HMS Sirius 1797 by paulsutcliffe - 1:48 - POF from NMM plans

[paulsutcliffe]

another picture of the different bolts, these may be beam or keel bolts

 

[paulsutcliffe]

and copper sheathing nails, again courtesy of Yann von Arnim

 

[paulsutcliffe]

The wreck of the 5th rated Syrius was first located in 1964 in the bay of grand port, south east Mauritius. It was found that part of the lower deck, the hull and the rudder remained intact due to the muddy nature of the sediments. Unfortunately the illegal use of explosives in 1968 led to the partial destruction or some of the remaining structure. Subsequent extensive archaeology work permitted the precise cartography of the wreck, as well as the examination of the hull under the sediments and then recovery of numerous artefacts typical of maritime life in the early 19th century. The most notable artefacts are a sword hilt, fragments of an octant , a large collection of coins as well as a rare French regiment uniform button.

An archaeological program launched in 1988 enabled the amateur Mauritian team to catalogue the retrieved artefacts and to conduct appropriate conservation capabilities, although this has not been matched by the official conservation authorities. There is an absence of any official structure for archaeological research in Mauritius which has unfortunately led to the demise of maritime archaeological activities in this island.

 

 

Excerpt from report by Yann von Arnim

Edited February 20, 2016 by paulsutcliffe

[WackoWolf]

Learn something new here everyday. Thank you

[mtaylor]

This is a fascinating trip... both the build and the archeological record.  

[paulsutcliffe]

thanks mark and joe, glad you are enjoying, I was a bit worried about starting the log and whether it would be of interest to anyone, and for all the likes, I have quite a bit more of the archaeological stuff to come and hopefully more pictures from Mauritius

Edited February 21, 2016 by paulsutcliffe

[paulsutcliffe]

Mauritius is a small island located in the south-west Indian Ocean about 1100 km off the east coast of Madagascar. Because of its strategic position on the route to the East Indies, Mauritius was a convenient staging post. The first Europeans to come were the Portuguese using the island they called ‘Islo de Cygne’ as a wood and watering stop. Nevertheless the island remained inhabited until 1638 when the Dutch and later the Dutch East India Company had eastablished an outpost and developed the lucrative activity of exploiting ebony wood.

By 1710 the Dutch left for South Africa and have been replaced in 1721 by the French who renamed the island ‘Ile de France’. The French developed the island and spent their time plaguing the English vessels on their way to India. As result the British following an extended period of blockading the island, engaged in what is known as the Battle of Grand Port, then conquered the island in December 1810 and renamed it Mauritius. They ruled the Island for 158 years until independece

 

courtesy of Yann von Arnim

Edited February 21, 2016 by paulsutcliffe

[paulsutcliffe]

Naval battle of Grand Port

In 1810, Mauritius was mainly defended by the division of commander Duperré. During his absence in the Mozambique Channel, the south of the Indian Ocean was the seat of many confrontations. The British succeeded in reinforcing their positions in the island Reunion and Rodrigues. In August 1810 the British frigate Néréide under the command of Willoughby succeeded in destroying the main battery in the south-east of Mauritius and in taking the fortified island Ile de la Passe thus gaining control of the main entrance of Grand Port harbour (Austen 1935:139).

On 20 August 1810, after seven months of campaign the French fleet formed by the vessels Bellone, Minerve, Victor and two prize Indiamen Ceylon and Windham arrived in front of the entrance to Grand Port bay (Froberville 1910:91). Immediately Willoughby hoisted the French colours and by means of a seized signal-book induced the squadron to enter Grand Port. While doing so, the Néréide ran up the Union Jack and fired her broadside at the French ships. The Windham was able to alter course and proceeded westwards but the rest of the French division had to run the gauntlet of entering the bay and assembled at the head of the main entrance channel (Bouvet 1865:107).

Soon after sunrise on 21 August 1810, the French began to prepare their defence. The ships, Bellone, Minerve and Ceylon were moored in line of battle (Austen 1935:144). The Victor was anchored deep inside the bay and was made ready to receive wounded sailors and to prepare cartridges. The French remained on alert during the whole night and changed the position of four channel buoys near their division. They were removed from the channel whose passage they marked and placed on the nearby coral heads. In this way, Duperré had the hope to strand the enemy’s vessels (Froberville 1910:98).

The following day three other British ships, the Sirius, the Iphigenia and the Magicienne anchored near the Néréide. Soon the four frigates got under sail only with the outer jib.

The Néréide taking the lead and the fleet followed the meandering of the channel (Bouvet 1865:114).

Everyone was ready at his post, all cannons fully charged, the lintstock lighted, waiting for the enemy to approach. The broadside of the Bellone against the Néréide testified the French presence and signaled the start of the battle. The composure, the calm and the promptness with which the English frigates approached the French line was admirable. The Sirius was the first to run aground followed by the Magicienne and the Néréide. The Iphigenia still afloat anchored prudently in the channel at a long distance taking little part in the action. The French vessels concentrated all their gunfire against the Néréide
and then towards the Magicienne.

The first class midshipmen, Wantzloeben, of the French Bellone described the battle scene in graphic terms (Wantzloeben 1891:24-27):

“The detonation of some 200 cannons in a continuous artillery duel covered both divisions with a thick cloud of smoke which hid us from our antagonists. The enemy was crushing us under an intense musketry and artillery fire and the echoes were carrying away the chord of the triple octaves of which we made the bar of a sinister diapason.”

At the height of action when only artillery flashes were illuminating the whole scene, Commander Duperré was hit in the right cheek and had to be replaced by Captain Bouvet. The battle continued without interruption all night and the 24th August the sun rose on a terrible sight. All vessels, cables cut by shots, drifted and stranded without stopping shooting at each other. The Néréide severely hit, completely dismasted looked like a demolished pontoon (Wantzloeben 1891:30-33). Again Wantzloeben (1891:35-37) described the scene:

“The sun rose with bright rays on a calm sea laden with dead floating bodies and impregnated by the reddish tinge of their blood. This morning we were ordered to take possession of the Néréide. As soon as we got on board, not a living soul was visible. We had to take precautions not to tumble over dead, dying, wounded, who were covered by the scattered limbs of their poor shipmates. We could not avoid, however, to walk on the coagulated blood which impregnated the forecastle and quarter deck. On reaching the stern of this floating tomb, we discovered on the gun chest something covered with the Union Jack. We were astonished, after lifting it carefully, to find Captain Willoughby, seriously wounded in the face. We immediately admired the purity of his patriotism in having selected his national flag as a suitable death shroud. Later, after the battle he was cared for in the same room as Commander Duperré and both became good friends.”

Once the French flag was hoisted on what was left of the foremast of the Néréide, the Magicienne and the Sirius began an intense cross fire against their enemies. But in the evening of the 24 August, the Magicienne had to be abandoned and was sacrificed by setting her on fire (Troude 1868:95).

Wantzloeben (1891:41) reported:

“Suddenly a huge fire illuminated the sky and offered us the sublime sight of the Magicienne completely alight. Her cannons heavily loaded pointed towards us, fired as soon as they were subjected to the intense heat. At one o’clock in the morning the Magicienne blew up, her colors still flying.”

The commanding frigate Sirius suffered the same fate in the morning of 25 August 1810. According to Wantzloeben (1891:43-44):

“We greeted daybreak by commencing fire against the Sirius which replied to every shot from us. Suddenly the gunfire from the Sirius decreased progressively and soon it was silenced thus announcing its defeat. We had no doubt that Commander Pym was forced to sacrifice his most important frigate to prevent it from falling into our hands. Soon fire started and extended into its hull and riggings. The frigate burned quickly helped by a strong south-east wind and exploded in the afternoon the main flag still on the top of theforemast.”

In the morning of the 26th day of August a boat from the Bellone, headed by the sub-lieutenant Gouillon, was sent to the commanding officer of Her Majesty’s forces, Samuel Pym summoning him to surrender (Wantzloeben 1891:47). It was fate that, at the same time, the French Commander Hamelin was making the same move. This summons was successful and at noon the frigate Iphigenia and the Ile de la Passe fort surrendered by hoisting the French colors (Bouvet 1865:127).

The Battle of Grand Port was an important victory for the French. Two English frigates taken, two others destroyed, 1′600 prisoners for 150 wounded or dead among the French. This glorious result makes this battle the sole naval victory of Napoleon (Vaxelaire 1979:293).

 

​courtesy of Yann von Arnim Mauritius Institute, La Chaussée, Port Louis, Mauritius

Edited February 21, 2016 by paulsutcliffe

[paulsutcliffe]

Archaeological background

In 1964, a team of amateur divers from the Mauritius Underwater Group discovered the remains of the Sirius . The wreck was then studied showing that the superstructures were heavily eroded but that part of a deck still remained intact. Some twelve cannons, one carronade, two cylindrical bronze pump housings with their lead deck seals intact and numerous copper clench bolts have then been noticed. It appeared at this time that this wreck was the only one of its kind to be found in such a good state of preservation. A project to refloat part of the Sirius was initiated. Unfortunately, in 1968 a group of divers unaware of the historical value of this wreck, dynamited part of the ships remains in order to retrieve numerous bronze elements such as the pump housings and the rudder pintles and gudgeons.

Archeological work started in 1979 with limited means. A photographic study enabled the setting up of a first outline and later a detailed plan of the wreck in its actual state. This plan was the first step taken to launch an archeological campaign in the years 1987-88. In 1989-90 following a electronic survey with magnetometer and side scan sonar one of Sirius’ bow anchors was located and retrieved. Since 1991, the archeological study of the Sirius continued on a permanent basis enabling a broadening of our knowledge in the field of artefact treatment and conservation.

 

courtesy yann von arnim

Edited February 21, 2016 by paulsutcliffe

[paulsutcliffe]

The ship past and present

The frigate HMS Sirius was launched in april 1797 at Dudman’s yard on the river Thames at Deptford. Her dimensions were: length 45 m, beam 12 m, freeboard 4 m, draught 5 m and her displacement 1047 tons. Rated as a 5th class frigate she carried 274 officers and men.

During her last battle she was armed with 26 cannons of 18, six carronades of 32 and two bow-chasers of 9 pounds. Her first action, under the command of Richard King, was the capture of two Dutch ships, the Furie and the Waakzaamheid, and, in 1798, a French frigate, the Oiseau, in the North Sea in 1801. With Captain William Prowse at the helm, she took part in 1802 at the blockade of Brest and, in 1805, at the Battle of Trafalgar, acting at this time with other small frigates, as the ‘eyes’ of Nelson’s fleet. From 1806 to 1808 she served in the Mediterranean and captured the French corvette Bergère. With Captain Pym as commanding Officer, she played an active role in 1809 during the British capture and occupation of the island Bourbon or Réunion. In 1810, the Sirius bore a distinguished part in the attack on Ile de la Passe and the recapture of the English Indiaman, Windham. Unfortunately, she grounded on a coral shoal during the naval battle of Grand Port and had to be sacrificed by setting her in fire on 25 August 1810.

[paulsutcliffe]

after all the history and archaeology some work on the model, i have started the long job of hanging  and lodging knees for the gun deck

each beam has copper bolts on the scarph joint, I have tried to do each beam as a unit as I saw on another build somewhere so there is also bolts through both knees

I am also giving the woodwork below another coat of tung oil as I move along, this is the third and last coat for the bottom of the ship

[Gerhardvienna]

Hi Paul

 

Great job & education for me! The pump looks really great, and with the historic background infos this makes yor report more alive. Thank you!

 

Regards

Gerhard

Edited February 22, 2016 by Gerhardvienna

[paulsutcliffe]

Thanks Gerhard, I'm glad you are enjoying the build

[paulsutcliffe]

small update for the week, working forward to the fore mast which needs the biits jeer bitts and mast partner

 

 

i have made all the bitts out of hornbeam, very hard but looks fantastic when polished and then oiled, the cross piece has a second piece which i have made from mahogany, the cross piece also has a hook and eye on the back to hold it in place which I made from brass wire

 

 

the mast partner has a hole for the jeer bitts to pass through and are then stepped on to the beam

 

 

quick overall view of progress

 

 

Edited February 26, 2016 by paulsutcliffe

[paulsutcliffe]

some more progress pics

 

 

 

[paulsutcliffe]

Thanks everyone for the likes

 

I started adding the hooks and eyes to the main bitts

 

 

the cross piece has a second piece in mahogany the same as the fore bitts and bolts with monofilament

 

 

 

the cross piece attached and hook and eye finished

 

 

close up of the hook and eye

 

 

and another better photo of the elm tree pump, it still has a temporary handle but I'm quite please with it

 

 

I've finally managed to work out how to use my camera and get a decent close up, windows phone 925 with 20mp camera, gives very clear pictures but I have to reduce the size drastically to be able to post and now I know how to get in close drrrrr!!!! I can see all the bits I cant see normally ha!! even with my glasses

[Gerhardvienna]

Hi Paul

Big show! Your pump looks as it could work immediatley! I LIKE IT.

 

Regards

Gerhard

[paulsutcliffe]

Hi Gerhard

thanks for the comment, I'm glad you found the link to a great tutorial from daves on micro joinery, if you read the whole log. he was a student of Harold Hahn, cant get much better than that

Edited February 28, 2016 by paulsutcliffe

[Gerhardvienna]

Hi Gerhard

thanks for the comment, I'm glad you found the link to a great tutorial from daves on micro joinery, if you read the whole log. he was a student of Harold Hahn, cant get much better than that

 

 

Hi Paul

 

No wonder, that he`s doing it so accurate...........

I have read the thread about Hahn herein, he was a real master of his own class.

 

Regards

Gerhard

[paulsutcliffe]

small update for the week s evening work

the carlings under the fire place and between the bitts are cut up under the beams and mortised around the fore bitts

 

 

the standards for the bitts are also mortised for the beams below, I believe the gap between the two had filling pieces to stop any movement

 

 

 

the fore bitt standards are also mortised into the beams and around the mast partner, both also have a mortise in the front end to receive the smaller bitts that pass through to the forecastle deck as does the y bitts

 

 

 

 

and a final view with it all dry fitted nothing glued or bolted yet

 

Edited March 3, 2016 by paulsutcliffe

[paulsutcliffe]

some more arcaeological photos courtesy of yann von Arnim - Octant

 

Edited March 5, 2016 by paulsutcliffe

[paulsutcliffe]

musket fittings

Edited March 5, 2016 by paulsutcliffe

[paulsutcliffe]

Knife handle

[paulsutcliffe]

Ink Bottle

[paulsutcliffe]

hook before treatment

 

 

and after

 

 

 

[paulsutcliffe]

Hook and cannon balls

[paulsutcliffe]

Gun Lock

 

gun flint

 

 

 

 

[paulsutcliffe]

Coins

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[paulsutcliffe]

compass

 

[druxey]

Good progress, Paul, and interesting artifacts.