Ramage and the Dido

by Dudley Pope

The words were hardly out of his mouth before the flaming mass of ship suddenly disintegrated and there was a gigantic thunderclap which almost stunned them. Blazing yards, burning beams, deck planks and futtocks were hurled up into the sky, curving down in precise parabolas. The flash of the explosion had blinded them all for several moments, and then the night seemed blacker than ever, with just the memory of what they had seen burned deeply into their minds. It was a sight, Ramage realised, that he would never forget.

  Chapter Twenty-two

  The Scourge met them off Diamond Rock soon after noon and both ships hove to while Hill came on board to report on his trip to Barbados. First of all he handed over a sealed packet from the admiral, then he said delightedly: ‘The admiral is buying the Sirène and all the merchant ships have been condemned in the prize court in Bridgetown: they held a special hearing so that I could give evidence. By the way, what happened to the Achille, sir?’

  ‘We blew her up during the night,’ Ramage said shortly.

  ‘Thank goodness for that,’ Hill exclaimed. ‘The admiral was very worried about her: he thought the French might repair her and get her off. He wouldn’t be persuaded, even though I did my best to tell him how firmly she was wedged on that reef.’

  ‘Well, now she’s floating in tiny pieces off Pointe des Nègres and the French have no ships of war in Fort Royal.’

  ‘That’ll cheer up the admiral even more, sir,’ Hill said. ‘He was delighted about the convoy – but he’ll be telling you all about that in his letter, I expect.’

  ‘Yes, I’ll go below and read it. Now, you had better start getting your prize crews back on board here. You must have been crowded in the Scourge.’

  ‘It’s not far from Barbados, and most of the men have been sleeping on deck. I think they’ve enjoyed their cruise!’

  In his cabin Ramage sat down at his desk and slit open the letter from the admiral. It was a long letter and started off, after the usual preliminaries, with congratulating Ramage on capturing the Sirène and the convoy. He was buying in the Sirène and the prize court had condemned all the merchantmen. But he was worried, he wrote, about the Achille. Ramage was to take immediate steps to make her unseaworthy, either by gunfire or some other means. The important thing was that the French should not have the use of a ship of the line at Fort Royal. Having accomplished that, Cameron continued, Ramage should return to Barbados without loss of time to take part in another operation of considerable importance.

  An operation of ‘considerable importance’ – what could that be? Stopping the convoy getting into Martinique was, he would have thought, just such an operation. What else was there going on in the Windward Islands that needed a ship of the line? At least the admiral was not still short of frigates – he had just received the Alerte and the Sirène and the Volage with her mango plants, which should have cheered him up, apart from allowing him to promote a lot of his favourite young officers. A commander-in-chief, he thought, was in a happy position. First of all, he could send his favourite frigate captains out cruising in the best areas for capturing prizes. Then he collected his share of the prize money from every capture. After that he could promote favourites into the prizes, if he bought them into the King’s service. If you were a young lieutenant, Ramage thought cynically, the way to rapid promotion lay in becoming a commander-in-chief’s favourite.

  He folded up the letter and called for Luckhurst to copy it into the letter book. He then walked through to the sick bay to talk to Bowen and see the men wounded the previous night. Bowen was his usual cheerful self and reported: ‘All the patients are doing well. Four of them will be back on duty in a week. The rest I’ll have to keep a bit longer.’

  ‘The first time you have had any work to do for days,’ Ramage said teasingly.

  ‘You’d be the first to complain if I had many on the sick list,’ Bowen said. ‘So far we’ve been lucky. Only gunshot wounds. Let’s be thankful we haven’t had a visit from the black vomit.’

  ‘I say a prayer of thanks every day,’ Ramage said soberly.

  He went on deck to find that the last of the Didos were coming back on board from the Scourge, and he told Orsini: ‘Give Mr Bennett a hail and tell him to come on board.’

  The brig would have to be left behind, continuing her lonely patrol off Fort Royal, but it was necessary to give Lieutenant Bennett his orders. The next few weeks were going to be dull for him, compared to the past week or so that the Dido had been around, but the young lieutenant had seen one of his former enemies, the Alerte, captured, and had arrived back just too late to see the other one blown up.

  Ramage turned to find the chaplain, Brewster, gossiping with the purser. Jeremiah Clapton was also a tubby man, with spectacles and a large, bulbous nose, that made him look like a heavy drinker, which was unfair because he did not drink at all.

  ‘I was just remarking to Mr Clapton that we have left our mark on Martinique,’ Brewster said.

  ‘Yes, and we’ve been lucky that Martinique has not left its mark on us, apart from a few men in the sick bay.’

  ‘I’ve never heard of a ship of the line being boarded with so few casualties, sir,’ Brewster said admiringly. ‘And that frigate, too.’

  ‘I’ve never judged the success of anything by the size of the butcher’s bill,’ Ramage said shortly. ‘On the contrary. The more one can achieve with the minimum of casualties, the happier I am.’

  ‘I’m afraid their Lordships don’t always see it that way,’ Brewster said. ‘They seem to honour those captains who lose half their ships’ companies in some enterprise.’

  This was not a subject that a captain of a ship of the line should be discussing with the chaplain and purser, Ramage decided, and waved to Aitken, who was just crossing the quarterdeck. ‘As soon as I’ve given Bennett his orders we shall be leaving for Barbados,’ he said. ‘Have the boats hoisted in.’

  Bennett seemed to have mixed feelings about his orders. Ramage felt that the young lieutenant had enjoyed working with the Dido, and saw the immediate future patrolling off Fort Royal as a time of boredom, since there were no enemy ships of war to watch. His job now would be catching the odd drogher making her way up and down the coast, with cargoes no more exciting than barrels of molasses, and occasionally a bale of hides.

  Finally the Scourge got under way and turned north, and the Dido made sail to the southwards, gradually hauling round to stretch south-eastward round Cabrit Island and out into the Atlantic to make for Barbados, which was stationed like a lonely sentinel, guarding the chain of islands.

  Rear-Admiral Samuel Cameron was in a cheerful mood when Ramage went on board the Reliant in Carlisle Bay, Barbados. At first he was cautious, knowing that Ramage could have only just received his orders, sent in the Scourge, to destroy the Achille, but he was delighted when he was told that the French seventy-four had been destroyed even before the orders had arrived.

  ‘Well, Ramage, I must congratulate you: one seventy-four destroyed, three frigates captured and a veritable fleet of merchantmen taken. By the way, I have bought in the frigates – they are being valued at this minute.’

  ‘I am fortunate in having a good ship’s company, sir. Many of them have been serving with me for years.’

  ‘Yes, well, I am looking for someone to command one of the frigates – the Sirène. The only suitable man I had, I’ve given the Alerte. What about your first lieutenant?’

  ‘Aitken. He would be an excellent choice, sir.’

  But Ramage’s heart sank. Under Aitken, the Dido was run like a ticking clock. Years ago Aitken had refused promotion to post-captain because he said he wanted to continue serving longer with Ramage. But now, if one was honest about it, the time had come when Aitken deserved to be made post, whatever his feelings might be. Yet the loss to the Dido would be considerable: he was cheerful and thoughtful, hardworking and reliable. He was, Ramage knew, as good a first lieutenant as a captain could hope to find. But a good first lieutenant deserved a good captain, and a good captain
did not stand in the way of promotion which was both deserved and overdue.

  ‘Aitken, eh? A Scot? And you recommend him?’

  ‘Most highly, sir, although I’ll be very sorry to lose him.’

  ‘Well, that’s settled then: I’ll make him post and give him the ship. It’ll all have to be confirmed by the Admiralty, but that’ll only be a formality. How does that leave you in the Dido?’

  ‘I’ll just move everyone up a place, sir. My second lieutenant, Kenton, will make a good first lieutenant. My third, Martin, will be a good second. My fourth lieutenant, Hill, whom you met when he brought in the prizes, will make a good third. I’d like to make a master’s mate the acting fourth lieutenant, sir. Indeed, will you be assembling a board for examining lieutenants? This master’s mate, by the name of Orsini, is about ready to take the examination.’

  Cameron grunted and made a note on a sheet of paper. ‘Yes, I have three or four midshipmen ready for the examination too: your youngster can take it with them. I’ll call the board for next Wednesday – you won’t be sailing before then.’

  The admiral leaned forward and handed Ramage a folded sheet of paper which was covered in neat, copperplate hand-writing. ‘Read this. My clerk has just finished copying it out. It is my letter to their Lordships about your Martinique operation.’

  Ramage took the letter and read it quickly, conscious that the admiral was watching him keenly. It was very flattering; quite the most flattering despatch he had ever read, in fact.

  ‘I’ll be enclosing your letter as well, of course,’ the admiral said, ‘which means it will be a Gazette letter. Not your first, I know, but it all helps!’

  ‘Thank you, sir: I appreciate it,’ Ramage said, and thought to himself, this has been quite an eventful quarter of an hour: I’ve lost my first lieutenant, started Paolo off on the first steps to being a lieutenant, and had my despatch to the admiral almost certainly made into a Gazette letter, which will please Father, who has saved all my Gazette letters so far. And it will please Sarah, too: Father will make sure she gets a copy and appreciates the significance.

  But the fact is, Ramage thought grimly, I still don’t know what the admiral has in store for me.

  Series order & Synopses

  Dates given are for first publication and (for Ramge series) year in which novel is set.

  Ned Yorke Series

  These Titles can be read as a series, or randomly as standalone novels

  1. Buccaneer 1981

  2. Admiral 1982

  3. Galleon 1986

  4. Corsair 1987

  5. Convoy 1979

  6. Decoy 1983

  Ramage Series

  These Titles can be read as a series, or randomly as standalone novels

  1. Ramage 1796 1965

  2. Ramage & the Drumbeat 1797 1968

  3. Ramage & the Freebooters 1797 1969

  4. Governor Ramage RN 1797 1973

  5. Ramage’s Prize 1798 1974

  6. Ramage’s Mutiny 1799 1977

  7. Ramage & the Rebels 1800 1978

  8. The Ramage Touch 1800 1979

  9. Ramage’s Signal 1800 1980

  10. Ramage & the Guillotine 1801 1975

  11. Ramage & the Renegades 1802 1981

  12. Ramage’s Devil 1803 1982

  13. Ramage’s Trial 1803 1984

  14. Ramage’s Challenge 1803 1985

  15. Ramage’s Diamond 1804 1976

  16. Ramage at Trafalgar 1805 1986

  17. Ramage & the Saracens 1806 1988

  18. Ramage & the Dido 1806 1989

  Synopses (Fiction & non-fiction)

  Published by House of Stratus

  A. Ned Yorke Series

  Buccaneer

  It is the 1650’s and Spain considers the Caribbean to be its own private sea. But England, Holland and France conspire to battle for freedom on the oceans set in days littered with the plunder of piracy. Ned Yorke, a loyal Royalist living in Barbados has a small vessel and devoted crew and together they sail, hunted by Roundheads and Spaniards, determined to pay whatever the price for freedom from tyranny. What transpires is a colourful, dramatic retelling of historical events surrounding the capture of Jamaica and the infamous raid on Santiago.

  Admiral

  Charles II returns from exile bringing with him unease to the Spanish Main. In this vivid description of seventeenth-century buccaneers, Ned Yorke, the leader and hero of the swashbuckling band are depended upon for the defence of Jamaica, fighting with captured Spanish guns. Daring raids on the Spanish seem inevitable, as Yorke sets out on the high seas to distant adventures on behalf of the King and his own honour.

  Galleon

  As England falls under a blanket of peace with the restoration of Charles II, in distant Jamaica all is not well. Though there is peace with Spain, there is No Peace Beyond the Line. It seems that the West Indies have become the private estate of the King of Spain. But Ned Yorke, Admiral of the Brethren, leader of the Buccaneers will not kowtow to the new Governor in Jamaica who is bent on weakening the Island’s defences and destroying its currency. Ned Yorke and his Buccaneers must not remain idle. The third in a series set in the Caribbean, Dudley Pope reveals a masterful plot of subtle, seafaring lore wound around the tense excitement of adventure on the high seas.

  Corsair

  In the 1660’s Jamaica was an uneasy island, occupied by Spain but settled by the English and French. When Admiral of the Brethren, Ned Yorke, a brave, loyal Buccaneer, learns that Spain is mounting a Caribbean fleet perhaps to protect the treasures of Spanish ships, or carry an army to Jamaica, he vows to find out the truth. Yorke’s audacious attacks on Spanish camps reveal all and the Buccaneers must fight a bloody, desperate battle to try and hinder them.

  Convoy

  A deadly game of cat and mouse unravels its way out of this spine tingling war story as Lieutenant Yorke must find an answer to one vital question: how are German U-Boats sinking merchant ships from inside the convoys? In this gripping saga of heroism and intrigue, Yorke discovers the fate of one entire convoy. Only his wit and daring can lead to its survival and that of himself.

  Decoy

  It is February 1942 and the war in the Atlantic looks grim for the Allied convoys. The ‘Great Blackout’ has started, leaving the spy centre of Bletchley Park in Buckinghamshire at a loss as to what the Nazis are planning. U-boat Command has changed the Hydra cipher. The Enigma cannot be broken. Cipher experts can no longer eavesdrop on Nazi command, which leaves convoys open for attack by packs of marauding Nazi submarines. Winning the Battle of the Atlantic will surely give Hitler a final victory. And who can stop him?

  B. Ramage Series

  Ramage

  1796 – sea battles raging and an attack from the French has left third-lieutenant Ramage the sole officer in charge of his frigate. With orders from Nelson to be obeyed and a daring mission to be completed, young Nicholas Ramage must rise to the challenge. Despite the grave adversity of his situation, Ramage embarks upon an intrepid rescue with quite unforeseen consequences. This thrilling adventure is the first in Dudley Pope’s popular and much-loved series.

  Ramage & the Drumbeat

  Ramage and the Drumbeat takes the brave Lord Ramage to the new world where he becomes embroiled in a series of electrifying sea battles and hazardous political shenanigans. He must once again prove his mettle as he undergoes the merciless enemy attacks. Fighting alongside Lord Nelson, this is Ramage at his best.

  Ramage & the Freebooters

  Lieutenant Lord Ramage is given command of the Triton brig and ordered to deliver three sealed dispatches to admirals in the Caribbean. Unfortunately, he is also given command of a mutinous crew that he must overcome if he is to deliver the dispatches and prevent himself from being made a convenient scapegoat…

  Governor Ramage RN

  Lieutenant Lord Ramage, expert seafarer and adventurer, undertakes to escort a convoy across the Caribbean. This seemingly routine task leads him into a series of dramatic and terrif
ying encounters. Lord Ramage is quick to learn that the enemy attacks from all angles and he must keep his wits about him in order to survive. Fast and thrilling, this is another highly-charged adventure from the masterly Dudley Pope.

  Ramage’s Prize

  Lord Ramage returns for another highly-charged and thrilling adventure at sea. Instructed with the task of discovering why His Majesty’s dispatches keep unaccountably disappearing, Ramage finds himself involved in a situation far beyond his expectations. Based on true events, Ramage’s Prize is another gripping story from Dudley Pope.

  Ramage’s Mutiny

  Mutiny and rebellion are rife on board a British ship in the Caribbean. A young British naval officer is chosen to rescue the ship from its Spanish captors - yet this means almost certain death. Lord Ramage soon learns that for his mission to succeed - and for him to stay alive - he must resort to almost any means. Will his skill prove a match for the strength of the Spanish attack?

  Ramage & the Rebels

  On a routine patrol, Ramage and his ship ‘Calypso’ make an horrific discovery. Caught in the process of taking a British ship, a ruthless French privateer has murdered the passengers and crew. Ramage and his men decide to track him down and set out to find his whereabouts in the Spanish Main.

  The Ramage Touch

  Ramage Touch finds the ever-popular Lord Ramage in the Mediterranean with another daring mission to undertake. He soon makes a shocking discovery which dramatically transforms the nature of the task at hand. With the nearest English vessel a thousand miles away, Ramage must embark upon a truly perilous and life-threatening course of action. With everything stacked against him, he has only one chance to succeed…

  Ramage’s Signal

  With Bonaparte Napoleon at the height of his powers, the Mediterranean can be safely considered exclusive French territory. So when Captain Ramage and his crew are sent alone into Mediterranean waters, they can expect to be outnumbered. But it is the French who discover they have an enemy they had not bargained for…