET, ROTA and CARNATION sailed for New Orleans and on the way they encountered the American privateer schooner GENERAL ARMSTRONG, Capt. Samuel C. Reid, at anchor in the road at Fayal in the Azores.
The British squadron sent boats in to reconnoitre but they were driven off by the American's fire.
The schooner then anchored with springs on her cables** nearer shore and prepared for an attack by rigging anti-boarding netting.
At 8 PM Lieut. William MATTERFACE of ROTA led four boats from PLANTAGENET and three from ROTA, containing 180 seamen and marines into the road.
They were covered by CARNATION.
The boats took cover behind rocks until after dark and about midnight began the attack, attempting to board the schooner over the bow and the starboard quarter.
The Americans opened fire with long 9-pounders and a swivel gun and the boats replied with their carronades.
The British failed to cut through the netting on the quarter as pistols and muskets were fired at them at point blank range and long pikes were thrust in their faces and they retired to their boats.
The attack over the bow nearly succeeded as Lieut. Alexander Williams was killed and the two other lieutenants with him were wounded, but Capt. Reid led the aft guard forward and turned the tide.
The Americans lost 2 killed and 7 wounded.
Lieuts. MATTERFACE and Charles NORMON of ROTA were killed and two of ROTA's Royal Marine lieutenants, Richard Rawle and Thomas PARK were wounded.
The total British losses were 34 killed and 86 wounded. - The next day CARNATION attempted to close the schooner but was kept out of range by American's single long 24-pounder gun.
However Cap.
Reid realised that the long term position was hopeless so he scuttled his ship and took his men ashore. - The squadron, depleted in manpower was late in arriving at New Orleans and this might have had an effect on subsequent history.
- PLANTAGENET captured a large number of coasting vessels during her service in American waters and she was paid off early in 1815.
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** Springs on cables.
A fore-spring leads aft from the bow and a back-spring leads from the stern forward.
This holds the ship steady in the water without swinging.
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