HMS RESOLVE: A John Phillips Novel

by Richard Testrake

  “What can she be about”, wondered Mister Scott, the second officer.

  Land replied, “They know and we will shortly find out, sir.”

  As the galley steadied on course, a blast of fire and smoke erupted from the enemy gun and the ball came crashing through the starboard bulwark. Men were down from splinter injuries. Land was on the gun deck checking the guns. A nod from Phillips caused him to order the guns to open fire. Even with the sudden preparations and consequent excitement, most of the shots told at such close range.

  The big iron balls impacting the bows of the galley caused horrible damage to the vessel, as well as the pirate crew and their slaves. The forward impetus of the galley drove her open bow right under the waves, even though her oars had stopped. She sank only a fathom before she bottomed.

  With time now for planning, Phillips looked at the other pirate. Her commander seemed to be not quite as impetuous as the other. She was trying to make it out of the harbor astern of Resolve. Phillips may have let her go, but a few of the raiders opened fire with their jezails, their own version of a musket.

  One of their big bullets thudded into the mizzen, just inches from where Timothy was standing. “Open fire on her, Mister Land”, Phillips ordered.

  Again the big guns thundered and again a pirate galley disintegrated under the torrent of shot. The man at her helm put her aground at the foot of a perpendicular cliff. Leaving their slaves still in their shackles, those pirate still capable, tried to climb the nearly sheer cliff.

  Phillips sent the boat crews with the ship’s armorer to try to save as many of the slaves as possible. Neither of the galleys had sank very deep and the rowers were mostly above water, those still alive that is. When the living slaves had been freed, there were thirty of them, the survivors of the oarsmen of both galleys.

  By now, some of the pirates, by using crevices and footholds on the cliff face, had reached the top. Little good it did them. Pirates had been preying on the island’s inhabitants for generations, hauling off captives for their slave markets and galleys. Few weapons made it to the top of the cliff. Those raiders who were merely thrown off to fall to their death were the lucky ones. Some were hauled up on top, bound and were now destined to serve as entertainment for the islanders for days to come.

  One terrified raider was found hiding behind a boulder at the water’s edge and was wrapped up in a cocoon of line. One of the surviving galley slaves was a Frenchman, who spoke English as well as the lingua franca of the North African coast. He, along with some other survivors undertook to question the captive. It was discovered the galleys had landed with the intention of repairing a leak in one of their hulls. After doing so, the raiders had decided it was necessary to replenish their rowers, who had a very short life span. The thought was the islanders were a hardy race that might last longer than most other slaves at the oars.

  Of course, any women and children captured would find ready sale at the slave marts. By the time this had been learned, the captive was no longer capable of speech and he was summarily executed with a captured scimitar in the hands of a freed slave.

  While these matters were attended to, Resolve’s crew set about re-stowing the ship. After many trials, both Phillips and Andrews were satisfied. As they were preparing to sail, a delegation of islanders came down the cliff face on a kind of goat path. A well-built young man was leading. Followed from behind by a group of elders; then a boy herding a flock of sheep came hopping down, jumping from one rock to another.

  One of the freed slaves was fetched to translate. No one knew what language these islanders spoke, but they did understand the lingua franca of these parts.

  It seemed the powerful young man leading the delegation had been a boy when Phillips had last visited the island. He remembered the captain well. When last he was here, Phillips had left the islanders some muskets and ammunition to defend themselves against the raiders.

  Unfortunately, that ammunition was mostly expended. Occasionally they were able to purchase more from itinerant traders who sometimes visited. The flints of their musket locks were now almost useless and there was no stone on the island suitable for making new ones. The weapons themselves were nearly all damaged to some extent.

  Mister Wilkins, the gunner was called, along with his gunner’s mate. Wilkins was sometimes a confused individual and was not normally allowed these days to actively practice his profession aboard HMS Resolve. However, there was no one aboard with his fund of knowledge about weapons.

  Wilkins was filled in about the plight of the islanders and went ashore with his mate. He was not fit enough to climb the goat path to the top, but the islanders with broken or damaged weapons were summoned to the beach. After examining a few muskets, he called for his friend the ship’s armorer and his forge and anvil.

  The pair began sorting through the weapons. Some could be readily repaired, some could not. All needed flints. Wilkins had brought a bag with him and fitted a new one in every musket that could be put into firing condition. The armorer, after firing his forge, hammered and formed some broken and missing parts on his anvil, which were given to the gunner’s mate to file to fit.

  A keg of gunpowder was found on one of the foundered galleys, on a deck above the water level. It had French markings and after opening, proved to be dry and in good enough condition. Another keg was found that had been injured by damp, but could probably be salvaged by drying. The islanders were given the necessary instructions.

  Phillips would not authorize the transfer of any musket balls, since the Marines had already fired off much of the ship’s supply and there were few to spare. Wilkins had an old bullet mold of musket caliber which he gave the leader of the islanders.

  Mister Hewitt, the ship’s carpenter furnished a supply of his sheet lead that he used for patching shot holes. He assured his captain he had sufficient for several more battles. The islanders could melt the lead down to mold more balls for their muskets.

  HMS Resolve stood away from the island, now in a satisfactory trim. In gratitude, the islanders had presented the ship with many sheep and goats. Before leaving, Phillips had given the hands an afternoon off to have a barbecue on the shore. Animals were killed and butchered on the spot. Phillips broached a rum keg to liven the festivities. When he reached port, he would need to use his own funds to replace the rum, since the Royal Navy would not countenance the issue of rum when issue wine was available.

  The men prepared their own meat over driftwood fires on the beach. The wardroom and the captain shared a whole sheep roasted over the galley fire. When the last of the meat was finished, the ship was placed back in discipline again and they were off.

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  Phillips was expected to report to the Acting Governor at Gibraltar, but thinking he might be joining Vice Admiral Collingwood, commanding the Mediterranean fleet, decided he would see if he could locate Collingwood.

  The numerous merchant vessels, plentiful on their way out, had seemingly evaporated, now that the frigate was free to seek her natural prey. The first sail they were to see was the HMS Firefly, a dispatch cutter on her way back home. She was not permitted to stop because of her dispatches, but did signal the presence of the flagship off Toulon, with Vice-Admiral Collingwood on board.

  Phillips doubted any Admiralty official back home would find much to complain about if he were to sail past Toulon. A good reason would be to inspect the area for the presence of an active French fleet.

  In fact, they soon found one of Collingwood’s scouting frigates and were directed to HMS Ocean, herself. Ocean, of course, was the flag and Phillips saluted the Admiral’s pendant. Shortly after, as Resolve sailed through the fleet, a flag hoist aboard Ocean directed them to come under her lee.

  Phillips was pulled over to the flag in his gig and climbed aboard. He was greeted by Ocean’s captain and ushered into the Admiral’s office.

  It had been only a few months since Phillips had seen the Fleet Commander, but he seemed even more aged and
careworn than he expected. The admiral’s dog, Bounce, rested beside his master’s foot, under the desk.

  “Ah, Captain Phillips, I am glad to see you again. Are you back with us?”

  “Not that I know, Admiral. I am enroute from Malta to Gibraltar and thought to stop by and see if you had any messages or mail to carry back.”

  “That was so thoughtful of you, lad. Are you in the middle of important proceedings, or have you a moment to tarry?”

  “Well sir, I was on a mission Their Lordships were concerned about, but that is now at an end. My orders now tell me that I should make the best of my way to Gibraltar”.

  “I suspect that is the usual verbiage we expect in orders, which really means nothing. As it happens, I earlier requested a frigate be sent to me, when next one passed through the Straits.

  I believe I will anticipate Governor Drummond and draft your ship before you can escape. I shall notify the Governor of my foul deed and insist he put the blame on me.”

  “For now, I wish to put you under Commodore Stanhope in the Illustrious. He is patrolling the inshore waters near Toulon itself. He will give the rest of us warning if Monsieur Bonaparte intends to entertain us.”

  Sailing inshore Resolve’s luck changed. The winds had moderated and the night airs were cool. At sunrise the next morning, there was fog, not dense, but patchy enough that it was difficult to see anything any distance away. Then, before noon, the winds picked up and the fog dissipated.

  There under Resolve’s lee, was a big ship-rigged cargo vessel with her escort, a twenty two gunned French ship-corvette. The cargo vessel had nothing to say to HMS Resolve and hauled down her flag when she saw her force. The corvette was a different story. Her drummer rolled his drum martially, as if he was beating the Pas de Charge in one of his Emperor’s legions.

  At first the little frigate neared the big merchant, as if trying to compel her to reverse her surrender. With Resolve closing with her guns run out, the “Commerce de Paris” kept quiet and her erstwhile protector then turned and attempted escape.

  Judging ‘A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush’, Resolve closed the ‘Commerce’. She unloaded seamen and Marines into the ship’s launch and sent it to the big ship. With all quiet there, Resolve then set forth after the corvette. She had had a head start, but by four bells in the afternoon watch, she had run down her quarry and fired a gun ahead of her bow.

  The little ship’s captain had by now had the time to think of his predicament and gave it up then and there, hauling down the tricolor. When Resolve met up with Illustrious, she had her own little fleet with her. The big trader, the corvette and a svelte looking schooner that had appeared out of the blue one morning, sailing right up to them as if it were peacetime. Not a shot had been required to injure any of the prizes and the ship’s crew thought they had done well financially.

  *****

  Stanhope made no excuses about his jealousy. He mentioned several times this was the most complete little victory he had seen in a long time. None of the ships were injured in any way. He thought Collingwood might very well purchase the schooner into the Navy as a dispatch courier and perhaps the corvette as well. She was just above the line in the Royal Navy that decided whether she should be classed as a ship-sloop, needing a commander to command her, or a sixth rate frigate. Since she would be classified as a sixth rate frigate, a post ship, a post captain would be required. Collingwood always needed scouting frigates, although where he would get a crew was anyone’s guess.

  The commodore thought that Phillips should get a knighthood from the captures. “While you and I know the corvette was no match for your big frigate, the mob will not. The papers will say that your frigate captured an enemy frigate and the mob will assume you were equally matched. To bring back a rich merchant and a useful schooner will be the icing on the cake.”

  Grumbling to himself, Phillips appointed Lieutenant Land as the prize captain for the corvette. He was the logical candidate, senior to the others, with as much to do with her capture, as anyone. If the corvette were bought into the Royal Navy, Phillips thought it would be strange if the officer bringing her in was not promoted. Land could very well be her captain, a real post captain. This meant he would never come back to Resolve, so his replacement had to be considered.

  Mister Haslet was a master’s mate and would normally be considered to be on the path that might make him a sailing master in future years. With no hard and fast rule about the matter though, Phillips decided to give him acting lieutenant’s rank. He had been doing exemplary work on board and Phillips knew he could handle the new job. He was assigned as prize captain of the schooner.

  Phillips doubted he would keep the command. That would undoubtedly go to some favored young lieutenant aboard the flag. Haslet just might receive a promotion to lieutenant though. Normally, only one promotion could be rightly expected after a successful action, but exceptions could be made, especially when the prizes were two un-damaged ships and a valuable schooner.

  Lieutenant Hastings was given the trader to take home. He was much too junior to expect promotion or preference and this voyage in command of a large ship would be beneficial to his career.

  That left him only Lieutenant Scott as a ship’s officer. He knew Scott would be able to step right into the position of first officer.

  What to do for a second and third officer though? He would have to look into the gunroom and select some of the mids. He was tempted to assign one of the positions to Timothy, but the lad would be much too young. He had known other officers to engage in nepotism, appointing lads in their teens to the command of ships.

  This rarely worked out in the end, though. The present first officer was away already in the corvette, although he did not know of his good fortune, yet. Scott and Hastings were aboard ship though, so he had his sentry pass the word for them, as well as Haslet.

  Haslet was the first to get the news of his new command. The grin spreading across his face was an amazing sight. Scott took the news with aplomb. With Land away so much in the prize, he had already become accustomed to the new job.

  Since Haslet had been in charge of the gunroom before his elevation, Phillips asked for his opinion of the mids, since he probably knew them best. Baker, was the name that he announced. “Midshipman Baker has six years in the Navy and has a good chance of passing his boards the first time. I would recommend him.”

  Scott echoed the recommendation. Hastings was noncommittal, merely saying that he had had an eye on another mid named Goodyer.

  The two names were discussed for a time, then Phillips called for Mister Baker. The lad had been supervising seamen applying rancid grease supplied by the cook to the foremast’s standing rigging. Baker began apologizing for his appearance when he entered. Phillips waved off the apology. The petty officer had been doing what he had been assigned to do. How he looked and smelled made no difference at the moment.

  After questioning, he determined the young man was alert and intelligent. Phillips then made the decision to give Baker the temporary acting position of second officer. Goodyer’s name would be examined next.

  Baker, with no knowledge of what his presence or the questioning implied, appeared bewildered, especially when he was asked if he would be prepared to take the deck on the graveyard watch.

  The confused Baker instinctively answered “Yes sir. I am also midshipman of the watch on the second dog watch.”

  Phillips grinned, “Not quite, Mister Baker. You will not be serving on any more midshipman type duties, for a while at least. I have appointed you as a temporary, acting lieutenant, in place of Mister Scott, who has been elevated to first officer.”

  “Now my question to you is, who among the mids in the gun room may be ready to become our third officer?”

  The astonished new officer stood there a moment, then stammered. “Mister Goodyer might suit, sir.”

  “Very well Lieutenant. Would you pass the word for Mister Goodyer? I need to discuss the matter with him
. Then you might wish to clean yourself!”

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  Phillips interviewed Mister Goodyer. This young man, along with Baker was an individual he had predicted to himself early in the voyage might well go somewhere. He was noncommittal to the lad, telling him he would get back to him later. He had decided he did not want to promote both men on the same day, thinking it would be better if the two had differing dates of rank.

  With both watches on deck at the noon watch change, he called the hands aft and announced Baker’s promotion to acting lieutenant. He thought he would probably announce Goodyer’s the next day. The hands took the announcement calmly. Baker had been a fair supervisor and the men respected him. Goodyer looked a little downcast, obviously he had expected the promotion himself. Well, tomorrow would set matters straight. The master would stand a watch today, but after Goodyer was appointed the following day, all would be back to normal.

  Later in the day, a midshipman from the flag delivered messages around the fleet. Resolve’s message announced the departure of the prize corvette and the merchant ship back to Britain. Those wishing to send letters must deliver such to the prize corvette at once. The message further said the prize schooner was being purchased into the Navy and would remain with the fleet, where it would be used to carry messages and dispatches.

  Her number was listed for signaling purposes and her name was to be HMS Shark. An addendum to Resolve’s note ordered them to proceed along the Mediterranean coast of France preying on commerce and discomfiting the King’s enemies. An affirmative signal was all the notice required. She was required to return to the blockading fleet off Toulon within two weeks, at which time another lucky ship might get the nod.

  Phillips called Timothy over and told him to hoist the ‘Affirmative’ signal. Mister Andrews came over to see if his services were required and Phillips relayed the crux of the message regarding their cruise. Andrews sent his mate below to get the appropriate chart, then he and Mister Scott set to getting sail on the ship. By nightfall, they were well up the coast.