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THAMES
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(32) |
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Built in 1805, Chatham.
Broken up in 1816. |
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- Capt. John LORING was appointed to her as her first captain but, due to an unexpected delay in her launching he did not take up the appointment.
- 1807 Capt. B. W. TAYLOR, Downs.
Later in the year on the Jamaica station. - 1808 Capt. Granville George WALDEGRAVE (later Lord Radstock), Portsmouth.
- 1810 Mediterranean.
- At daylight on 25 July 1810 THAMES was standing along the Italian coast off Amanthea in company with PILOT when WEAZLE made a signal for an convoy.
The enemy hauled up on the beach flanked by two batteries with gunboats and scampavias drawn in line for their protection.
THAMES and the two brigs formed line and ran along the beach driving the enemy from their vessels.
Marines and seamen were then landed, the boats from THAMES being commanded by Lieuts. Edward COLLIER and Francis MOLESWORTH assisted by Messrs. Matthew LIDDON, Christopher WYVILL, John VEAL, John MURRAY, Trefusis CORNWALL and William WILKINSON, midshipmen.
Six gunboats, two scampavias and 28 transports were taken and the rest destroyed.
The destruction of the convoy, commanded by a Captain Carracciollo, resulted in Murat abandoning his intended invasion of Sicily. - On 5 October the boats of THAMES, assisted by those from ECLAIR, cut out ten transports from near Agricoli in the Gulf of Salerno.
In June the following year CEPHALUS reported to THAMES that a convoy from Pizzo to Naples that they had been hoping to intercept was hauled on the beach at Cetraro.
When the wind failed CEPHALUS anchored offshore while THAMES was towed up to her and arrived at dusk on the 16th.
Under covering fire from the ships a party of 180 men was landed under THAMES' first lieutenant, Mr Samuel WHITEWAY, with Lieut. MORIER.
Unfortunately the enemy vessels were too large and too heavily loaded to be got off so they had to be burnt.
A midshipman and two men were wounded. - In June 1811 THAMES and CEPHALUS were attempting to intercept a convoy from Pizzo to Naples but the ten large armed feluccas kept in a body for their mutual support.
On the 16th. Capt. CLIFFORD of CEPHALUS was delighted to find them hauled up on the beach under Centraro.
He anchored to prevent them moving while waiting for Thames to arrive.
because the wind dropped she had to be towed and did not anchor until the evening.
A party of 180 men was landed under the orders of Lieut. Samuel WHITEWAY, 1st. of THAMES, assisted by Lieut. MORIER and Lieuts. RICHARDSON and JENKINS of CEPHALUS.
The enemy vessels with their cargoes proved to be too heavy to be got off so they had to be burnt. - The men on shore came under musket fire for about 2 hours, the darkness of the night preventing the enemy from being dislodged, so they were grateful that only Mr CORNWALL and two seamen were wounded.
- Shortly afterwards Capt. WALDEGRAVE removed to VOLONTAIRE (38).
- 1811 Capt. Charles NAPIER, Mediterranean, under Rear Ad. BOYLES, the senior officer at Palermo.
On 20 July 1811 CEPHALUS, having the look out off Palinuro, reported that a convoy of 26 sail was trying to reach that port but she had forced them to take refuge in Porto del Infrischi.
THAMES arrived on the evening of the 21st. and with CEPHALUS leading they went in and silenced 11 gunboats and an armed felucca moored for the protection of 14 merchant vessels.
The marines under their Lieut. M'Adams and accompanied by Lieut. WHITEWAY, first of THAMES, were landed and took possession of a round tower and drove away the musketeers on the heights around the harbour.
They took an officer and 80 men prisoner.
Meanwhile the boats took possession of the merchant vessels and the whole lot were brought out in less than two hours with only the boatswain and four other men from CEPHALUS wounded. - In September 1811 THAMES came under the orders of Capt. DUNCAN of IMPERIEUSE and on 1 and 2 November they captured an enemy flotilla at Palinuro.
- Capt. NAPIER was employed as senior officer on the coast of Calabria in the spring of 1812 and on 4 April, in company with PILOT, he engaged a Neapolitan flotilla consisting of a brig, three schooners and fourteen gun-vessels.
It being a perfect calm the enemy was able to escape under the batteries at Salerno. - On 14 May the same two vessels attacked the port of Sapri which was defended by a battery and a tower mounting two 32-pounders.
The place surrendered after two hours bombardment from within pistol shot and the fortifications destroyed.
The landing party was commanded by Capt. NICOLAS of PILOT assisted by Lieut. Alexander CAMPBELL, the first of THAMES.
Although 29 vessels laden with oil were brought off the beach, most were destroyed by a gale during the night. - The Sicilian trade was being harried by privateers based on the island of Ponza, some 80 miles north-west of Naples so, on 16 February 1813, THAMES embarked Lieut. Col. John Pine Coffin, (the deputy Q. M.G.
of British forces in Sicily) and the 2d batt. - 10th. regiment under Lieut. Col. Cashell and sailed with FURIEUSE to capture the island.
- The French commander, Jean Baptiste Dumont, was aware of the impending attack and six privateers and some merchant men escaped before the British ships arrived.
The 24-pounders in the harbour batteries opened fire about half an hour before the ship's guns could bear but little damage was done and, with the ships engaging on both sides, THAMES was soon anchored across the mole head with FURIEUSE astern of her.
The boats then pulled close under the cliffs below the batteries to avoid their fire and the troops were landed in a small sandy bay.
Their appearance on the heights, together with the fire from the ships, soon induced the governor to surrender although his force was equal to that of the attackers. - In April 1813 Capt. NAPIER joined EURYALUS.
- At the end of May 1813 Capt. Charles ADAM of INVINCIBLE was ordered by Rear Ad. HALLOWELL to take THAMES, VOLCANO, STROMBOLO, BRUNE and eight gunboats, under his orders and co-operate with Lieut. Col. Prevost in the siege of the fort of the Col de Balageur.
This covered the high road from Tortosa to Tarragona and provided the only road for cannon. - Capt. Hon. Kenhelm SOMERVILLE later took command of THAMES when she was converted to a troopship for service on the North American station in 1814. She took part in the expedition up the Patuxent river.
- 1815 Capt. Hon. H. C.I.
IRBY, America. - 1815 Capt. William WALPOLE, 05/1815, Plymouth.
(armed en flute) He re-commissioned her in the following September. She
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