HMS Aphrodite (Sea Command Book 1)

by Richard Testrake

  Aikens announced he would like the petty offer position main well, and the deed was done. Mullins called over Mister Harrison, and informed him of the seaman’s promotion.

  As the time approached when the ship would be ready to sail, Mullins took his gig to the powder wharf, which was well away from other areas of the port. He took his purse with him, which still contained some of the now very rare guineas that had mostly disappeared from circulation.

  Approaching the superintendent in his office, he handed him the paperwork relating to the issue of the necessary powder for the ship’s guns. The official told him he need not have made the trip, the ship’s master gunner would have been able to make the arrangements.

  Mullins told the man that in addition to the standard issue of powder, he wished to purchase, with his own funds, sufficient extra powder to train his people in gunnery. Normally, ships of the Royal Navy were restricted on the amount of ammunition they could expend for training purposes.

  Grey assured him it could be done, but he would have to speak to some people in town. “Mind you Captain, this powder you buy, will not be what you are used to. When an enemy ship is taken and lands her powder, the Navy does not use it as it is. It is sent to a powder mill, where it is re-manufactured to British standards. The powder you buy will somehow have become separated from that sent to the mill and will be just as it was issued to the French ship it was taken from.”

  Mullins replied, “I have been on the receiving end of some of that French ammunition. If it is in good condition, I will have no complaints.”

  Mister Grey advised him to have his gunner come ashore and examine the material to make sure it was, satisfactory.

  The two continued their conversation, with Grey agreeing to supply some nine-pound balls so they could fire shotted charges in the guns without the ordnance department growing overly concerned about the expense to the Crown.

  “Mind you Captain, these balls have been condemned for rust and are being sent back to the foundry for re-casting. Most have spent some time resting in bilge water and are badly rusted and pitted. Again you will want your gunner to look at them.”

  The rusted balls were stored outside of the gun park and were readily available. Since it was advisable to reduce any chance of being seen, it was decided to have the launch and longboat come to the wharf in the dark, where the ammunition could be loaded. Since it would be necessary to obtain the salvaged powder from another source, there would be a delay in obtaining it. When it did become available though, this powder could be loaded along with the issued powder.

  The boats, with extra hands to do the loading, went that night to the wharf and returned before dawn with their loads of the heavy iron balls.

  Two days later, Mister Grey’s messenger brought word the additional powder had been delivered to the powder wharf and was ready to come aboard.

  The ship had moved out into the harbor days before, where any chance explosion would not endanger any other people, ships or buildings. When the powder barge neared, all flames were extinguished and the men required to work in their bare feet. The decks were dowsed with seawater and the loading commenced. The French powder was loaded first, since its casks were different from the British issue.

  All of the casks were passed down into the magazine, making sure British powder casks obscured the French containers, just in case some official made a cursory inspection before they sailed.

  Captain Mullins was not really concerned about being caught out. Supplementing the King’s ammunition at the captain’s cost was an old tradition that was not generally condemned. But, protecting oneself from scrutiny from inexperienced officials that might not realize the necessity of this was us custom was usually considered good practice.

  Aphrodite set sail in early April for the mouth of the Tagus, where Mullins had been told he might expect to find Sir John Jervis’ fleet. Locked in his desk were shot-weighted bags of information from the Admiralty and Foreign Office, some of it gained from sources inside France that would mean lives lost if the information was revealed to the wrong person. Each bag was weighted to insure it would rapidly sink should there be danger of its capture.

  The ship neared its destination off the coast of Portugal, where she met with HMS Diedre, herself awaiting Admiral Jervis. Aphrodite remained offshore of the Tagus estuary while Diedre went off to see if she could find a prize or two. Mullins had been expressly ordered to avoid placing his ship in a position where his dispatches might be endangered. Specifically, he had been instructed to avoid any prize-hunting himself.

  Eventually, the fleet hove into sight and Mullins was able to deliver his bags to Victory. After handing over the bags to the flag lieutenant, Mullins walked the quarterdeck with Captain Calder, discussing the potentials for action in the Mediterranean. Calder informed Mullins that the admiral, curious of French intentions, had dispatched Nelson to enter the Med to find out what he might.

  They had hardly scratched the surface of the possibilities when Flags came to the quarterdeck and reported the admiral wished to see them both in his quarters.

  Mullins was always apprehensive when reporting to Sir John. His sharp tongue was legendary. Today, he was in an affable mood.

  “Captain Mullins, I was happy to receive the documents you have delivered to me. They bear out my suspicions. For your ears only and not to be repeated. The thinking now is that General Buonaparte has faced reality and realized he can never get his ‘Army of England’ across the Channel. The reports you bring tell me he has left his troops and was enroute to Paris when you sailed. I have since received confirmation from my own sources that he has left Paris and is proceeding by coach to Toulon.”

  “The troops he left behind are also reported moving, reportedly toward Toulon. Since Toulon is France’s large naval base in the Med, which, by the way, is not under blockade, there is concern where he might take these troops. Ireland is a good possibility, the Baltic another. Some fear he may take the troops across to the Caribbean, to re-inforce the defenses of the French islands.”

  “I doubt the latter, but it is necessary to find out just where these ships are going. Before you arrived, I sent Nelson to find out what he could. Now the papers you brought, Captain Mullins, ask me to do what I have already done. Since more ships will be joining my command, I will send some to join Nelson. You, Captain Mullins, will seek out Admiral Nelson and inform him of these issues. You may tell him I am sending him ten more third rates.”

  Chapter Nineteen

  After entering the Mediterranean and proceeding up the coast of Spain, Aphrodite was involved in a major storm. She rode it out under storm canvas, with Mullins mentally thanking the dockyard hands who had put the ship back together.

  With plenty of sea room, he was assured they were safe now. Desperately tired, he had just told the officer of the deck he was going to retire when Mister Lafferty, the sailing master, approached and announced they were being set toward an island in the Balearics. They would probably miss it handily, but that island had an unpleasant crop of rocky shoals around it, shoals that could tear the bottom out of the ship.

  It was necessary to work their way farther out to sea, when at any moment, a blown out sail might put them on the snags. The men fought the storm for another day before it subsided and they were safe. Two days later, they found themselves at the rendezvous and Nelson was there in his Vanguard, along with HMS Alexander and Orion.

  Nelson was delighted to hear he was going to be re-enforced by a large contingent of third-rates with orders to search the entire Mediterranean, if it became necessary to find the elusive French fleet. He confided to Mullins that he had lost four frigates because of a misunderstanding. Aphrodite was going to have to serve as a scouting ship for now.

  She was now to scout on ahead and rendezvous in a week off Syracuse. Should she gain any information sooner, she should seek out the fleet and report.

  On her own now, with a view to acquire information as to the French fleets whereabout
s, Aphrodite began running down any vessel she came across. A Genoese brig out of Malta reported the French had already been there and had captured the island, leaving a French garrison. Their fleet had left however and it was not known exactly where it might be headed.

  With the prevailing wind from the north-west, Mullins thought it was not likely the enemy fleet was bound for the Straits or Ireland. Perhaps it might be bound for Constantinople. Continuing to the east herself, a Spanish ship was sighted and sailed down after a short chase. Her captain professed to have no knowledge of the French fleet, but a Venetian crewman aboard, upset at the French for taking his country, assured the midshipman commanding the boarding party, numerous sails had been sighted the day before, sailing southeast.

  Sending the ship on under a British prize crew to the rendezvous with Admiral Nelson, Aphrodite sailed on. Her crew was happy now, with the taking of a prosperous prize. The ship had been heavily laden with a cargo of oil in barrels and bulk wheat, which should bring a good price in hungry Gibraltar. Nothing but small fishing vessels were seen for the next day. With their crews denying having seen their quarry, it was time to report back to the rendezvous themselves.

  At the appointed position, nothing was to be seen but their prize. Mister Rayner came over to Aphrodite and reported having met with Admiral Nelson and passed on the information to him.

  Nelson had relieved him of his prisoners, furnished him with a few more hands and told him to meet with Aphrodite, then to sail for Gibraltar. Aphrodite was given a second rendezvous point ahead, just off the Nile delta.

  Since the date of the second rendezvous was very close, Mullins decided to refrain from actively searching for the enemy and make directly for Admiral Nelson, keeping a close look-out on the way.. As they were closing the mainland, a promising ship came sailing right toward them. This was a brig, pierced for ten guns. She approached until Aphrodite hoisted her colors and then she went about and tried to escape.

  Mullins felt he had to pursue, rendezvous or not. He might very well receive valuable information from her. The brig was a fast one and led them a merry chase. They chased until night, then lost her in the dark. But, next morning, there she was, to starboard, hull up, trying to go around them, back the same way they had come.

  Again there was a chase. The brig was just the slightest bit slower than Aphrodite, but it was a question whether the brig could stay out of reach until dark. At dusk, the brig began popping away at her pursuer with a pair of four-pounder stern chasers she was firing from her stern windows.

  Their gunnery practice was atrocious and Aphrodite was within a cable’s length before the first shot struck. The ball took a piece from the cutwater, but caused no real damage other than cosmetic. On orders from Mullins, Mister Lafferty brought the ship around so that her starboard broadside was trained upon the enemy. Without further struggle the brig gave it up and lowered her flag. Mister Harrison went over with a boat crew to take possession. After rummaging around for a lengthy period, Harrison shouted over through a speaking trumpet that he needed to return to the ship. The launch was sent over and Harrison and an apparent crew member of the brig dropped into it.

  When Harrison boarded Aphrodite, he was carrying a sailcloth bag. He ushered the stranger to the quarterdeck and introduced him.

  “Sir, this is Monsieur Henri Phillipe, a surgeon from Toulon. He was acting as the brig’s surgeon and approached me when I boarded. He wishes to come over to us, and I fear if we leave him aboard the brig the crew will tip him overboard. Apparently, he has differing views of the future of his nation than the other officers and crew.”

  “Very well, Mister Harrison. You will take command of the brig. I will put M. Phillipe in your quarters until we find the fleet. Now, what have we caught?”

  “Sir, she is a French national ship, a scout for the main enemy fleet. Phillipe tells me the fleet is bound for Egypt, which is to be taken. Apparently General Buonaparte has plans of constructing a canal across Suez connecting to the Red Sea. He intends to use this canal to send ships to the Orient to interfere with our trade in those parts.”

  “Good work, Mister Harrison. Please ask Mister Goodwin to give you more men to man the ship and send some of her captured crew to us. For now, you will accompany us as we search for Admiral Nelson.”

  The pair approached Egyptian waters, where they were spotted and pursued by a heavy French frigate. One of their forty-gun newly built ships, Aphrodite was in no way fit to fight her, especially with her now reduced crew. Consequently, they escaped out to sea, where the frigate was lost in the darkness.

  The next morning, the pair cautiously approached the rendezvous point again, but their fleet was not sighted. They were two days past the rendezvous’ expiration date and Mullis expected the fleet had gone to search some other part of the Med.

  With no other options, Mullins decided to beat his way toward Syracuse, hoping to find the fleet there. Giving copies of his information to Mister Harrison, the two separated, with hopes that one of them might find Nelson. Days later, he learned the fleet had indeed spent a little time there but had departed for the Greek archipelago. Proceeding in that direction, they met a Turkish lateener who was able to report seeing a vast fleet sailing southeast.

  Once again they changed course. This time, on the third day, they spotted topsails in the distance. This was Nelson’s fleet. As they closed enough for signals to be read, Mister Harrison began reporting their previous encounters with the enemy fleet.

  It was difficult to send the complex signal and probably more difficult to read it. Nelson flew the signal from Vanguard for Aphrodite to come under her lee, then for ‘Captain to repair on board the Flag’.

  Aboard Vanguard, Mullins explained his contacts earlier with French ships that had revealed the French commander’s intentions. Nelson nodded and said they he had also received similar information. HMS Alexander and Swiftsure, scouting ahead, had spotted transports but no warships. As the fleet continued ahead, Mullins waited in the flag captain’s office while Admiral Nelson’s secretary drafted some reports which he was to take back to Gibraltar.

  As he waited, some confused shouting on deck brought him out. Both HMS Zealous and Goliath were reporting the French battle fleet to be in sight in Aboukir Bay. While he stood at the rail, trying to catch a sight of the quarry they had pursued across the Mediterranean, the clerk and flag lieutenant came out with the relevant papers in a weighted bag. Lieutenant Gainer said, “Admiral Nelson’s respects, sir. You are to take this packet aboard your ship and remain clear of any forthcoming action. You are to observe the action so long as you may safely do so then, unless otherwise directed, set course for Gibraltar and report what you have witnessed.”

  Back in Aphrodite, Mullins gave orders to take station in the rear of the fleet. He knew Admiral Nelson intended to attack the French fleet at anchor in Aboukir Bay. The question was, just how was it to be done? On the ship’s chart, out-of-date and probably inaccurate, the bottom was reported to be very shallow. The French fleet though, including some second-rate ships and a single first-rate, L’Orient, had managed to get in and were in two rather staggered lines, parallel with the curved shore.

  Five third-rates were in the first line, with the powerful bigger liners backing them up. Five more third-rates were behind these liners and very close to the shallows. The ship-sloop remained at the entrance of the bay while Admiral Nelson led his fleet in.

  Mullins could not understand Nelson’s strategy. During the long search for the enemy, the admiral, in the right conditions, would invite the captains of his fleet aboard Vanguard where questions of procedure during certain conditions were discussed.

  Unfortunately, with Aphrodite frequently absent on scouting missions, Mullins had missed many of these discussions. It appeared Nelson was going right toward the enemy fleet while it was at anchor. First, they had to pass Aboukir Island, apparently surrounded by shoal water. All of the fleet passed that obstacle, save for Culloden, which went fast agrou
nd.

  The French vessels were spaced about 160 yards apart, leaving room for the British ships to pass between the enemy at single anchor. The first five of the British line-of-battle ships passed through the enemy line and anchored by the stern, each beside an opponent. The succeeding ships anchored on the seaward side of the line. Some of the enemy ships were set upon by two of the British ships. The fighting was furious for the next few hours, although the French Conquérant hauled down her flag soon after the bombardment began.

  After the sun went down, the spectators aboard Aphrodite were only able to follow the action by the flashes from the guns. By nine o’clock, some of the French ships began to lower their flags and the thunder from the guns began to die down. Soon after, some of the hands reported flame visible from the great cabin area of the massive 130-gun first rate ship, L’Orient.

  Immediately, fire from her British opponents was directed at that area of the French warship, to inhibit fire-fighting efforts. As the fire spread on her upper decks and began to climb the masts, some of the nearby British ships began to move away, even as the first-rate continued to fire.

  One of the British 74’s, HMS Swiftsure, which had been pumping broadsides into L’Orient, logged the time she blew up. At forty-seven minutes past nine, L’Orient exploded, in a roar that none of the other participants had ever experienced previously. Men, body parts, equipment and parts of the ship were hurled to amazing heights.

  There was silence aboard Aphrodite for a moment as her people digested this catastrophe. Then, Mullins had the ship put to the wind and she closed the site of the explosion. Guns had resumed their firing, and some balls, directed at bigger ships, splashed uncomfortably close to their own.

  Every boat aboard ship was launched and a search was started for French survivors. The few brought aboard were generally in very sad condition. The firing, which gradually died down during the night, resumed the next morning. At this time, Apphrodite, still engaged in searching for survivors, was signaled by the admiral to proceed to Gibraltar and give word of the British victory.