HMS Niemen (1809)

HMS "Niemen" was a 38-gun fifth rate frigate of the Royal Navy. She was initially built for service with the French Navy, but was captured in 1809 and spent most of her career in service with the British.

Construction and French career

"Niemen" was built at Bordeaux to a design by P. Rolland, carrying 40 guns. She was launched in 1808 but spent less than a year in French service.cite book |last= |title=Sail and Steam Navy List |pages=p. 48] On 4 April 1809 she was sighted sailing in the Bay of Biscay by several Royal Navy ships, including the 36-gun frigate HMS|Amethyst|1799|6, under the command of Captain Sir Michael Seymour.cite book |last= |title=Annual Biography and Obituary |pages=pp. 195–201] Also sailing in company with the "Amethyst" were the 36-gun HMS|Emerald|1795|6 and the 38-gun HMS|Arethusa|1781|6. The "Niemen" was only two days out of port, and carried a substantial crew of 319. Seymour, who had previously won fame by capturing the French frigate "Thetis" the previous year, gave chase at 11am.

After a sustained chase, lasting all day, the "Amethyst" lost sight of the "Emerald" and had failed to gain on the "Niemen". Seymour then wore his ship around and was able to bring himself close to the "Niemen" at 9.30pm. The two ships began exchanging fire at 11.30pm, with "Amethyst" coming alongside at 1am on the morning of 5 April to exchange sustained broadsides. By 3am the "Niemen" had lost her main and mizzen masts, and her fire was slackening. The "Arethusa" then arrived on the scene, firing a couple of broadsides at the badly-damaged French ship, on which she surrendered. She had lost 47 killed and 73 wounded, compared to eight killed and 37 wounded on the "Amethyst". Sir Michael brought her in as a prize, and was rewarded with a baronetcy for his actions in capturing the "Niemen", and the earlier capture of the "Thetis".

As HMS "Niemen"

The "Niemen" was taken into service with the Royal Navy and commissioned as HMS "Niemen".cite book |last=Colledge |title=Ships of the Royal Navy |pages=p. 243] Her capturer, Sir Michael Seymour was appointed to command her in September 1809. By 1811 she was based at Cork, and came under the command of Captain Samuel Pym at Spithead in 1812. [ [http://www.ageofnelson.org/MichaelPhillips/info.php?ref=1595 ships of the old navy] ] She escorted a convoy to Bermuda in January 1814, and by January 1815 she had been removed from service and broken up. Her name was perpetuated in a 28-gun sixth rate launched in 1820 as HMS|Niemen|1820|6.

Notes

References

*Colledge
* Lyon, David and Winfield, Rif, The Sail and Steam Navy List, All the Ships of the Royal Navy 1815–1889, pub Chatham, 2004, ISBN 1-86176-032-9
*cite book |title=The Annual Biography and Obituary for the Year 1835 |accessdate=2008-09-26 |year=1835 |publisher=Longman, Hurst, Rees, Orme, and Brown|pages=pp. 195–201 |chapter=No. XV. Sir Michael Seymour, of High Mount, County Cork, and friary Park, Devon, Bart. and K.C.B.; Rear-Admiral of the Blue; and Commander-in-Chief on the South American Station
* [http://www.ageofnelson.org/MichaelPhillips/info.php?ref=1595 HMS Niemen at ships of the old navy]