HMS Amfitrite (1804)

HMS "Amfitrite" was a 38-gun fifth rate frigate of the Royal Navy. She had previously served with the Spanish Navy, before being captured during the Napoleonic Wars and commissioned into the Royal Navy. She was renamed HMS "Blanche", after spending just over a year as HMS "Amfitrite". She has been the only ship in the Navy to bear this specific name, though a number of other ships used the conventional English spelling and were named HMS "Amphitrite".

Career

Capture

"Amfrite" was sailing off the Spanish Atlantic coast in November 1804, when she was spotted by the 74-gun third rate HMS "Donegal", then cruising off the coast under the command of Captain Richard Strachan, watching the port of Cadiz. The "Donegal" gave chase and after pursuing the "Amfitrite" for 46 hours, "Amfitrite" lost her mizzen-top-mast and was subsequently overhauled by the "Donegal".

A boat was dispatched from the "Donegal" and the Spanish captain was brought aboard. Sir Richard did not speak Spanish and the captain did not speak English, so it was with difficulty that Sir Richard attempted to inform him that his orders were to return the "Amfitrite" back to Cadiz. Sir Richard allowed the captain three minutes to decide whether he would comply with the order, but after waiting for six minutes without an answer, opened fire on the "Amfitrite". The engagement lasted only eight minutes, and resulted in a number of deaths, including the Spanish captain, who fell to a musket ball. The "Amfitrite" surrendered and after being searched, was found to be laden with stores and carrying dispatches from Cadiz to Tenerife and Havana. She was taken over and later commissioned into the Navy as HMS "Amfitrite". She was renamed HMS "Blanche" on 3 December 1805.

As HMS "Blanche"

"Blanche" was under the command of Captain Thomas Lavie in 1806, and was used to patrol off the English coast, protecting English shipping from French privateers and raiders. On 28 March 1806, the French frigates "Guerrière", "Revanche" and "Syrène", and the brig-corvette "Néarque" were dispatched from Lorient, with orders to attack and destroy British and Russian whalers in the Arctic, off Greenland. The "Guerrière" became separated from the rest of the squadron, but was able to capture and burn several whaling vessels. By 16 July, news of her activities, including a recent sighting off the Faroe Islands reached Captain Lavie aboard the HMS "Blanche", then off the Shetland Islands. The "Blanche" quickly sailed to the reported area and on 18 July, sighted the "Guerrière". By this point "Guerrière" was carrying 50 guns, to the "Blanche"’s 46.

"Blanche" quickly closed the distance, but "Guerrière", perhaps mistaking the British frigate for one of her squadron, did not initially take action. The "Blanche" opened fire at about 15 minutes past midnight, firing two broadsides before the "Guerrière" could respond. A fierce fight followed, with the "Guerrière" eventually surrendering at half past one that morning, having lost her mizzenmast. "Blanche" had suffered light damage and four men wounded out of her complement of 265. The "Guerrière" had suffered considerable damage to her lower masts, as well as to her hull, both above and below the waterline. Out of her complement of 350, 20 of her officers, seamen and marines had been killed, whilst another 30 were wounded, ten of them seriously. Many of the French crew had been ill below decks during the engagement. The "Guerrière" had been aiming to cripple the "Blanche" by firing to bring down her masts, so that the "Guerrière" might escape. When this failed, the "Guerrière" was eventually worn down and forced to strike.

"Blanche" escorted the "Guerrière" back to Britain, arriving with her prize on 26 July in Yarmouth Roads. The "Guerrière" was commissioned into the Navy as HMS "Guerriere", after a repair and refit which brought her to 48 guns. The captain of the "Blanche" was knighted and the first lieutenant was promoted. Captain Lavie continued to serve as commander of the "Blanche" and was part of a squadron under Captain Richard Keats blockading the port of Rochefort. On 15 January 1807 Lavie and the "Blanche" intercepted the "George Washington" off Bordeaux. She was found to be carrying Captain Kargarian, the former commander of the French frigate "Valeureuse" and 306 of his officers and men. Lavie took the prisoners aboard and sent the "George Washington" to England.

Shortly after, on 4 March 1807 HMS "Blanche" was wrecked whilst cruising off Ushant.

References

*Colledge
* [http://www.ageofnelson.org/MichaelPhillips/info.php?ref=0341 HMS Amfitrite/HMS Blanche's career]