HMS Mutine (1806)

HMS "Mutine" was an 18-gun "Cruizer" class brig-sloop of the Royal Navy. She was launched on 15 August 1806.

Career

Danish waters

"Mutine" was initially under the command of Hew Steuart, and spent 1807 fitting out at Plymouth, and in the North Sea and the Baltic Sea. She was then used to prosecute Britain's Gunboat War with Denmark during the Napoleonic Wars. "Mutine"’s first duties involved escorting the King's German Legion to and from the island of Rugen. In August 1808, she covered the landings of British troops at Køge, south of Copenhagen, where they set up a battery north of Køge in preparation for laying siege to the Danish capital. When a number of Danish gun-vessels attempted to interfere in these operations, a flotilla consisting of "Mutine", HMS "Hebe" and HMS "Cruizer", and four bomb vessels, HMS "Thunder", HMS "Vesuvius", HMS "Aetna" and HMS "Zebra". The flotilla was placed under the command of Captain Peter Puget of HMS "Goliath" and deployed to protect the troops.

On 22 August the inshore squadron was attacked off the entrance to the harbour at Copenhagen by a Danish fleet consisting of three praams, each carrying 20 guns, and over 30 gunboats. The Danish ships were supported by fire from a number of floating batteries and block-ships. The resulting battle lasted for four hours, but resulted in little damage and few casualties.On 2 October, the "Juliana", out of Liverpool had encountered and driven off a French privateer 200 miles west of Scilly. The next day, "Juliana" spotted a brig, and after closing on her under a French flag, rose the English flag and boarded her. Suspicious that her her captain was carrying several different sets of papers, the captain of the "Juliana" planned to take her into Liverpool. "Mutine" arrived on the scene in the evening, and after ascertaining the situation, Captain Steuart took over the prize vessel, by now identified as the "Joannah", and put his own crew aboard her.

Battle with the French

In 1808, command of the "Mutine", now at Spithead, passed to Charles Montague Fabian. In 1810, he was replaced by Nevison de Courcy, who sailed her to Brazil, and in 1812, to Quebec. In 1813, "Mutine" was operating in the Western Approaches. De Courcy spotted a strange sail on his lee bow on the morning of 17 April, whilst sailing in the Bay of Biscay, and gave chase. By 2 o'clock in the afternoon the stranger had hoisted French colours and opened fire with his stern chasers. The "Mutine"’s rigging was disabled and she began to fall astern. She managed to stay close enough though to enable her to carry out an exchange of fire that lasted two hours. The Frenchman's main-top-gallant-mast and jibs were shot away and the "Mutine" was able to close him, continuing to fire. After a further 50 minutes of this battering, the French surrendered. She was found to be the privateer "Invincible", carrying 16 guns. The crew of 86, mostly Americans, were taken prisoner. "Mutine" had suffered only two men slightly wounded in the engagement.

The "Invincible" was later recaptured by the American privateer "Alexander", but was soon recaptured by boats from HMS "Shannon" and HMS "Tenedos" on 16 May and sent to Halifax. The "Alexander" did not last much longer, being driven ashore off Kenebank by HMS "Rattler" on 19 May. The "Alexander"’s crew escaped to the shore, whilst the ship herself was pulled off and salvaged by the "Rattler", with the assistance of the schooner HMS "Bream".

Later years, and at Algiers

Most of "Mutine"’s remaining years were spent sailing on patrols along the south coast of England to Cork, Ireland. She was commanded from 1815 by James Mould, and from 1817 by William Sargent. She took part in Lord Exmouth's punitive expedition against the Dey of Algiers, and was present at the Bombardment of Algiers in 1816. During the bombardment she was anchored off the port bow of HMS "Impregnable", whilst the other sloops kept under way. "Mutine" was finally sold on 3 February 1819 to G. Young.

References

*Colledge
* [http://www.ageofnelson.org/MichaelPhillips/info.php?ref=1569 HMS Mutine's career]