HMS Aurora: A Charles Mullins Novel (Sea Command Book 3)

by Richard Testrake

  However, Lord Keith, commanding the fleet, refused to ratify the terms of the treaty and all the effort spent thus far was wasted. Keith refused to accept a surrender that would permit the French troops to return to their homeland. In his view, the French troops must go into captivity until properly exchanged. The bloody conflict resumed.

  From the commodore commanding the blockading force, Mullins learned some smaller craft, including a schooner and a brig had left Toulon several days before and had disappeared in a gale. The commodore had not thought it worthwhile to pursue the fugitive shipping. After some disagreement with that commander, who wished to order Aurora to join his blockading fleet, Mullins revealed his orders, which compelled him to proceed on his independent duty on Admiralty orders. These orders prevented any other commander from interfering with his ship.

  Leaving coastal France, HMS Aurora sailed southerly and, off the coast of Sardinia, sighted the brig and schooner that had escaped Toulon. She was unable to run down the schooner but the brig, low in the water, had also suffered some storm damage during her escape, and after a lengthy chase, let fly her sheets shortly before dusk.

  Mister Daley took the launch over to inspect the prize. Leaving behind the prize crew with Mister Adolphus in command, he returned to Aurora to report.

  “She is packed full of wheat, Captain,” reported the first officer. “The brig was to proceed to Alexandria, deliver this cargo to General Kliéber, then take aboard such of his people he designated for the return voyage to France.”

  “Very well”, replied his captain. “Who do you have commanding the prize?”

  Daley said, “Mister Adolphus has been doing a good job for us. I put him in command.”

  Mullins grimaced. “Well, the Palace told us we were to give him the standard training all of our midshipmen receive. I guess they will not be able to complain should something happen to the lad.”

  The first officer replied, “In my opinion, the worst that could befall him would be for Lord Keith to nab him and take him aboard the flag.”

  A good bosun’s mate was sent to the prize to back up Adolphus and it soon squared away to the wind and set course for Gibraltar while Aurora continued down the Sardinian coast and out into the Med. Once well away from land, their masthead lookout reported a sail in sight.

  It proved to be the schooner that had evaded them earlier, or at least, one very much alike. She did not behave at all as she had on the earlier encounter. She seemed very sluggish in responding to Aurora’s maneuvers, almost as if she had a very inexperienced crew aboard.

  Aurora was able to approach quite close before the schooner seemed to awaken and evade her with the same facility as she had earlier. Mister Davis was standing beside the helm now and Mullins commented to the sailing master on the schooner’s improvement in her sail drill.

  Davis grunted, “The captain on that schooner wants something from us. She is leading us by the nose.”

  Mullins had been wondering about that very possibility. Try as he might, he was unable to fathom where that schooner was trying to lead them.

  The reason became apparent in the afternoon watch when more sails were sighted. A small convoy was making its way toward the southeast. The convoy consisted of the various small shipping likely to be encountered in the Mediterranean. The escort however was a twenty-eight-gun frigate, probably carrying eight and twelve-pounder guns, and flying a French commission pennant.

  There was an exchange of flag signals between their chase and the frigate. The schooner made for the convoy, while the frigate broke away and stood out to meet Aurora. Mullins believed the frigate would have no compunction with engaging this former French corvette. In French service, she would have been armed with eight-pounder long guns and surely the British would not re-arm her with substantially larger weapons.

  Mullins however had no fears of an encounter. Aurora was now armed with four additional heavy carronades the enemy would not expect. One or two thirty-two pound balls from these guns would likely cause desperate damage to this lightly built frigate. To be effective though, he must close the frigate as much as possible.

  Having only received his carronades recently, there had been little time for his gun crews to become familiar with them, so he handed the ship over to Mister Davis to handle while he took care of the gunnery. He knew Mister Daley should more properly be controlling the guns, but felt in light of his own greater experience, he should do the task himself.

  As the two ships closed, the frigate swerved a bit to port and fired off her forward starboard guns. The frigate’s shot grouping was poor, with three of the four rounds fired splashing randomly into the sea. The fourth struck aft of the main chains and injured three men with splinter wounds.

  Doggedly, Mister Davis maintained course, straight for the enemy. Mullins also kept his eye on the enemy, continually talking to his gun crews, explaining what was going on and assuring them of the damage their guns were about to cause to the enemy

  At length, now close to the enemy, they were well within range of the frigate. Mullins ordered his gun crews to fire when ordered, then keep pumping heavy balls at the frigate until told to stop. They should change to grape when ordered and continue to punish the enemy. Mullins assured his people the frigate would lower her flag, if they did their part.

  Deciding the time had come; Davis brought the ship around, her starboard side guns looking straight down the length of the frigate. Auroras’ gunners were ready, and at Mullin’s shout, pulled their lanyards. All of the guns fired, save one of the nine-pounders, whose flint broke in the lock. Undeterred, its gunner grabbed the smoldering match from its nearby bucket and sent his ball straight into the forward hull of the ship.

  The shots did grievous harm but the pair of starboard carronades caused the most important damage. Fired at nearly point blank range into the bow of the frigate, the heavy balls ranged aft, smashing and tearing everything in which they came in contact. The base of the enemy foremast was struck by one of the big balls. The mast was not broken but it was severely weakened, held erect mostly through the aid of its stays and shrouds.

  It was now the frigate’s turn to administer punishment, but the sudden damage had hindered the enemy crew’s efforts to bring the ship around successfully, and she was caught hanging in stays, until an officer was able to get her under control again.

  The carronades were reloaded first and again the heavy guns were the first to fire, seconded by the long nines, as they were readied. Almost at the last minute, the desperate crew of the enemy frigate was able to get their ship around for her broadside to bear. Now it was Aurora’s turn to receive punishment.

  The frigate’s guns were still charged with ball, and many of these eight and-twelve-pound projectiles were fired at Aurora. As was often the practice in the French naval service, most of the balls were directed into Aurora’s tops, where they struck nothing. Long before the French guns could be recharged, the Aurora’s guns were ready again. When the carronades were ordered to shift to grapeshot, the first result was the severing of the starboard foremast shrouds, and the weakened mast let go. The press of sail on that mast snapped it at the notch left by the previous strike on the foremast. It came down, falling across the deck to port.

  With all guns now switching first to grape and now case shot, the deck of the enemy ship became a deadly area for men to work or fight on. The men on the enemy quarterdeck who had been directing operations were all struck down, and now there was no one to turn to for advice or help.

  One by one, the individual enemy guns fell quiet as their effective crewmembers were struck down. Eventually, when firing had all but ceased on the frigate, Mullins ordered the cease-fire and the crew waited.

  Cautiously, a figure raised himself from the enemy deck and waved a white shirt. Waiting a few more moments, Mullins ordered the launch brought up and filled it with Marines and armed seamen. Dropping down into the stern sheets, over the vigorous objections of Mister Daley, Mullins had himself pulle
d over to the frigate.

  Climbing onto her deck by means of the wreckage of the foremast, Mullins surveyed his capture. Most of the enemy crew were quiet, save for one burly fellow who seemed to want to renew hostilities. Coming at Mullins suddenly, wielding a boarding axe, Mullins momentarily was at a loss. Not so Private Cummings of the ship’s Royal Marines, who was standing beside his captain. His corporal had ordered him to protect Captain Mullins and protect him, he would. A blast from the Marine’s musket halted the assailant, and his bayonet through the assailant’s body, felled him.

  With this the only untoward incident, the surviving enemy crew were ordered below. A single, surviving junior officer in training, surrendered the frigate. All of the other officers were casualties. The most important task was now to keep the frigate afloat. Dreadful damage had been done to the ship, especially in the bow. With most of his own ship’s company aboard the prize making repairs, Mullins was forced to ruefully watch the convoy the frigate had been guarding, sail over the horizon, watched now by their former chase, that elusive schooner.

  With grave doubts whether the frigate could safely make it to Gibraltar, Mullins elected to take her to Malta. There was some astonishment when they sailed into Valetta harbor. It was not every day that an eighteen-gun ship-sloop was able to so devastate a twenty-eight-gun frigate. Several ships of the Mediterranean fleet were in the harbor, and a group of post captains came aboard the prize that afternoon to hear about the battle.

  The carpenter from a third rate came over the next day to discover what needed to be done to permit the frigate to sail. He was gloomy over her prospects, saying he doubted if she would ever sail again. On the other hand, the commodore was more optimistic, assuring all the frigate would soon be whole again, if only she could be delivered to a British dockyard.

  The French aspirant that had surrendered the prize was terrified by thoughts of what might happen to him for his action. Mullins invited him into his cabin on several occasions for a meal and provided the youth with a detailed account of the battle, as seen through British eyes.

  In his account, he explained the frigate lost most of its officers only in the last minutes of the battle and the aspirant should be held blameless for its surrender. The clerk, on his captain’s order, drafted an accurate account of the battle, which Mullins signed and gave to the aspirant.

  If he was to face a court martial for his actions, this account should give the lad’s defense some assistance.

  Grateful for this assistance, the lad was able to recount what he knew about French plans for the defense of Egypt. Mullins called for his clerk, who wrote down the aspirant’s account. This would be sent to Whitehall long with his own views, but Mullins put little value on either. Much of what the boy had to say seemed more likely to be typical gunroom or wardroom gossip. As for his own views, he would be the first to admit to having little confidence in any information he had gathered.

  Chapter Eleven

  Stretching over to the eastern Med to investigate reports of French warships there, they met up with Commodore Sidney Smith in HMS Tigre, an eighty gun third rate. From Smith, Mullins learned of a proposed landing by British forces at Aboukir Bay. This action would seem to eliminate the need for Aurora’s mission, since Commodore Smith already had the information needed to bring his enemy into action.

  With orders from Smith to return to Gibraltar to deliver dispatches, Aurora left the eastern Mediterranean for return to Gibraltar. Charged with delivering these dispatches in a timely manner, Aurora was forbidden to break passage under any but the most dire of conditions.

  South of the boot of Italy, at first light, the masthead lookout sighted the tops of some strange shipping ahead. Following the spirit of his orders, Mullins ordered the ship to evade to the south. At first Mullins thought his ship remained unseen, his maneuver a success. Then, the masthead lookout reported two sails separating from the others and making for Aurora.

  Wishing no interference with his mission, Captain Mullins put the wind on his quarter, his best point of sailing, and hung up all of his canvas in the light breeze. Aurora immediately stepped out like a thoroughbred, raising a respectable mustache at her bow. One of her pursuers though, was just a bit faster, fresh out of a yard, as she was. This was soon identified as a French national ship-corvette, of about the same size as Aurora. Her consort, now lagging behind, was a brig, pierced for a dozen guns.

  Mullins had no qualms about engaging the corvette, unless something greatly unexpected happened, his carronades should give him the edge in any ship-to-ship action, provided that action was fought within carronade range. There was the rub, though. If that enemy captain smelled a rat, he could stand off and snipe away at long range until his consort caught up. The only solution would be to engage the enemy ship-corvette while the enemy brig was still out of range. Then, if he were able to defeat the ship quickly, he could engage the brig at his leisure.

  Leading his pursuers out into the Med, the brig dropped farther behind until its tops went below the horizon. Satisfied the brig was out of the race, Mullins ordered Aurora put about and made directly for the enemy ship-corvette.

  As they approached each other, once within long-gun range, the enemy came to and presented her beam to them, her guns run out, waiting. Ignoring the invitation, Aurora continued to close. Accepting the opportunity, the enemy fired off her broadside at long range, with little to show for the expenditure of ammunition. Those shot aimed correctly mostly went into the tops, accomplishing little. More went into the sea about Aurora.

  The only result was the severing of a few shroud lines for the mainmast. Men scrambled to repair this minor damage and Aurora continued her approach. When the enemy fired again, she was now closer, and she made four hits on Aurora. Three of the four were in the tops, a ball puncturing the mizzen tops’l, another striking the fore topsail yard and another severing the forestay. The more serious injury came from the ball that struck right up forward and passed right down the deck, killing a landsman and wounding two more.

  Aurora continued her approach and was now within carronade range. The first officer had timed the firing times of the enemy guns, and just before the enemy was expected to fire, Mullins put the ship about, with her starboard broadside presented to the enemy. Opening fire seconds before the enemy was ready, produced encouraging results. At this close range, most of the balls struck their target. Mullins was counting on the two carronades in the broadside and one, at least, did not fail him. It struck the corvette low, right up forward.

  That huge hole should give the enemy captain something to consider. In addition to this damage, two of the enemy guns were disabled. Realizing he was under fire from guns larger than he possessed, the enemy put about and retreated, pounded by Aurora’s fire as she went. Mullins was confident he could finish off the enemy ship now, what with her damage, but the brig was coming up, and he could envision the dressing-down he could expect to receive if he disobeyed his orders to avoid action with the enemy.

  Accordingly, Aurora sat waiting for any sign the enemy captain might wish to change his mind. When he continued his retreat, Aurora put about and resumed her course toward Gibraltar.

  Once the ship was at anchor, and the port doctor was making his inspection, Mullins was called to the Convent, a former church building where the government offices were located. The dispatches were handed over to an official who informed him they would be sent home by other means. A mail packet was in the harbor, ready to sail. A fast sailor, the papers would get back earlier on her than aboard Aurora.

  She received new orders to return to the Med, there to take part in the blockade of Toulon. Members of his crew, mainly newly-joined landsmen, were not happy with this news. They were anticipating a return to Portsmouth and a run ashore. With some of the outraged crewmen loudly expressing their dissatisfaction, Mullins felt himself forced to take a firm hand with his people. Usually considered to be a considerate captain, he had the hands mustered and explained his likely action
s.

  “Men, none of you have seen a man flogged while I have commanded this ship. With my own ears, I have heard some of you threatening mutiny if we do not return to England. All of you know that is not how the Navy operates. We go where we are ordered, not where some loud landsman tells me where I must go. I will give you fair warning. My officers, warrants and petty officers have my orders to report such infractions to the first officer. I will consider each case coming before me and will see each culprit at mast.”

  “If I consider a threat serious, I will remand the case to a court martial. You men have heard me read the Articles of War often enough. You should all be familiar with the penalties of such talk. In case any of you are not, I will read those articles again at Sunday divisions. Please listen carefully and take note.”

  With no further displays of discontent apparent, Aurora finished taking on stores and received her orders. As they left the harbor, Mullins gave the ship to the sailing master and asked his first officer into his cabin. There they discussed the mood of the ship. The captain believed the men would soon forget their grievances, but Mister Daley was not so sure. He felt there was little danger from the old hands, but there was a large proportion of men furnished by the Impress Service, some of whom had left gaol cells to serve in the Royal Navy. It was these men who were causing much of the trouble.