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TORBAY
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(80) |
2nd rate
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Built in 1693, Deptford.
Broken up in 1749. |
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- The attack on Vigo. (see SOMERSET).
- The General Council of Land and Sea Officers held on 11 October 1702 decided that the attack should be made with the smaller ships, and to encourage the seamen to perform their duty with more vigour and alacrity, that the Flag Officers should go in with the squadron. Sir George ROOK went out of the ROYAL SOVEREIGN into the SOMERSET, Vice Adm. HOPSON out of the PRINCE GEORGE into the TORBAY.
- From the Journal of Sir George Rook, 1702
At two o'clock in the afternoon Vice Adm. Hopson, with the ships next the enemy, striped their cables and run in upon them, Mr Hopson being the headmost ship, run through the boom without a stop - but the rest of the ships of his division stopped and hung till they cut their way through the boom, and as soon as they get through, the enemy deserted their ships, setting some on fire and running others on shore. The Torbay had very like to have been burnt by a fire-ship of the enemy, who would certainly have done the execution had she not blown up. This accident happened by the Torbay's going too far in before she anchored; for my orders were that none of our ships should go within the enemy by boarding their ships, by either of which they might get an opportunity of burning ship for ship, which would have been a better bargain than I intended them; but by the fire-ship blowing up, and the exemplary bravery of Capt. Leake, his officers and men, the fire was extinguished, and the ships wonderfully preserved. Mons. Chaleaureneuitt behaved himself like a Spanish Admiral, for he had hardly fired his guns once, before he set his ship on fire, and run away as fast as he could. What facilitated the reducing the fort on the starboard side, was the good conduct of our forces who continued to attack it by land at the same time our ships poured in their broadsides upon it; between which the enemy was in such consternation that they surrendered at discretion in less than a quarter of an hour.
13th. - At break of day this morning I went up to Rondondella's and gave the necessary orders for securing the ships of war prizes that were afloat - and for getting off those that lay on shore without any hope of being saved, to get out the brass guns of those that were lost, and to preserve the goods of the galleons as well as those afloat as those that were on shore, from any kind of embezzlement - and the plate that could be found in the bottoms of the burnt galleons, might be preserved and secured for the use and service of her Majesty. I was all day on this business, and returning late at night on board, being much indisposed with sharp symptoms of a fit of gout.
G. ROOKE - Vice Adm. HOPSON crowding all the sail he could ran directly against the boom, amidst all the enemy's fire, broke it, and came to anchor between the BOURBON and L'ESPERANCE, the two French men of war to which the boom was moored. He was followed by the Dutch vice Adm. PIETERSEN, who made himself master of the BOURBON. Of the 13 galleons, which carried from twenty to more than thirty guns each, six were taken by the English, five by the Dutch, and the rest were all destroyed. For the ships of war, in the harbour of Redondella, four were taken by the English, six by the Dutch and seven burnt.
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