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VANGUARD
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(74) |
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Built in 1787, Deptford.
Broken up in 1821. |
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- 1793 Capt. STANHOPE.
- 1794 Capt. SAWYER, 08/1794, with Rear Ad.C. THOMPSON's flag.
In 1795 Capt. MILLER was appointed his flag captain. - In December Capt. Edward BERRY was appointed to her with Rear Ad. Sir Horatio NELSON's flag.
- In 1798 NELSON was detached into the Mediterranean by Earl St. VINCENT with ORION, ALEXANDER, EMERALD, TERPSICHORE and OONNE CITOYENNE.
They sailed from Gibraltar on 9 May and on 22nd were struck by a violent gale in the Gulf of Lyons which carried away VANGUARD's topmasts and foremast.
The squadron bore up for Sardinia, ALEXANDER taking VANGUARD in tow. - On 19 May, while NELSON was off station repairing his storm damage, Napoleon sailed from Toulon with a force of 72 warships and 400 transports to strike at Egypt with the intention of eventually invading India.
Early in June he occupied Malta and, on the 19th., continued the passage to Egypt arriving off Alexandria on 1 July.
On 31 May NELSON, returned to Toulon to find that the French had left 13 days earlier.
Searching for the enemy he reached Naples on 17 June and Messina on the 20th.
Here he learnt of the fall of Malta and the probable destination of the French.
He sailed for Alexandria but overtook the French and arrived two days before them.
Finding no enemy he returned to Sicily via Asia Minor.
Convinced that the French were going to Egypt he set sail once more for Alexandria. - On the evening of 1 August, half an hour before sunset, 1798 NELSON attacked the French fleet which was moored in a strong line of battle in Aboukir Bay with gunboats, four frigates and batteries on Aboukir Island to protect their flanks.
GOLIATH was the leading ship and, followed by four others, she broke through the French line to anchor and fight from the shore-ward side.
VANGUARD remained on the seaward side and soon the French van and centre were being overwhelmed by six ships on either side of their line.
The French lost 11 ships of the line and 2 frigates.
their dead numbered 1700 and the wounded 1,500.
The British lost 218 killed and 678 wounded. - VANGUARD lost 3 officers killed, Thomas SEYMOUR and John TAYLOR, midshipmen, and Capt. Taddy of the marines.
Lieuts.N. VASSAL and J. AYDE,J. CAMPBELL, the Admiral's secretary, M, AUSTIN, the boatswain, and J. WEATHERSOON and George ANTRIM, midshipmen, were wounded.
Twenty seamen and seven marines were killed and sixty seamen and eight marines were wounded.
NELOON was also wounded.
On the 3rd. the Captains of the squadron met on board ORION and agreed to present NELSON with a sword. - VANGUARD sailed for Naples on 19 August and arrived on 22 September. She was in need of new masts an a bowsprit but NELSON deferred getting them until he knew the situation of CULLODEN which was to be careened at Naples after grounding during the battle.
The King of Naples came out to meet her. - Capt. T. M. HARDY, 09/1798, Mediterranean.
Flagship of Rear Ad. Lord NELSON. - Two months later a formidable French army had invaded Naples and on 16 December VANGUARD was shifted out of gun shot of the ports.
On the 20th. NELSON, in order to evacuate the Royal family and other important people, ordered the small barge of VANGUARD, covered by three barges and the small cutter of ALMENE armed with cutlasses only, to be at the Victoria wharf.
All the other boats of VANGUARD and ALCMENE, and the launches and carronades, were ordered to assemble on board VANGUARD under the direction of Capt. HARDY and row half way to the Mola Figlio. - By the following day the Sicilian Royal Family, the British Ambassador and his family, several Neapolitan nobles and most of the English gentlemen and merchants had been embarked, numbering in all about 600 persons in the ships of the squadron.
VANGUARD sailed on the 23rd. and arrived, after a stormy passage, in Palermo on the 26 December. - NELSON shifted his flag from VANGUARD to FOUDROYANT on 6 June 1799 taking with him Capt. HARDY and a number of other officers.
- 1799 Capt. BROWN, 08/1799.
- 1800 Out of commission at Portsmouth.
- 1801 Capt. Sir Thomas WILLIAMS.
VANGUARD sailed from Portsmouth on 20 April to join the Baltic fleet.
The fleet, under Vice Ad. POLE, returned on 10 August.
VANGUARD, ST. GEORGE, SPENCER, POWERFUL, DREADNOUGHT, RAMILLIES and ZEALOUS sailed again on the 19th. to cruise off Cadiz.
The first four were victualled and stored for five months at Gibraltar and sailed for Jamaica in December.
The WARRIO followed them as soon as she had watered at Tetuan. - 1803 Capt. James WALKER, Jamaica.
On 24 July two French 74s, DUQUESNE and DUGUAY TROUIN, and the frigate GUERRIERE put to sea from Cape Francois in San Domingo during a squall in an effort to evade BELLEROPHON, ELEPHANT, THESEUS, and VANGUARD which were blockading the port.
The French ships separated during the night but DUQUESNE was overtaken the following day and captured after a short exchange of fire with VANGUARD which lost one man killed and one wounded.
The prize was broken up on arrival in England after being damaged running on to the Morant Keys. - In September the French troops north west San Domingo were being closely besieged by the rebel slaves under General Desalines.
Capt. WALKER, off the Mole St. Nicholas, persuaded the general not to put the garrison of St. Marc to death but to march them round to the Mole in safety where VANGUARD would take possession of the shipping in the bay.
The 850 men of the garrison with Gen. d'Henin and his staff, all very emaciated, were successfully evacuated, and the corvette PAPILLON, pierced for 12 guns but only mounting 6, the brig TROIS AMIS, transport, and the schooner MARY SALLY with 40 or 50 barrels of powder were brought out. - The American schooner INDEPENDENCE was captured by VANGUARD on 16 November and the two French schooners ROSALLE, laden with saltpetre and lignum vitae, and St. ROSARIO, in ballast, were taken on 22 December.
- 1805 Capt. Andrew EVANS, Jamaica.
Capt. NEWMAN removed to VANGUARD from VETERAN in July and she was paid off towards the end of the year. - 1807 under repair at Plymouth.
At the end of the year Capt. FRASER, Yarmouth. - Early in 1808 Capt. Thomas Francis MAINWARING was appointed to VANGUARD pro tem.
and retained command until June when he returned to TARTARUS.
Capt. Thomas BAKER, Baltic.
Flagship of Rear Ad. Thomas BERTIE. - 1811 Capt. H. R. GLYNN, Leith station Downs.
- 1812 Prison ship at Plymouth.
- 1814 Powder hulk.
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