HMS Centaur: A Charles Mullins novel, Sea Command 8

by Richard Testrake

  One of these was an effort to cultivate French supply officials to purchase salt fish to provision French warships instead of the normal salt beef. Cattle were becoming more difficult to acquire every week, and the limited supply generally went to the army. Fish however were still available in quantity and could usually be purchased at a good price in any port.

  He attracted little interest since ship captains were unwilling to be supplied with a food with which their crews were not familiar. This did not discourage the spy, since his whole purpose was to natter with port officials, chandlers and even laborers, to discover what was occurring in this harbor, not to please French crewmen.

  One person, a harbor pilot, observed over a bottle of wine that warships of various types were now staging northward up the coast and he suspected some new action was pending.

  Dooley attempted to confirm this with anyone else with business near the waterfront, but was becoming edgy. He had been in this port too long.

  Corporal Dubois continued his search for the spy, without any results. One day he visited a remount depot in Cherbourg where horses were gathered for service with officers and mounted troops in the field. He was discussing his search with the disabled officer in charge of the depot when he heard something that got his attention.

  While discussing the Prussian spy over a bottle of wine, a sergeant of the re-mount service standing behind his officer with some papers to be signed, said, “Pardon me sir, but I was visiting a cousin on the waterfront who was telling me about a similar person. Although this one is a Dane and is trying to sell salt fish.”

  Alert now, Dubois asked him to elaborate. Sergeant Moraine said, “My cousin Jacques works as a laborer in a chandler’s shop on the quay. He says every few days a Dane comes in to try to persuade his supervisor to purchase his fish. He always has many questions to ask about events involving the navy.”

  Intrigued, the corporal went back to the station and collected a half-dozen men. His captain was exceedingly irate with this misuse of manpower and insisted there must be some positive outcome here, if he did not wish to be sent to some isolated post where he could not continue to waste precious resources.

  Dubois marched his men to the chandler’s warehouse and had them seal it off. Every person inside was to be interrogated rigorously.

  Dooley had made his last visit to the warehouse the previous day, and left without gaining useful information. He felt the merchant was not as friendly with him as he had been earlier. When he asked about naval warships that might expect to visit the harbor in the coming week, he received a very brusque answer. Leaving the establishment, he decided it might be time to leave, at least until memories had a chance to fade.

  Reluctant to travel by road, because of the ever-increasing danger of checkpoint inspections, Dooley decided to investigate possibilities of travelling by sea.

  Back on the waterfront, he located a boatman who he knew had his share of troubles After injuring his back, the fisherman was having a difficult time pulling his nets and maintaining his boat. Mullins thought he might pay the man to take him out to sea, where he might meet up with a blockading ship or perhaps a fishing boat out of a British port.

  A preliminary talk with this boatman over a bottle of wine was inconclusive. While he was desperate for money, he wanted nothing to do anything that might attract attention from the authorities. Dooley still had a well-filled purse, and thought the old friend that had taken him to shore earlier, would give him a ride out to sea for a share of it. This boatman was agreeable to taking a passenger up the coast to another village. This boats’ canvas was badly deteriorated though, and it would be necessary to purchase new rigging for the boat, before it could venture out to sea. He contemplated visiting the chandler to make this purchase, but, disturbed by the proprietor’s antipathy toward him in recent visits, went to a competitor down the lane.

  While making his purchase, he was told of the visit by policemen to the other chandler and how they were holding any customers stepping inside.

  Dooley made arrangements to have his supplies delivered to the quay and took a back alley to see what was going on at the chandlers He noticed a squad of gendarmes deployed around it.

  Passing a pâinérie as he was hurrying back to the boat, he ran in and secured an armful of loaves. At the boat, he found the owner just finishing installing the newly delivered rigging.

  Tossing the bread on a thwart, he told the protesting owner it was time to leave. The boatman was reluctant to leave at that time. He feared the authorities would notice their departure at this strange time. Better to wait until the next morning, when the other fishermen were leaving for their day’s work.To get the reluctant boatman to hurry, he gave him half of the gold Napoleons he had in his purse.

  They rowed out into the channel, then hoisted their lugsail and made their way close-hauled out to sea. The other fishing boats had long since ventured out and the boatman was concerned their late exodus would arouse suspicions.

  A gun from the battery did fire a warning shot as they passed, but moments later a heavy squall hit their craft, obscuring it in heavy rain, permitting them to reach open waters without incident.

  Back in England, Captain Mullins was given a week to spend with his family, then it was back to sea again. Before leaving port, he managed to find a few hands to augment his crew. From his quarterdeck, he watched the former Maroon he had acquired in Jamaica, instructing one of the new catch how to properly coil down a line. After sitting cross-legged, on the foredeck, when finished he jumped to his feet and hurled himself aloft like a young ape, daring the other to follow him. Mullins was pleased with the transformation of young Cromwell into a capable seaman.

  Of course, the former Maroon and slave had as yet very little experience fighting Navy fashion, but Mullins had seen the lad use a cutlass also, On a enemy deck, he was seen to wield that weapon with deadly abandon. His captain could wish he had another twenty hands like him.

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Arriving back at the Frisians, Mullins was no longer the expedition commander. Rear Admiral Brewer was filling that role now, flying his flag in the old HMS Zeus, an ancient second-rate pulled back from an honorable retirement to lend its formidable firepower to the defense of the island now known as Centaur Island.

  Now a mere post captain with no authority over anyone save his own ship and crew, Mullins’s ship was assigned to a roving patrol in the chain of nearby islands. A brief meeting with the admiral after joining the fleet provided him with the most recent information available.

  It was judged likely now that the enemy was still intent on recovering their lost island before going on to re-invade former French possessions across the sea. Admiral Brewer suspected Napoleons’ intentions were not certain regarding this last possibility. The French had lost any intelligence gained when their reconnaissance corvette had been taken by HMS Stalwart earlier, what their latest intentions were now, could not be determined.

  It seemed the French government was in a state of confusion as what they should be doing. This island was of no great importance to either side, save for the purpose of drawing troops and materiel from the French forces fighting in the Iberian Peninsula. On the French side, of course they had thought to use this isolated site to launch a surprise raid into the Caribbean. After the failure of the reconnaissance sip sent to reconnoiter, there was indecision as what should be done. Both sides were now at somewhat of an impasse.

  Every day found it more difficult for Britain to supply resources for the occupation and defense of this island. The French too, were finding it difficult to defend their positions in the North Sea, while at the same time locating troops and munitions for their own battles in Spain.

  While Mullins was absent on his mission to Jamaica, the enemy had made a major attack on Centaur Island, only to see it beaten off. Admiral Brewer informed Mullins that he foresaw the time when the navy found itself over-extended and decided to pull back. For the present though, the forces w
ould continue to do their job and continue to hold the enemy at bay.

  Stalwart left the crowded harbor and put to sea. As she sailed up the chain of islands, she encountered a small convoy escorted by an enemy brig. These vessels immediately made for a defended harbor on a nearby island, with Stalwart in their wake. Following the prey almost up to the battery defending the enemy haven, Mullins had thought he would lose his chance for a prize.

  A sudden wind change caused one of the rearmost vessels to miss stays when she attempted to tack. Before she could recover, Stalwart was closing rapidly. The crew of this Danish brig, unable to evade, hurriedly slashed their rigging and escaped over the side into their boat.

  Now within range of the nearby battery, impact splashes began erupting from the sea around Stalwart as she attempted to recover the prize. The launch was manned and a party of seamen pulled over to the drifting brig, while Stalwart put herself between the battery and the prize, firing broadsides at the enemy guns, more in hopes of obscuring their target with smoke than any hope of causing damage.

  With the prize crew knotting and splicing, the captive brig was brought to the wind and both ships put out to sea. Stalwart had been hit with a single shot from the battery which killed two men and crippled another. A gun carriage was smashed, but the gunner assured his captain the gun itself was still serviceable and could be placed on another carriage and be back in service shortly.

  After both craft were out to sea, a quick inspection was made of the prize. Aside from her vandalized rigging, she was in sound enough condition, with a cargo of leather goods. More noteworthy, she carried ten eight-pounder guns on naval carriages as well as a quantity of powder and shot.

  Mullins felt it was not necessary at the time to return to Centaur Island and decided to man the brig to act as a tender to his frigate.

  Rear Admiral Brewer should be pleased with the prize. While this lightly-armed brig should never engage any national ship-of-war, this vessel, with her present armament, could profitably intercept poorly-armed merchantmen. Of course, she would need a crew and hands to man her. For now, she must get by with a volunteer crew seconded over from Stalwart. He did not wish to spare one of his officers, but appointed Master’s Mate Doolittle as her temporary commander.

  Once professionals from Stalwart had mended her rigging, the prize proved to be a satisfactory tender. While not as fast as Stalwart, she should be able to run down many of the heavily-laden merchants they hoped to meet. With both vessels farther north than Mullins wished to be, he ordered both to make another sweep southward down the chain of islands, They would sail abreast of each other, the distance being governed by the visibility. At night and in bad weather, they might sweep close together.

  When conditions improved, they might separate to the distance the signal flags could be read. As they made their way down the chain, they reached an un-named island Mullins had visited before. In the past, when it had been first visited, it was deserted, although it had a useful harbor that could be used as a refuge in bad weather.

  This time, when they approached, they found a pair of ships in the harbor, busily landing men and equipment. Both vessels sailed by, without exhibiting any interest in the activities. That night when out of sight of any observers on the island, both vessels put about and returned. Approaching from the seaward side of the island, there was no harbor, but there was a rocky beach.

  Men and Marines were told off and boarded the boats. Their orders were to approach the island, and if no opposition presented itself, land on the side opposite the harbor and march overland to investigate. They were ordered to avoid unnecessary combat, observe what they could and return to the ship to deliver their intelligence.

  The boats pulled away from the ship an hour after sunset. The prize left the position and made for the entrance of the harbor on the other side of the island. Mister Doolittle was standing by the helm well after midnight, when a whisper from the starboard beam lookout reported he saw muzzle-flashes on the island. Listening intently, faint ‘popping’ sounds could be heard. Someone was firing muskets on shore. By dawn the activity had ended and all seemed normal on land. The ships were still in the harbor and both flew the tricolor. So too did a flagpole erected at the head of the bay.

  Doolittle took his brig into the mouth of the harbor and saw evidence that a four-gun battery was being constructed. One or two guns appeared to be mounted and capable of firing, but no shots were fired at the brig.

  Then, shortly after sunrise, a force of men ran down a rise behind the battery and charged the defenders with first a volley and then the bayonet. It was the landing party from Stalwart. These people had initially scouted the site, alerting the enemy. Shots were fired after which the scouting party had returned to their landing site.

  Now it was learned the midshipman in charge of the boats, had misunderstood his instructions and pulled out to sea, intending to go back to the ship. The boat crews became disoriented in the overcast night and missed the ship. After wandering about all night, the exhausted oarsmen saw Stalwart in the distance in the morning light and eventually reached her.

  In the meantime, the landing party returning from the scouting mission found their boats missing. With no way to signal the ship, and having no idea what had happened to their boats, Mister Harris, in command of the party, decided to take all his men and charge the enemy site. They had seen a few boats on the beach and planned to take them. using them to reach the prize standing offshore,

  It was a trial making their way across the island, especially for those who were making a return trip. Reaching the height behind the construction site, they saw few people about in the early morning light.

  The enemy construction crew had leveled some ground below their position to prepare the battery site and had hauled up four guns. Two were already mounted on carriages, and a tripod and tackle were present to mount the other two on short order. Clearly, the enemy was not expecting trouble. They had repelled an attack during the night and sent their assailants running. By now, the enemy troops were busily preparing their morning breakfast around open fires. Only two sentries were guarding the actual site of the battery. Neither were especially alert, instead being more interested in the activities of their mates around the cooking fires.

  Mister Harris gave the task of taking out the sentries to four of his seamen, all veterans of numerous brawls on shore, both on and off duty. Using some short shrubs as cover, they crept close to the sentries, who were standing beside each other watching the breakfast preparations.

  The sentries never had a chance to have their breakfast that morning. The rushing attack had both men on the ground without notice being taken by the main enemy force. One sentry was dead with a smashed skull. His mate was severely concussed, but would live. One landing party member was a gunner’s mate and he had brought his tools with him. Extracting some steel spikes, he used a hammer to pound a spike down the vents of each of the four guns, whether mounted or not. With the touch-holes plugged, it would be impossible to fire the guns until hours of hard work were spent in drilling out the vents of those guns.

  With the battery out of action, Harris looked out at his enemy. The enemy workers were all busy cooking and eating their rations, still not realizing the battery had been taken. But now, a new problem was apparent. Boats from the enemy frigate out in the harbor were pulling for shore. The captain of the enemy frigate was concerned about the previous day’s reconnaissance patrol and decided to reinforce his shore party.

  With these boats nearing shore, Harris decided to attack the enemy before they were augmented. Shouting, his people charged down the hill toward the enemy still at their breakfast. The struggle lasted only a few minutes. Most of the enemy were without their arms and had little chance. A surprising number of the enemy surrendered at once, but there were those that fought to the end.

  Those aboard the approaching boats witnessed the attack without being able to assist. Their officer, seeing the battery had been left unattended,
directed his boats to the shore under the guns and stormed ashore. The officer knew two guns had been mounted yesterday and determined to use those guns to fight these unknown bandits. However, that idea fell through when they reached the guns and found them ruined.

  Instead, they must use their personal weapons to drive off the attackers. Unfortunately, the frigate’s captain had thought there might be unfortunate consequences if men equipped with loaded firearms travelled in open boats. Therefore. all the reinforcements had unloaded weapons. True, the officer in each boat had with him a supply of ammunition, but it was not easy to open the containers and issue and load weapons in a rocking boat.

  The boats grounded on a shoal some yards away from the beach, and those men that had obtained cartridges found them useless when their cartridge pouches were soaked in the waist-deep water as they came ashore. The British landing party were waiting for their enemy on the site of the battery as their foe struggled ashore. With their spoiled ammunition, there was little fighting and the attack soon fell apart. The vanquished enemy was sent to an open part of the beach away from the others, placed under guard and their weapons confiscated.

  Mullins was furious when the midshipman brought his boats back to the ship without the landing party. The lad had not been paying attention when given his order the previous day, and had not understood the reason for the landing. Mullins thought over the appropriate punishment for the youngster for a day, but decided in the end to tell the mid that he was now an able seaman. He might relent in the future, but for now, John Hendricks would leave the gunroom and join the hands on the messdeck.

  Now, in Mullins opinion, the important issue was where was his landing party? When the sun was well up, all that could be seen was an empty shore. He left the launch behind with extra water and rations, to watch for any appearance of his people, then set course for the other side of the island. Perhaps Mister Doolittle aboard the prize might have an answer.