How Britannia Came to Rule the Waves: Updated to 1900Kingston, William Henry Giles
History
How Britannia Came to Rule the Waves: Updated to 1900
Kingston, William Henry Giles
Great Britain. Royal Navy -- History
Notwithstanding the heavy loss France had sustained, Bonaparte managed
to send to sea a fleet of 11 sail of the line, and a number of frigates,
in two squadrons. One of these sailed for the West Indies early in
1806, while the other steered for the Cape of Good Hope. Admiral
Duckworth, who, with 7 sail of the line, had been blockading Cadiz, came
up with the former of these squadrons, consisting of 5 ships, 2
frigates, and a corvette, and after a severe action took or destroyed
the whole of the five line-of-battle ships.
Among the gallant actions performed at this time was one which shows
that seamen fight as well on shore as afloat. The British 38-gun
frigate _Loire_, Captain Maitland, cruising off the coast of Spain,
having chased a privateer into the Bay of Camarinas, situated to the
eastward of Cape Finisterre, sent in three of her boats, under the
command of Lieutenant James Lucas Yeo, to bring her out. Instead of
one, they found two privateers, moored under a battery of 10 guns. Both
were captured, in spite of the fire of the battery; but in order to
secure the larger of the two, Lieutenant Yeo was compelled to abandon
the smallest vessel. To recompense himself for her loss, he captured
three merchant-vessels laden with wine on his way out. From his
prisoners Captain Maitland learned that a French privateer of 26 guns
was fitting out at Muros, and being acquainted with the navigation of
the bay, he resolved on her capture or destruction. Accordingly, on the
4th of June, he stood into the bay, with springs on his cables, ready to
attack the fort, and towing his boats, with fifty officers and men under
the command of Lieutenant Yeo. On passing close to the shore, the
_Loire_ was exposed to a fire from two long 18-pounders, which
considerably annoyed her. On this Captain Maitland ordered Lieutenant
Yeo to land and spike the guns. The gallant lieutenant departing on
this service, the _Loire_ stood on, when, as she opened the bay, she
discovered at anchor within it a large corvette pierced for 26 guns, and
a brig of 10 guns; but as the armament of both vessels was on shore,
they were unable to offer any resistance. The _Loire_, however, was now
exposed to a hot fire from a fort of 12 long 18-pounders, from which, as
she was less than a quarter-of-a-mile off, nearly every shot struck her
hull. Finding that by standing on he should be exposed to a still
hotter fire, Captain Maitland ran as close in as he could venture, and
anchoring the frigate with a spring on her cable, opened her broadside.
So strong, however, was the fort, that the frigate's shot committed
little or no damage, while numbers of her crew were falling, some
severely wounded. Lieutenant Yeo had in the meantime landed, and
storming the 2-gun battery, put its defenders to flight. Having spiked
the guns, Lieutenant Yeo discovered the large fort close to the town of
Muros, which was severely annoying the frigate. Without hesitation, he
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