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2024-03-28T21:08:48Z
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http://wiki.hmssurprise.org/phase3/index.php/HMS_Java
HMS Java
2008-08-17T10:56:47Z
<p>Nearchus: </p>
<hr />
<div>The French-built [[frigate]] ''Renommée'', built and launched at Nantes in 1805, was captured by the British near Madagascar on May 20, 1811, taken into the British Navy and renamed ''HMS Java''. Although rated at 38 guns, she carried 47 guns and carronades, twenty-eight of which were long 18-pounders mounted on her main deck. <br />
<br />
''Java'' was under the command of Captain Harry Lambert in 1812. She sailed from Portsmouth for [[Bombay]] to deliver the newly appointed Governor, his staff and their baggage. While enroute she met and engaged, off the coast of [[Brazil]] on December 29, 1812, the American frigate [[USN Constitution]], a much more powerfull ship, rated at 44 guns but carrying 55,of which 30 were long 24-pounders on her main deck. <br />
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The battle lasted for three hours. Although HMS Java was a new frigate and faster than the ''Constitution'', her crew were less skilled at gunnery. After a brisk exchange of fire, the ''Java'' lost all her masts and the ''Constitution'' was able to place her self in a [[rake|raking]] position. By this time Captain Lambert had been mortally wounded and the ''Java's'' lieutenant surrendered the ship. After the surrender she was deemed unfit for repair and subsequently burned, though her wheel was taken aboard the ''Constitution'' to replace the original one which had been destroyed in the battle. The ''Constitution'' was unable to continue with her cruise and returned to [[Boston]].<br />
<br />
==In the Canon==<br />
{{spoiler|The Fortune of War}}<br />
In [[The Fortune of War]], Aubrey and Maturin are aboard the ''Java'' during the battle with ''Constitution'', having been picked up following the loss of ''HMS Fleche''. Although Aubrey had served with Lambert in the [[The Mauritius Command|Mauritius campaign]], he does not appear to know him. Aubrey and his surviving crew help fight ''HMS Java'' during the battle, and Aubrey is wounded and held as a prisoner of war while the ''Constitution'' sails back to [[Boston]].<br />
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[[Category:Historical ships|Java, HMS]]</div>
Nearchus
http://wiki.hmssurprise.org/phase3/index.php/Glorious_First_of_June
Glorious First of June
2008-08-17T10:40:47Z
<p>Nearchus: </p>
<hr />
<div>The '''Glorious First of June''' was a naval battle fought over several days culminating on June 1, 1794 between a British fleet under Lord [[Richard Howe|Howe]] and a French fleet under Admiral [[Louis Villaret-Joyeuse]]. While a tactical victory for the British, it was a strategic victory for the French as a vital food convoy was able to reach France.<br />
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== History == <br />
Between 1780 and 1790, [[France]], [[Spain]], [[United Kingdom|Great Britain]] and [[Holland]] spent funds they didn't necessarily have to increase the size of their respective battle fleets. France and Holland added an additional 50,000 tons in battleships to their fleets while Spain increased its fleet by 40,000 tons and Great Britain's grew by 80,000 tons. The numbers are impressive when considering that the larger navies were building new three and four decked ships and arming them with more than one hundred guns; however, while the French in particular had the ships, she did not have the men trained to handle them, nor the money to actually launch them. Britain however had mostly recovered from the loss of the American colonies by 1787 and she was building at a furious pace to keep the French and Spanish navies in check. <br />
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By 1791, [[Louis XVI]] was in trouble in France. In July of 1789, the [[Bastille]] prison was taken by revolutionaries and by 1791 a new Constitution, curtailing the powers of the king, was in place. The National Assembly was formed in the spring of 1792 and in August of that year the royal family was imprisoned after trying to escape France. In December, Louis XVI was tried for treason and found guilty; he was beheaded in January 1793 and France was declared a republic. The new Republic declared war on Great Britain and Holland on 1st February, 1793. Subsequent to this declaration, Great Britain sent ships to blockade the French port of [[Brest]] with others to patrol the [[Mediterranean Sea|Mediterranean]] around [[Toulon]]. <br />
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== The Glorious First of June ==<br />
The French fleet under the command of Admiral [[Louis Villaret-Joyeuse]] was sent from Brest to protect a shipment of grain coming from [[United States|America]]. Admiral Villaret-Joyeuse's fleet consisted of twenty-six ships ranging from smaller 18-gun [[frigate]]s to seventy-fours and one hundred plus guns ships of the line. His flagship was the ''[[Montagne]]''. Admiral Villaret-Joyeuse slipped past the Brest blockade in May of 1794, while the British were cruising the [[Atlantic Ocean|Atlantic]] looking for the grain convoy consisting of 117 ships. <br />
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The British fleet was under the command of Admiral Lord [[Richard Howe|Howe]]. Howe's fleet consisted of twenty-five ships, mostly large seventy-fours and one hundred gun ships of the line; his flagship was ''[[HMS Queen Charlotte]]''. Howe knew about the grain shipment, and had been sent from [[Spithead]] to intercept the French convoy. When he discovered Villaret-Joyeuse was not in Brest, Howe set course for the Atlantic to find the grain convoy. <br />
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Howe and his fleet cruised the Atlantic for eight days without finding either the grain convoy or Villaret-Joyeuse. On May 28, 1794, Howe was four hundred miles from [[Ushant]] when he came upon Villaret's fleet. There was an exchange of gunfire, but firing stopped due to a dark night and very heavy seas. <br />
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Admiral Villaret-Joyeuse had control of the action on May 29, 1794 as his fleet had the [[weather gage]]; but Villaret chose not to engage Howe directly. Howe, however, did manage to cut the French line and separate the last five ships of Villaret's fleet. The British took two and damaged the other three, gaining the weather-gage for the next day. <br />
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Howe was poised to take the French fleet the next day, but fog and drizzle only allowed for the occasional glimpse of sails and the sound of bells, he couldn't engage in the bad weather. The ships sailed within a few miles of each other for the next two days waiting for the weather to clear; Villaret used the opportunity to lead the British to the north and west away from the presumed course of the grain convoy. <br />
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Howe still controlled the weather-gage on June 1, 1794. The fog cleared during the night and with the morning clear and sunny, Howe pressed home his attack. Howe's plan was to cut the French line in several places to windward, thus preventing any of the French ships from escaping. The plan however was beyond the sailing ability of many of Howe's captains; although seven of Howe's ships did succeed in breaking the French line and the French were forced to engage. <br />
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Howe's carefully scripted plan was upset by so many of his ships not able to break through, and the battle became a free for all. Both French and British ships were badly damaged and in some cases, sunk, but before the day was out, it was clear that British gunnery was superior and Villaret broke off leaving six ships behind as [[prize]]s. The [[Lexicon:Butcher's bill|butcher's bill]] for the engagement was predictably high with 1500 French killed and another 2000 wounded. The British fleet fared some what better with only 287 killed and another 800 wounded. An additional 3000 French were taken in the prize ships as prisoners.<br />
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== Aftermath ==<br />
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The engagement was known as the Battle of the First of June as it was fought far from any landmark to name it. It was immortalized as The Glorious First of June after the playwright Richard Brinsley created a new production for the [[Royal Theater]] called ''The Glorious First of June'' and the name stuck.<br />
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Both sides claimed the Glorious First as a victory. The British claimed a tactical victory through winning the engagement and succeeding in breaking the French line and taking or sinking seven of Villaret's ships in addition to the five taken or damaged at the end of May. The French claimed a strategic victory as Villaret fulfilled his mission of protecting the grain convoy. While Howe was fighting far to the north and west, the grain fleet succeeded in arriving in Brest intact. <br />
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Howe was initially criticized for not pressing home his advantage and chasing the disabled French ships, but after three days of fighting and hard sailing, Howe and his ships were not up to the task, many ships were dismasted or otherwise damaged, his crews were exhausted and they could not pursue the escaping French. <br />
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Villaret confessed years after the battle that he acted the way he did to preserve his head. According to an account given to Captain Brenton, a naval historian, Villaret had been told that the grain convoy must arrive in Brest or he would pay the price of failure at the [[guillotine]]. He told Captain Brenton the loss of a few ships was minimal when he considered that he had saved both the convoy and his life. "While your admiral amused himself refitting them, I saved my convoy and I saved my head."<br />
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== In the Canon ==<br />
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*[[HMS Surprise (novel)|HMS Surprise]] -- Norton pg 92: [[Stephen Maturin|Stephen]] requests [[Thomas Pullings]] to explain the Glorious First of June to [[Cecilia Williams]]. <br />
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*[[HMS Surprise (novel)|HMS Surprise]] -- Norton pg 113: The cook on Surprise, Johnson, is three legged as his own two had been shot away at the Glorious First of June and he added a third "seized to his bottom" in addition to the two the hospital provided. <br />
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*[[The Reverse of the Medal]] -- Norton pg 57: [[William Mowett|Mowett's]] book of poetry would be published on June 1 in honor of the Glorious First of June <br />
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*[[The Letter of Marque (novel)|The Letter of Marque]] -- Norton pg 61: Mowett's book has been moved from June 1 to [[Battle of Trafalgar|Trafalgar]] Day then to the anniversary of [[Camperdown]]. <br />
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*[[Clarissa Oakes (novel)|Clarissa Oakes]] -- Norton pg 103: [[Clarissa Oakes (character)|Clarissa]] asks Lt. West, to describe his part in the Glorious First of June to Mr. Martin. West was wounded in the battle. (The following pages also contain a description of the engagement)<br />
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== References ==<br />
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*The Age of Nelson by G.J. Marcus Viking Press ©1971 ISBN 0670109657 <br />
*War at Sea in the Age of Sail by Andrew Lambert Cassell & Co. ©2000 ISBN 0304352462 <br />
*[http://www.cleverley.org/navy/index.html The Glorious First of June] Retrieved May 30, 2007<br />
*[http://orbat.com/site/history/historical/uk/ushant3.html Third Battle of Ushant]retrieved May 30, 2007<br />
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[[Category:Historic battles]]</div>
Nearchus
http://wiki.hmssurprise.org/phase3/index.php/HMS_Java
HMS Java
2008-08-17T07:52:53Z
<p>Nearchus: </p>
<hr />
<div>The French-built [[frigate]] ''Renommée'', built and launched at Nantes in 1805, was captured by the British near Madagascar on May 20, 1811, taken into the British Navy and renamed ''HMS Java''. Although rated at 38 guns, she carried 47 guns and caronades, twenty-eight of which were long 18-pounders mounted on her main deck. <br />
<br />
''Java'' was under the command of Captain Harry Lambert in 1812. She sailed from Portsmouth for [[Bombay]] to deliver the newly appointed Governor, his staff and their baggage. While enroute she met and engaged, off the coast of [[Brazil]] on December 29, 1812, the American frigate [[USN Constitution]], a much more powerfull ship, rated at 44 guns but carrying 55,of which 30 were long 24-pounders on her main deck. <br />
<br />
The battle lasted for three hours. Although HMS Java was a new frigate and faster than the ''Constitution'', her crew were less skilled at gunnery. After a brisk exchange of fire, the ''Java'' lost all her masts and the ''Constitution'' was able to place her self in a [[rake|raking]] position. By this time Captain Lambert had been mortally wounded and the ''Java's'' lieutenant surrendered the ship. After the surrender she was deemed unfit for repair and subsequently burned, though her wheel was taken aboard the ''Constitution'' to replace the original one which had been destroyed in the battle. The ''Constitution'' was unable to continue with her cruise and returned to [[Boston]].<br />
<br />
==In the Canon==<br />
{{spoiler|The Fortune of War}}<br />
In [[The Fortune of War]], Aubrey and Maturin are aboard the ''Java'' during the battle with ''Constitution'', having been picked up following the loss of ''HMS Fleche''. Although Aubrey had served with Lambert in the [[The Mauritius Command|Mauritius campaign]], he does not appear to know him. Aubrey and his surviving crew help fight ''HMS Java'' during the battle, and Aubrey is wounded and held as a prisoner of war while the ''Constitution'' sails back to [[Boston]].<br />
<br />
[[Category:Historical ships|Java, HMS]]</div>
Nearchus
http://wiki.hmssurprise.org/phase3/index.php/HMS_Leopard_(ship)
HMS Leopard (ship)
2008-08-17T05:10:35Z
<p>Nearchus: </p>
<hr />
<div>'''HMS Leopard''' was a 50-gun ship involved in a serious peacetime incident with the [[USN Chesapeake|''USN Chesapeake'']] in 1807. <br />
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The ''Leopard'' was launched in 1790. As a 50 gun ship, she was already nearly obsolete, being too small to stand in the line of battle and unsuitable as a cruising ship.<br />
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A notable event in her service occurred in early 1807. She was patrolling near the American coast when she encountered the ''Chesapeake'' (Commodore Barron; Captain Gordon) which was six hours out from the Virginia Capes en route to Europe with her decks in a state of clutter. Acting on the orders of his Commander in Chief, Vice Admiral Berkeley, in an attempt to recover British deserters, Captain Salisbury Pryce Humphreys of the "Leopard" sent a boat on board the ''Chesapeake'' and requested permission to search it. Commodore [[James Barron]], refused and began to clear for action. The ''Leopard'' opened fire, killing a number of men and wounding others including the Commodore. The ''Chesapeake'' surrendered, and Humphreys boarded to search for deserters. Three Americans and a British sailor were removed to the "Leopard" and the British sailor was later hanged at [[Halifax]]. The British Government disavowed Vice Admiral Berkeley's actions. The affair was part of the build-up to the [[War of 1812]]. It strained diplomatic relations between the [[United States]] and [[United Kingdom|Britain]].<br />
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In 1811, the ''Leopard'' was converted to a troopship. On June 28, 1814, she was en route from [[England]] to [[Quebec]] when she grounded on [[Anticosti Island]] in heavy fog. The ship was lost but the troops and crew were saved.<br />
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{{spoiler|Desolation Island, The Fortune of War and Letter of Marque}}<br />
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==In the Canon==<br />
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[[Jack Aubrey]] commands the ''Leopard'' (known as the "'orrible old ''Leopard''") on a voyage to [[Australia]] in ''[[Desolation Island (novel)|Desolation Island]]''. By the end of the voyage in ''[[The Fortune of War]]'' she is in very poor condition having survived near shipwreck. She underwent makeshift repairs on [[Desolation Island (place)|Desolation Island]] but, as Aubrey puts it in [[The Surgeon's Mate (novel)|The Surgeon's Mate]], "the ice had given her frame such a wrench that she could not carry any piece of metal -- no good to man or beast: only fit for a transport." The ship's actual history also causes significant difficulties when negotiating with American whalers for assistance in repairing the rudder. <br />
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Later in ''[[The Letter of Marque (novel)|The Letter of Marque]]'', [[Stephen Maturin]] takes passage to [[Sweden]] aboard the ''Leopard'', now converted to a transport. Again the voyage is eventful with a grounding necessitating the repair of the rudder. However, Maturin is recognised as an old Leopard and treated with respect for the second half of the voyage. <br />
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[[Category:Historical ships|Leopard, HMS]]</div>
Nearchus