uss frolick

Good theory! Might it also discourage an important object, say the jib or the fore-course, from accidentally hooking the anchor fluke when when being hauled in, during a brisk breeze and ripping the cloth? It could still snag with the net there, but it might be less likely to tear, while the net allows the hands a platform on which to stand whilst clearing it? It catches flying fish for the wardroom table? 😜

What was the purpose of the netting on the anchor on Bob's third picture, I wonder?

Horatio Nelson and Jack Aubrey: "Never mind maneuvers, just go straight at 'em!"

This was the modern Greek Cruise Liner Oceanos which sank off South Africa in the 1990s. Everyone got off safely, but the worthless captain was the first one to jump in a lifeboat. An old, rusted underwater hull plate failed in a storm, and the sea water flowed up through the sewage tank - who's back flow valve was missing - flooding the ship with sewage seawater through the sinks, toilets and showers, by-passing all the watertight doors. I suspect the sound effects were added:

Just to clarify, the fictional Surprise was based on the real ship of the same name, L'Unite, as CCoyle suggests. The ship was real, and Patrick O'Brien had copies of the NMM plans when he wrote his books about her fictional adventures. But the real L' Unite had 12 ports per side on the main deck. Her class carried 22 or 24 long 8-pounders in broadside, in French service, exclusive of the bridle ports. To this, the class added eight 36-pounder brass carronades and/or long 4-pounders to the quarterdeck and forecastle, mounting 30-32 guns in total. The British usually substituted carronades on one or both decks when they became available. Four identical ships of the L'Unite Class were built: L'Unite, L'Republicaine, Tourterelle and Cornellie. They were designed by Pierre Alexandre Forfait . All four were taken or destroyed by the British early in the war, and the plans of the Tourterelle also survive in the NMM. They are just beautiful. I like the looks of Tourterelle much better than the Surprise, and they are less faded. Tourterelle put up one hell of a fight against an 18-pounder British frigate, HMS Lively, before she struck. Tourterelle even used a hot shot furnace that she carried aboard her, but to no avail. Here's a link to the Tourterelle plans at the NMM. Note that they have deck-plans, both as taken, and as fitted, for RN service: https://collections.rmg.co.uk/collections.html#!csearch;searchTerm=tourterelle

She’s rigged here as a bark. The white stripe extending over the stem makes her post 1815. I say she’s the ex-gun-brig Beagle because she had been rerigged as a bark, and, of course, she was famous enough to have had such a nice painting done of her.

How totally British! Enjoy. Cheerio! Part 2:

Which six unfortunates would have had their bunks in Montañés's poop deck-house, and which two in the poop-taferail cupboards? Warrant officers? Note no fixed gunport on the upper gun-deck. I wish auto-correct would stop substituting the word "gunlock" every time I try to write "gundeck"!

That plan of Montañés is beautiful!

The framing of that model looks of a later style, almost Harold Hahn-ish, with every station being a full frame with no filler frames. The hull looks sleek and more 'modern' too, like something out of the 1760's. Great article. Thanks for sharing.

The narration is kinda sappy and melodramatic - "some say she has a sole" - "and then she was gone" - perhaps it was produced for kids - but the film of the schooner is just lovely. Thanks for posting it! There are only two surviving plans for named, 1812 Chesapeake Bay Pilot schooner privateers: Lynx was one; and the awesome Grecian the other, both Kemp designed vessels. There are many other plans, but none can be tied to any specific vessel. The film ought to have mentioned how they were able to accurately reconstruct the Lynx.

Valparaiso, Chile, was also the scene of the destruction and capture of the US Frigate Essex in 1814, at the hands of the British Frigates Phoebe and Cherub. I have yet to read of a single Chilean account of that battle.

Local tourism dollars also come into play. From the Yorkshire Post: "The delegates at Filey’s White Lodge Hotel were the first to hear of it, along with news of the discovery of wooden figurehead of a lion and shield that adorned the bow, and a carving of a shepherdess from the stern. Mr Blackburn said: “We expect a task force to be formed that will get the visitor strategy in place. They can set up a Bonhomme Richard trail – people will land at Leeds Bradford or Manchester and make their way from there. “We’re talking about a generation of employment – it’s that far reaching. Once the Americans learn of it, it will generate a lot of interest.”

Mary Rose, like the Vasa, was in brackish harbor water, where the wood worms can not survive. If you don't know where a wreck is, somewhere out in the channel, then you can't salvage her cannon. Cold isn't a problem either, nor pressure, unless the cold affects the salinity, as in the case of the Terror and Erebus. Note that the Titanic's wood was all eaten away, except for shellacked mahogany mantlepieces in a couple of her first class staterooms. Seahawk, about the Adams. I saw an 1814 letter, written by Isaac Hull, commander of the Portsmouth Navy Yard, to Secretary of the Navy William Jones, (in the misc. 'area files' for the district), describing all the cannon, shot, pig iron ballast and even the caboose, which had been pulled from the charred wreck of the Adams.

Part of me is still suspicious. How did the figurehead, here conveniently battle-damaged, not get eaten by the Toredo Worms. If the hull sat upright on the bottom, then the figurehead hung two stories above the ooze that would have preserved it. BHR was the size of a conventional 64-gun warship. Ditto the height of the conveniently-burnt stern-carvings. Is the water close to the coast brackish, like Stockholm's, which kills wood boring organisms, or just normal salty channel water? The figurehead of the BHR is unknown. The "rampant lion figurehead with shield" motif was a best guess by Jean Boudroit, but the diver was able to describe his conjectural work exactly. Usually, the only wood to survive was the keel, the floor timbers and lowest strakes of planking. Seahorses and shepherdesses are interesting stern ornamentations, but rare for French vessels of that period. I thought BHR had drifted in the channel - drifted in some direction away from the coast - for two days while they tried to save her. And of the 42 cannon, the diver was able to find the one single 18-pounder that burst? I would love to be proven wrong. "Bad Frolick! Go to your room, and take your cynicism with you! And no pudding for you either, Mister!"

Saw this topic over at CivilWar Talk by poster AndyHall! It sounds too good to be true. A Lion figurehead, burst guns and surviving stern decorations ???? Well it isn't April 1st ... https://civilwartalk.com/threads/wreck-of-bonhomme-richard-located.152451/ It referenced the following article: http://www.oldsaltblog.com/2018/12/wreck-of-john-paul-jones-ship-uss-bonhomme-richard-located-off-yorkshire/ Here's "The Daily Mail" article of December 11th: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-6341261/Historians-claim-discovered-wreck-Bonhomme-Richard-sunk-Yorkshire-coast.html But how would a wooden figurehead survive in salt water? Here's more info from the Scarborough News : "He said that other parts of the ship have also been found, including a carving of a shepherdess from the stern and a seahorse artefact that links the vessel to its previous days as a cargo ship in the Orient. "The figurehead we have identified is a rampant lion with shield. The ear and nose bear marks of cannonballs which hit the ship before it sunk. "The seahorse image connects the vessel to its French colonial days." He added that the shepherdess from the stern indicates the carving has burned legs, consistent with explosions that sunk the Bonhomme. " Full article: https://www.thescarboroughnews.co.uk/news/business/bonhomme-richard-could-bring-huge-tourism-boost-to-yorkshire-coast-1-9484782

Ausgezeichtnet oder Blausgezeichnet?

Beautiful work. A historical note: All Cruisers (all sloops of war, for that matter) carried a 12-pounder carronade for use in the launch during cutting out expeditions. Since the Reindeer shattered the barrel of one of the Wasp's 32-pounder carronades, the latter's captain took the 'short bus gun' aboard and mounted it in the destroyed gun's place. Since Wasp's chase guns were twelve pounders, there was plenty of shot available for it. The Reindeer originally mounted 32-pounder carronades, but had to throw most of them overboard in a severe storm. The only replacement guns available for her at the time were 24-pounders.

Our old friend, British Historian William James, in his 1816 "Naval Occurrences of the War of 1812", fleshes the story out with additional details: "... but some time after the Wasp had been taken possession of, by the Poictiers, 74, two men were found dead in the Wasp's mizen-top, and one in the main-top-mast-staysail netting." "... The Wasp mounted sixteen carronades, 32-pounders, and two brass long twelve pounders. She also had on board two brass 4 or 6 pounders, which she usually carried in her tops, but which had been brought on deck in the gale of the 15th. They were mounted on small carriages, but not, it is believed, used in the action." "... Never was a finer crew seen, than what was on board the Wasp. She had four lieutenants, and while the Frolic had only one midshipman, he was a boy. The Wasp had 12 or 13 midshipmen, chiefly masters and mates of merchantmen, stout able men, each of whom could take charge of a ship. Their chief employment in the action, were captains of the guns. Among the crew, was one lad of 18; the remainder were from 20 to 35 years of age; all stout athletic fellows, in full health and vigor. A great proportion of them were Irishmen, and several, deserters from British ships." "... Mr. Biddle's friend, Jack Lang, on his mounting Frolic's forecastle, actually lodged a musket ball in Lieutenant Wintle's right thigh; and this, while he was preventing one of the Frolic's men from firing at (American) Lieutenant Rogers. Someone else of the boarding party, at the same moment, fired at and wounded Captain Whinyates, who, like his brave second lieutenant, could scarcely keep the deck, from the severity of the wounds he had previously received." "... It was the musketry of the Americans that so augmented the loss. The second lieutenant, Frederick B. Wintle, had two balls fired into him (during the boarding), besides being wounded by three others." "... The Wasp's scantlings were as stout as a British 28-gun frigate's, especially at her topsides."

By the way, the full Midshipman Charles Loftus PDF memoir, excepted above, is available for free reading online. There are two volumes to click: You're very welcome. https://catalog.hathitrust.org/Record/009889190

Thomas Clark's Naval History of the United States, published in 1814, gives new details, not contained in the official letter, among them the heroic tale of Sailor Jack Lang. As First Lieutenant James Biddle knew Mr. Clarke personally - they lived 'within a door or two of each other" in Philadelphia - the details have a high degree of authenticity about them. " ... notwithstanding, Captain Jones resolved to attack them. The convoy made their escape under a press of sail. About 11 o'clock, the Frolic showed Spanish colours. The Wasp immediately displayed the American ensign and pendant.. At 32 minutes past 11, the wasp have down to windward on the larboard side of the Frolic. When within about 60 yards she hailed. The Frolic then hauled down Spanish colors, hoisted the British ensign, and opened a fire of cannon and musketry. This was instantly returned by the Wasp; and, nearing the enemy, the action became close and spirited. About four or five minutes after the commencement of the action, the main topmast of the Wasp was shot away, and having fallen, with the main topsail yard, across the larboard fore and fore topsail braces, rendered her head yards unmanageable during the remainder of the engagement. In two or three minutes more, her gaff and mizen topgallant sail were shot away. She however, kept up a close and constant fore. the sea was so rough, that the muzzles of the Wasp's guns were frequently under water. The Americans fired as the side of their ship was going down; their shot of course, with struck the Frolic's deck or below it. The English fired as their vessel rose; their balls, consequently, only struck the the rigging, or were ineffectual. The Wasp, having now shot ahead of the Frolic, poured a broadside into her, which completely raked her. She then took a position of the Frolic's larboard bow. A most spirited fire was now kept up by the Wasp. It produced great effect. The fire of the Frolic had slackened so much, that Captain Jones gave up his intention of boarding her, lest the vessels might be entangled by the roughness of the sea; but, in the course of a few minutes more, not a brace of the Wasp was left; all had been shot away. Her rigging was so much torn to pieces; that Captain Jones was afraid that her masts, being unsupported, would go by the board, and the Frolic would thereby be enabled to escape; he therefore decided to board, and at once decided the contest. With this intention, he wore ship, and ran down upon the enemy; the vessels struck each other; the Wasp's side rubbed along the Frolic's bow; the jib boom of the latter entered between the main and mizen rigging of the Wasp, directly over the heads of Captain Jones, and his First Lieutenant Biddle, who were then standing together, near the capstan. The Frolic now laid in such a good position for being raked, that it was resolved not to board until another broadside had been poured into her. So near were the two vessels, that while the men were loading the guns, the rammers of the Wasp were pushed against the Frolic's sides; and two of her guns went through the bow ports of the Frolic, and swept the whole length of her deck. About this time Jack Lang, a brave and intrepid seaman of the Wasp, who had once been impressed by an English man of war, jumped on a gun with his cutlas, and was springing on board the Frolic, when Captain Jones, desiring to fire again before boarding, called him down; but, probably urged on by his impetuosity, he did not hear the command of his captain, and was immediately on the bowsprit of the Frolic. Lieutenant Biddle, perceiving the ardor and enthusiasm, mounted on the hammock-cloths to board; the crew immediately followed; but the lieutenant's feet, being entangled in the rigging of the Frolic's bowsprit, and Midshipman Baker, in his ardor to board, laying hold of his coat, he fell back on the Wasp's deck; he frantically sprang up, and, as the next swell of the sea brought the Frolic nearer, he got on her bowsprit, where Lang and another seaman were already. He passed them on the forecastle; and was much surprised at not seeing a single man upon the Frolic's deck, except a seaman at the wheel, and three officers. The deck was slippery with blood, and strewed with dead bodies. As he went forward, the Captain of the Frolic, and two other officers, who were standing on the quarterdeck, threw down their swords, and made an inclination of their bodies as a sign of submission. The colors of the Frolic were still flying; none of her seamen probably, dared to go into the rigging to strike them, for fear of the musketry of the Wasp. Lieutenant Biddle, himself, immediately jumped into the rigging, and hauled down the British Ensign."

In November, 1812 a prisoner cartel arrived in New York, containing Captain Jacob Jones and the exchanged crew of the Wasp. On the 24th, Jones penned his official report of the victory to Secretary Jones: " I here avail myself of the first opportunity of informing you of the occurrence of our cruise, which terminated in the capture of the Wasp on the 18th October by the Poictiers of seventy-four guns., while a wreck from damages received in an engagement with the British Sloop-of-War Frolick of twenty-two guns, sixteen f them thirty-two pounder carronades, and four twelve pounders on the main deck, and two twelve pounders on the topgallant forecastle, making her superior I force to us by four twelve pounders. The Frolic had struck to us, and was taken passion of, about two hours before our surrendering to the Poictiers. We had left the Delaware on the thirteenth - the sixteenth had a heavy gale in which we lost our jib boom and two men, half past eleven on the night of the seventeenth, in Latitude of 37 N. and 65 W, we saw several sail, two of them appearing very large, we stood from them for some time, the shortened sail, and steered the remainder of the night, the course we had perceived them on. At daylight on Sunday the eighteenth, we saw them ahead - gave chase and soon discovered them to be a convoy of six sail under the protection of a sloop of war, four of them large ships mounting from sixteen to eighteen guns. At thirty-two minutes past eleven AM, we engaged the sloop of war having first received her fire at a distance of fifty to sixty yards, which space we gradually lessoned, until we laid her on board, after a well supported fire of forty three minutes, and also so near while we were loading the east broadside, that our rammers were shoved against the side of the enemy, our men exhibited the same clarity which they had done during the whole of the action.They immediately surrendered upon our gaining our forecastle, so that no loss was sustained on either side after boarding. Our main top mast was shot away between four and five minutes from the commencement of the firing, and falling together with the main top sail yard, across the larboard fore and fore top sail braces, rendered our head yards unmanageable for the remainder of the action. At eight minutes, the gaff and mizen top gallant mast came down and at twenty minutes from the beginning of the action, every brace - and most of the rigging was shot away. A few minutes minutes after separating from the Frolic, both her masts fell upon deck, the main mast going close to the deck, and the fore mast twelve or fifteen feet above it." He then goes on a lengthy praise of each officer's bravery. "... I could not ascertain the exact loss of the enemy, as many of the dead lay buried under the masts and spars that had fallen upon deck, which two hours exertion had not sufficiently removed. Mr. Biddle, who had charge of the Frolic, states that from what he saw, and from the information of her officers, the number of the killed must have been about thirty, and that the wounded, about forty or fifty - of the killed was her first lieutenant and sailing master, and of the wounded Captain Whinyates and the second lieutenant. We had five killed and five wounded, as per the list, the wounded are recovering. Lieutenant [Alexander Claxton who was confined by sickness, left his bed a little previous to the engagement, and tho too weak to be at his division, remained upon the deck and by his composed manner, of noting its incidents, that we had lost by his illness, the services of a brave officer ..."

Now let's turn to the official American accounts of the battle. I should have done this first, but I couldn't get hold of a copy early on ... Prior to the battle, Jacob Jones had taken the Wasp out on a month long cruise, ending in early September, looking for an enemy of equal force to fight. He reported his actions, in a letter dated September 11, 1812, while anchored in New castle, Delaware, to the Secretary of the Navy, Paul Hamilton. The seas off Columbia's Shores were doubly dangerous even then, with British cruisers galore and foul weather. Note how seriously the rough seas had damaged the Wasp's bow and head timbers: "I have arrived here today after a cruise of 29 days, from the time of leaving the Delaware, during which we sailed along the coast every day in sight of the land as far as Block Island, and from thence as far as Georges Bank, believing it probably we should find some of the enemy's sloops of war there, as none were to be seen of or heard of off our ports. Finding none there, I steered from thence for Halifax, but was so much retarded by head winds, that we did not arrive there until the 25th Ultimo, and the weather still bad, and the terms of our crew nearly expired, we that afternoon directed our course for this place. On the morning of this day, we captured the Brig Hazard, of which I wrote you at the time which we recaptured the previous night from a Salem privateer by the British Frigates Shannon and Aeolus. On the 27th, we fell in with a ship we took to be a sloop of war, and our opinion was much strengthened by the very cautious manner of her meeting us, but within about three miles, we discovered her to be a thirty[-two] gun frigate, and from the description given us [of the] Shannon and Aeolus, I believe it must have been the latter. We made sail from her, and night soon coming on, we saw no more of her. Early the next morning, the weather was thick and squally, we saw 4 or 5 miles ahead of us a frigate, which from her length and appearance, must have been a 44, and most probably the Shannon. Favored by the thickness of the weather, and heavy squalls of rain, we soon ran clear of her, but without ascertaining which sailed [letter illegible]. In carrying sail to avoid this last ship, we carried away one of the head rails and bumpkin, and all the head timbers on the starboard side, to repair which, and fill up the vacancies of our crew, which is 14 short, if we receive again those of the prize, I shall proceed to Philadelphia and then await your orders."

The next account comes from the 74-gun HMS Poictiers, but not from her captain. It comes instead from one of her 500 sailors, a literary chap by the name of Charles Loftus, who served in the Royal Navy from 1809 to 1816. In 1876, Loftus wrote his memoirs, called "My Youth By Sea and Land", excerpted here: "On the 18th October, 1812, which was Sunday, Devine service was ordered for eleven o'clock, and our parson had just begun what we all thought was going to be a very good discourse, when a hail from the mast head, informing us that three strange sail were on the lee-beam. In an instant the captain and the first lieutenant jumped from their seats and went on deck, and in less than five minutes afterwards, I heard the first lieutenant calling Mr. Brown, the boatswain, to turn up the hands and make all sail. The parson was left in a moment without an audience, so little ceremony was shown to him upon an occasion of their kind. The ship being put before the wind we were not long in making sail, and with all studdingsails set low and aloft, we were walking through the water at about eleven knots per hour." (Note: It looks like Jones was a pretty good judge of a ships speed!) "The men were piped to dinner, and at two o'clock we could see that the strangers to leeward had hauled their wind, and that one of them was totally dismasted. Some of the sailors declared that they that they had seen a great deal of smoke, and several flashes of guns., which induced us to believe that the three large vessels laying to, with all their masts standing must be an American squadron, and that the dismasted vessel must be one of ours, which had been attacked by a superior force. Consequently we beat to quarters, and our ship was in a very few minutes in that delightful state of confusion which I have described in its normal condition when we cleared for action. At four o'clock, we were close to the vessels; boats had been seen to pass between them, and we now observed that one of the ships had lost her main topmast, and had borne up before the wind, making all sail. the weather had, for the last hour, had been gradually getting hazy, accompanied by heavy squalls of wind and rain, while there was also a very nasty sea.About the time of which I am speaking a squall of wind had carried away our larboard for topmast studding-sail boom, compelling us to shorten sail. At the same moment, our starboard lower-deck bow-gun ran out through the port hole, and as the ship heeled over considerably the whole deck was flooded, which caused great confusion. It was this circumstance that first gave the enemy, now running away to leeward, notice of the proximity of a superior force; for when we luffed to the wind, shortened sail and reefed topsails, they saw our broadside and became aware of our strength. We made out that the dismasted vessel was an eighteen gun brig, and the ship to leeward a sloop of war, but they showed no colors, neither could we obtain any answer to our signals. two boats were therefore to ready to be lowered the moment we hove to. As soon as we were close to the American frigate a gun was fired at her, and she displayed over her stern an English ensign. Our ship was at once hove to, and in a few moments we were in possession of the other vessel. A lieutenant, two midshipmen and about twenty seamen were sent on board the dismasted vessel, and they brought back about the same number of Americans, with two officers. We ascertained, on their return, the ship was the English man of war Frolic, which had been captured by the American Sloop-of-war Wasp. As soon as our boats were hoisted up we bore away before the wind, crowding all sail, in chase of the American sloop-of-war. In about an hour, we were close up to her, and fired two shots art her, when she showed her colors and rounded to. She appeared to be a handsome vessel, and when we struck between the for and main masts, she hauled down her colors, and we took possession of her. With three boats, we were not long in bringing off her crew, who numbered about a hundred and fifty men, with several officers, and the finest looking fellows I think I ever saw. We now turned our thoughts towards the brig which we had left to windward. We had placed a lieutenant, four midshipmen, and sixty men on board our prize, and as soon as the boats were up, we made sail too rejoin the Frolic, which we did in about two hours. Preparations were made to take her in tow by passing a hawser over her stern. Whilst this was going on, I heard a conversation between the captain and the master as to the desirability of having the captain of the Frolic, who. had been wounded, brought on board our ship. The captain, turning round to me, as I was near him, directed me to go, with his compliments, to the captain of the Frolic, and to say that he thought he would be more comfortable in our ship than where he was, desiring me, at the same time, to bring him on board as soon as possible. the crew of the pinnace were now called, and as soon as she was manned I shoved off, and was soon on board the brig. I desired the coxswain to lie off under her lee quarter, and having sent the message of my captain to the captain of the Frolic, I waited on deck for a few minutes, and was then desired to go below into the cabin. The captain was lying in his cot, poor fellow! Badly wounded; and in reply to my message he said he would be most happy to avail himself of the kind offer made, and would endeavor to come with me. I then went on deck to look after my boat, which I found lying off, on her oars, and every thing looked very miserable on deck. The brig was rolling very heavily from side to side, having no sail to steady her; her mainmast had fallen over the starboard quarter; and the foremast had been shot away about four feet from the deck. I saw none of her own crew, as they were all down below, a good many badly wounded. Just under the head of the mainmast lay the bodies of two men, one of whom had his skull split in two, evidently by the cut of a sword, while the other was jammed by the mast against the side. An old quartermaster who now came on deck began working the hand pump, and from him I learned many particulars relative to the capture of his vessel. It appeared she had a convoy of five or six ships loaded with mahogany, from the Bay of Honduras; had sprung her main yard two days before, and was otherwise much crippled by the gale which we had encountered; and, in fact, was in a helpless state when the American sloop-of-war bore down upon her, and after exchanging a few broadsides, had carried her by boarding. There was then a hail from the forecastle to say the hawser had parted - an unwelcome piece of information. My ship soon shot ahead, though she had her main topsail to the mast. I went below to the captain's cabin and reported the curcumstance. They were dressing him, and getting him ready as fast as they could, but it took a long time to prepare him, as he seemed to suffer much from his wound, and could only just sit up at his cot. I was most anxious to get away with him, for the sea was rising and the wind increasing ..." Hate to leave you all hanging, but I can't copy the whole dang book! Needless to say, they got the Frolic's captain, the dear Thomas Whinyates, safely off, and he lived to tell the tale ... !