HMS RESOLVE
by
Richard Testrake
Copyright 2014
All rights reserved
Dedicated to my wife Peggy, my daughter Lisa and my son Charles. Their assistance and advice was most helpful.
Table of contents:
CHAPTER ONE
CHAPTER TWO
CHAPTER THREE
CHAPTER FOUR
CHAPTER FIVE
CHAPTER SIX
CHAPTER SEVEN
CHAPTER EIGHT
CHAPTER NINE
CHAPTER TEN
CHAPTER ELEVEN
CHAPTER TWELVE
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
CHAPTER NINETEEN
CHAPTER TWENTY
CHAPTER TWENTY ONE
CHAPTER TWENTY TWO
CHAPTER TWENTY THREE
CHAPTER ONE
HMS Resolve, a 36 gun 18 pounder frigate, was beating against a westerly breeze on the port tack. She was a few leagues south of Land’s End, which she was about to pass. Captain John Phillips was pleased with his ship and crew. He had had a little time to work up the crew and they were shaping up well. Resolve’s former captain had left the sea and was entering a new career in politics.
Unlike many captains starting out on a new voyage, he had not been saddled with the sweepings of the press and whatever he could get from the various prisons. The frigate had been reasonably well manned when he took her over.
HMS Resolve, was a newly re-built frigate, with no obvious faults. It looked like a peaceful voyage, his mission being to carry specie to Sicily in the Mediterranean, for which he would receive a payment of a fraction of the bullion’s value. He had been told this would be the payroll for His Majesty’s troops on Sicily, although Phillips wondered about that. The bullion, stored in a specially built strong room under his quarters, seemed excessive for the purpose. HM Government did not pay him to speculate however, so he kept his thoughts to himself.
Captain Basel of the Royal Marines with sixty men, was aboard with the duty of safeguarding that money. Normally, a frigate of Resolve’s size might carry a complement of Marines of perhaps forty men or less. His first officer had gone through agonies, determining where he was going to stow all those people.
Perhaps some of the specie was also intended for the Austrians, who were always insisting on funds to sustain them against the common enemy, Napoleon Bonaparte. Whatever the destination of the treasure, its presence was an ill kept secret. Virtually every member of the crew had his own opinion of the amount, which varied wildly,
Phillip’s son Timothy had accompanied his father and was serving as signal midshipman. Lieutenant Hastings, his third officer and signal officer was technically in charge of signaling, but Midshipman Phillips was familiar with the duties, so the captain had Hastings assisting the other officers in handling the ship, while his son handled the signals.
Lieutenants Land and Scott, were respectively the first and second officers. Both were capable, long serving officers, well experienced in their duties. Hastings had been raised up from midshipman just prior to this voyage. Phillips expected no difficulties from any of these men.
His warrants were a mixed lot. The surgeon, Doctor Harrison, was a sot and Phillips had told him he had a choice, either to hand over his stock of liquor to Phillip’s own servant, to be doled out gradually, or to be put ashore at Gibraltar. Thus far, the threat seemed to be working. There had not yet been an incident.
The gunner, Mister Wilkins, was also a problem. He seemed a perfectly decent man, a little ancient, who was well liked among the officers and crew, proficient at his job. He did however have some kind of physical difficulty. He could not walk a straight line without continually staggering, even when the ship was in calm waters. His memory seemed defective also. A discussion with the officers found no one who had ever seen the gunner drink to excess.
Eventually, Mister Land brought forward a middle aged seaman, a still agile topman, who was also respected as an expert gun captain on the number four eighteen pounder. Phillips interviewed Seaman Fletcher extensively and appointed him gunner’s mate.
He informed the new gunner’s mate that Mister Wilkins would retain all of his authority and must be treated with the utmost respect. Fletcher’s duty would be to look out for Wilkins, performing any of the physical tasks that Wilkins might have trouble performing. Phillips told the new gunner’s mate he no longer wished to see Wilkins fire a gun, as he was not sure he could do so safely. Fletcher would now fire the salutes that the gunner had always normally done himself personally.
There were also a flock of midshipmen aboard the frigate, from the age of twelve upwards to an oldster of thirty four. These were a varied lot. The youngsters were to be molded and hopefully developed into men who in future years could entrusted with the lives of their men.
The elder mids were expected to be valuable leaders. Some of them were. One or two Phillips thought would make useful lieutenants, once they got their necessary sea time in and passed their boards.
A few of these people, Phillips was sure would never amount to anything and were really just consuming rations for no purpose. The eldest mid, the one aged thirty four, was an oaf, who could never seem to get anything right. He was subservient to his superiors and savage over those under his control.
Barnes could not navigate, could not handle the ship even after numerous demonstrations and was brutal with his treatment of men below his station. Phillips had not appointed him; the mid had already been aboard when his captain read himself in.
A minor problem was what to do with the man. He could, of course dis-rate him; reduce him down to seaman. This would seem to be the logical solution.
However, Barnes had previously been vicious with seamen in his charge and Captain Phillips foresaw trouble if the mid was suddenly thrust among their ranks as an equal. One solution he grasped at. If he came upon a King’s ship with a shortage of seamen, perhaps he could persuade that ship’s captain to accept his dis-rated mid, in exchange for one of his younger midshipman.
These boys were often taken aboard a ship to cultivate a potential benefactor. They rarely contributed much of value to a ship’s crew, at least in their younger years. Often a captain having taken aboard several youngsters in hopes of cultivating their perhaps rich or powerful parents, wondered what the devil he was going to do with the children. However, Phillips rather liked having the young lads about ship. Quite often, he had been able to direct a lad’s destructive impulses toward more positive paths.
Whatever his value as a midshipman, Barnes was a decent seaman. He could not have survived years in various warship gunrooms had he not been. By stripping him of his position and putting him before the mast, he would be turning a useless petty officer into a valuable seaman. This was an idea he resolved to explore as soon as they reached Gibraltar.
At any rate, while the matter was fresh in his mind he decided to call Barnes and inform him of the plans for him. Perhaps in the days before reaching port, the man might be able to reform himself.
Barnes took the news with equanimity. Apparently, he had had this conversation before with previous captains. After Barnes left, Phillips wondered if the over-age midshipman had some powerful benefactor behind him, who was able to rescue Barnes from his follies now and again.
CHAPTER TWO
Now on the starboard tack, with the wind still westerly, HMS Resolve was proceeding out into the Atlantic. Soon, Phillips thought, when he next wore around onto the port tack, he would rem
ain on that course for a bit, before taking a more southerly course. He needed to work his way south past France and down the Iberian Peninsula to his immediate destination of Gibraltar.
Phillips was under strict orders to stay away from potential trouble. HM Government did not wish to jeopardize the treasure in the frigate’s newly built strong-room to any accident of war. Of course, if attacked, he must defend the ship and cargo, but he could not venture into combat without a very strong reason.
Resolve’s captain was not unduly concerned. The French fleet, at this stage of the war, had mostly been bottled up in harbor by the ships of the British Channel Fleet, as well as the Mediterranean Fleet. While Bonaparte’s shipyards about the continent were busily building a powerful fleet after the Trafalgar debacle, his means of staffing and training that fleet were limited. The skills of Bonaparte’s present crews and their officers were evaporating every week, as their ships swung at anchor.
Many trained and valuable men were being drafted away from their seagoing duties into the huge French Army. With the French warships penned into harbor, it would be impossible to train their remaining crews and officers. Phillips had defeated several foes that were actually more powerful than his own ship, because of their ill-prepared crews. He had no doubt he could do so again.
At first light, the captain had assumed his customary station at the windward rail on the quarterdeck. Moments before, Resolve’s people had gone to quarters just in case the sun, as it rose over the horizon, should reveal an enemy that must be dealt with.
As the sun crept slowly above the horizon, a hesitant call came from the main masthead. “Deck there, maybe a sail, hull down, dead to stern.”
The midshipman of the watch hurried to fetch his captain’s glass. At first, Phillips could not see the sail. The lookout was much higher and could spot it earlier. There was also a strong possibility that this sighting was a phantom.
However, moments later, his son Timothy, taking advantage of his relationship to stand with his father on the quarterdeck, also spotted the intruder. About then, Phillips noticed the tiny notch on the horizon that would have been the stranger’s t’gallants.
With everyone on the quarterdeck with access to a glass peering at the sighting, another hail came from the same man in the main top.
“On deck there, sail off the starboard bow, hull down.”
“Damn, things were getting interesting” Phillips thought. Mister Andrews, the ship’s sailing master was standing by the helm, so he asked him to take over the conn while he paid attention to the strangers.
Andrews immediately put the ship on the port tack to stay away from the new sighting, but this could not be held on for long, since they would be approaching the French mainland.
An hour later, there appeared to be a problem, or even a series of problems. The ship astern had been revealed as an enemy, recognized as such by Mister Hastings who had seen her at close quarters before. She was a frigate of forty guns, many of which were eighteen pounders.
Under ordinary circumstances, Phillips would have had no qualms about setting HMS Resolve upon her. Technically, she was slightly superior to the British frigate, but Phillips knew his crew would be far superior to hers. Resolve’s former captain had been a believer in the usefulness of long-range accuracy with the great guns and had trained his crew well. Phillips had continued that training. Today though, with the treasure aboard ship, he would be risking his career should he attack her.
Mister Scott was trying to get his attention. The second sighting was closing and the second officer thought he knew her. ”When I was a mid on the brig Thunderer, escorting a convoy, a corvette that looked a lot like her chased us. She was a Frenchie named after Tom Paine.”
Of course, by herself, the ‘Paine’ was no danger to Resolve, but in consort with the big 40 gun frigate, she could well be a problem. If the enemy frigate could bring him to action, that corvette could park off his quarter and just pound the snot out of his ship.
With his frigate now closing on the French coast, Phillips knew he had to do something. Of course, he could pile on sail and go meet this corvette. He was sure he could take her before the big frigate could come up.
However, he well knew the myriad of officials back home, knowing nothing about his situation would surely find ways to sink his reputation. And, of course, it would take only one ball from the enemy to damage some critical part of the rigging, to cripple Resolve while the big frigate came up to him.
He pulled up his glass to inspect the big frigate now that she had closed. He saw she was high in the water and was much faster than the overloaded Resolve, laden with stores and the treasure. She was surely gaining on his frigate.
Discussing the matter with the sailing master, Phillips ordered the ship be turned away from its course approaching the coast. He knew he was risking his career, but he rationalized that a successful action against the corvette would look much better than an unsuccessful once against both ships.
Both enemy ships were now approaching, the corvette more rapidly as she was sailing directly toward Resolve bows on, while the larger ship was having to chase.
Both enemy ships were signaling now; what they were saying, he had no idea. At various times in the past, his ships had captured various French signaling codes and he had used them against their former owners. These codes now, were gibberish and none of his officers had the slightest idea of what they were saying.
Phillips knew what he would have said, were he in the enemy’s position. He would have ordered the corvette to close Resolve and attempt to cripple her while the larger frigate drew near to finish her off.
Paying close attention to the sail drill aboard the oncoming corvette, Phillips knew he would have been unhappy if he had been her captain. Her evolutions were taking twice the time to complete, as a similar task would have taken on Resolve. He wondered idly how their gun drill was.
He called Lieutenant Land over along with the sailing master. “Gentlemen, I assume you know the contents of the strong room under my quarters. Admiralty has tasked me to deliver those contents without entering into combat. I believe I no longer have a choice and the ship will be brought to action no matter what the Admiralty wishes.”
“Therefore, I propose to approach the corvette, fire into her to hopefully cripple her, then try to escape out into the Atlantic. I may well be brought to court for this and tried. You gentlemen will likely be called as witnesses. Now, have either of you any suggestions of how I may be able to avoid a fight?”
Both officers looked at each other, but neither offered a suggestion. “Very well gentlemen. We will start the dance. Mister Andrews, I would be glad if you approached the corvette bow to bow.”
“I wish her to think we will pass down her starboard side, exchanging broadsides. This would be a likely scenario that would be deadly to her. However, she might possibly damage us enough to make it easier for the frigate to close Resolve.”
“Instead, I plan to turn to starboard before we reach her, cross her bow and give her a good bow-raking.”
“I will decide when to turn across her bows. Mister Land, will you ensure our gun crews are prepared? I hope to send a broadside right down her gullet. Since at the moment, I am not completely sure of what will happen, guns on both sides should be ready. Gun crews should be prepared to rush across deck if the opposite side guns will be used.”
Like most King’s ships, Resolve did not have sufficient people on board to fully man the guns on both sides of the ship. If guns were to be used that did not have a full crew, men would rush across the deck from the corresponding gun opposite.
With the forty gun enemy frigate coming up from astern, Resolve sailed toward the corvette. Before coming into range, he ordered the sailing master to ease her helm, as if she was going to pass down the corvettes starboard beam. The corvette continued on, as if she was satisfied with her course.
CHAPTER THREE
When Phillips had taken command of Resolve, her cr
ew was already well trained with running the guns in and out. He would have been happy to match the speed of his men with most any other captain in the Royal Navy. Accuracy was something else again. Many ship captains thought they had done their duty when they laid their ship alongside the enemy and had the guns pound their shot in as fast as possible, without the necessity of aim.
Another school of thought held that sometimes it was advisable or necessary to stand off and fire from a distance. Phillips believed that a shot that was fired into the sea might as well not have been discharged. He thought a crew that could fire rapid, well aimed shots, into an enemy ship, in effect, increased the firepower of a ship. Few commanders were willing to argue this, except perhaps to comment that long range duels were relatively rare.
Before leaving Portsmouth, he had been able to purchase a quantity of captured French gunpowder. His gunner tested it and assured Phillips, while it was not up to British standards, it would fire a cannon ball with deadly force.
Some eighteen pounder balls were found that had been immersed in bilge water and were badly rusted. He purchased them for scrap iron prices and the first officer put his malefactors to work cleaning the rust from them. They were rather rough and Phillips would not have liked to use them in combat, but for practice purposes, they served their purpose.
With constant, daily practice with the extra ammunition purchased at his own expense, he was able to increase the accuracy of his guns.
Gunnery practice was on the schedule most days of the week, along with sail drill. Captain Phillips considered it of utmost importance that every gun crew should be able to not only run its gun out faster than any enemy, but fire it with accuracy as well. Phillips was satisfied with the gun drill and marksmanship of his men. The question was, how well prepared were the French gunners?
HMS RESOLVE: A John Phillips Novel Page 1