HMS ''Cleopatra'' was a 32-gun
fifth-rate
In the rating system of the Royal Navy used to categorise sailing warships, a fifth rate was the second-smallest class of warships in a hierarchical system of six " ratings" based on size and firepower.
Rating
The rating system in the Royal ...
frigate
A frigate () is a type of warship. In different eras, the roles and capabilities of ships classified as frigates have varied somewhat.
The name frigate in the 17th to early 18th centuries was given to any full-rigged ship built for speed an ...
of the
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by English and Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were fought in the Hundred Years' War against Fr ...
. She had a long career, seeing service during the
Fourth Anglo-Dutch War
The Fourth Anglo-Dutch War ( nl, Vierde Engels-Nederlandse Oorlog; 1780–1784) was a conflict between the Kingdom of Great Britain and the Dutch Republic. The war, contemporary with the War of American Independence (1775-1783), broke out o ...
, and the
French Revolutionary and
Napoleonic Wars
The Napoleonic Wars (1803–1815) were a series of major global conflicts pitting the French Empire and its allies, led by Napoleon I, against a fluctuating array of European states formed into various coalitions. It produced a period of Fre ...
. During the latter wars she fought two notable engagements with larger French opponents. In the first engagement she was forced to surrender, but succeeded in damaging the French ship so badly that she was captured several days later, while ''Cleopatra'' was retaken. In the second she forced the surrender of a 40-gun frigate. After serving under several notable commanders she was broken up towards the end of the Napoleonic Wars.
Construction
''Cleopatra'' was ordered on 13 May 1778 and was laid down on 6 July 1778 at the yards of James Martin
Hillhouse
Hillhouse may refer to:
People
* Alex Hillhouse (1907–1983), Australian athlete who competed in the 1932 Summer Olympics
*Art Hillhouse (1916–1980), American professional basketball player
* Christa Hillhouse of "4 Non Blondes", an American ro ...
,
Bristol
Bristol () is a City status in the United Kingdom, city, Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county and unitary authority in England. Situated on the River Avon, Bristol, River Avon, it is bordered by the ceremonial counties of Glouces ...
. She was launched on 26 November 1779 and had been completed by 9 September 1780.
£9,202 (approximately £ at today's prices)was paid to the builder, with another £5,563.1.5d (approximately £ at today's prices)spent on dockyard expenditures. ''Cleopatra'' was commissioned in October 1779 under her first commander, Captain
George Murray.
Career
Fourth Anglo Dutch War
''Cleopatra'' was initially assigned to serve with the Western squadron and was soon active in activities to suppress French cruisers and
privateer
A privateer is a private person or ship that engages in maritime warfare under a commission of war. Since robbery under arms was a common aspect of seaborne trade, until the early 19th century all merchant ships carried arms. A sovereign or deleg ...
s. On 15 June 1780 ''Cleopatra'' and
HMS ''Apollo'' captured the 26-gun ''Stanisland'' off
Ostend
Ostend ( nl, Oostende, ; french: link=no, Ostende ; german: link=no, Ostende ; vls, Ostende) is a coastal city and municipality, located in the province of West Flanders in the Flemish Region of Belgium. It comprises the boroughs of Mariakerk ...
; while the privateer ''Comtesse de Provence'' fell to ''Cleopatra'' on 11 November 1780. ''Cleopatra'' escorted a convoy to the
Baltic
Baltic may refer to:
Peoples and languages
*Baltic languages, a subfamily of Indo-European languages, including Lithuanian, Latvian and extinct Old Prussian
*Balts (or Baltic peoples), ethnic groups speaking the Baltic languages and/or originatin ...
on 1781, becoming involved in the
Battle of Dogger Bank on 5 August. She passed under the command of Captain
Henry Harvey in January 1783, but was paid off in April that year and fitted for ordinary at
Sheerness
Sheerness () is a town and civil parish beside the mouth of the River Medway on the north-west corner of the Isle of Sheppey in north Kent, England. With a population of 11,938, it is the second largest town on the island after the nearby tow ...
. She remained laid up until 1790 when she began a Great Repair, and was recommissioned in January 1793 under Captain
Alexander Ball
Sir Alexander John Ball, 1st Baronet ( it, Alessandro Giovanni Ball, 22 July 1757 – 25 October 1809) was a Rear-Admiral and Civil Commissioner of Malta. He was born in Ebworth Park, Sheepscombe, Gloucestershire. He was the fourth son of Rober ...
.
French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars
![George Tobin - The Cleopatra towing the Thetis towards the Chesapeake](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/af/George_Tobin_-_The_Cleopatra_towing_the_Thetis_towards_the_Chesapeake.jpg)
''Cleopatra'' continued her effective career against raiders by capturing the privateer ''Trois Amis'' on 24 March 1793 in company with . She was operating from
Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia ( ; ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is one of the three Maritime provinces and one of the four Atlantic provinces. Nova Scotia is Latin for "New Scotland".
Most of the population are native Eng ...
from 1794.
On 17 November 1794, recaptured . ''Cleopatra'' shared in the reward. By agreement, these vessels also shared the prize money with and . ''Lloyd's List'' reported that the recapture took place off the
Virginia Capes
The Virginia Capes are the two capes, Cape Charles to the north and Cape Henry to the south, that define the entrance to Chesapeake Bay on the eastern coast of North America.
In 1610, a supply ship learned of the famine at Jamestown when it ...
and that ''Amphitrite'' had been "much plundered". ''Lloyd's List'' later reported that ''Amphitrite'', Tardiff, master, had arrived at Antigua. The report credited the capture to ''Cleopatra''.
''Cleopatra'' was under Captain
Charles Penrose in June 1795. Command passed to Captain
Charles Rowley who captured the French privateer ''Aurore'' on 3 March 1796,
or 22 April that year. Rowley went on to capture the 12-gun privateer ''Hirondelle'' during his tenure, before Captain
Israel Pellew took over command of ''Cleopatra'' in September 1797.
Pellew served briefly in the
English Channel
The English Channel, "The Sleeve"; nrf, la Maunche, "The Sleeve" ( Cotentinais) or ( Jèrriais), ( Guernésiais), "The Channel"; br, Mor Breizh, "Sea of Brittany"; cy, Môr Udd, "Lord's Sea"; kw, Mor Bretannek, "British Sea"; nl, Het Ka ...
, taking the 16-gun privateer ''Emilie'' on 26 March 1798.
On 28 February, in longitude 15, in a fog, the merchant armed brig ''
Herald
A herald, or a herald of arms, is an officer of arms, ranking between pursuivant and king of arms. The title is commonly applied more broadly to all officers of arms.
Heralds were originally messengers sent by monarchs or noblemen to ...
'' lost her convoy; and on 30 March, was chased by a frigate, which brought her too, after running 15 hours to the eastward. The frigate proved to be ''Cleopatra'', Captain Israel Pellew, who treated her politely, and informed that she (with ) had retaken the ''William Penn'', from Philadelphia, and also, a French privateer of 16 guns and 130 men.
He then returned ''Cleopatra'' to
Halifax in August that year. She operated off the American coasts, ranging as far as the Caribbean and
Cuba
Cuba ( , ), officially the Republic of Cuba ( es, República de Cuba, links=no ), is an island country comprising the island of Cuba, as well as Isla de la Juventud and several minor archipelagos. Cuba is located where the northern Caribb ...
, where she and captured a Spanish
gunboat
A gunboat is a naval watercraft designed for the express purpose of carrying one or more guns to bombard coastal targets, as opposed to those military craft designed for naval warfare, or for ferrying troops or supplies.
History Pre-ste ...
on 22 March 1801. Pellew then returned ''Cleopatra'' to Britain, where she spent between 1802 and 1804 under repair at
Woolwich
Woolwich () is a district in southeast London, England, within the Royal Borough of Greenwich.
The district's location on the River Thames led to its status as an important naval, military and industrial area; a role that was maintained thr ...
, recommissioning in July 1804 under Captain Charles Elphinstone. Elphinstone's tenure lasted less than a month; by August ''Cleopatra'' was sailing under Captain
Sir Robert Laurie.
Fight with ''Ville de Milan''
''Cleopatra'' spent some time in the
West Indies
The West Indies is a subregion of North America, surrounded by the North Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea that includes 13 independent island countries and 18 dependencies and other territories in three major archipelagos: the Greate ...
, and was homeward bound in February 1805.
While sailing off
Bermuda
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''Cleopatra'' sighted a sail--the 40-gun French frigate
''Ville de Milan''. ''Ville de Milan'' had sailed from
Martinique
Martinique ( , ; gcf, label= Martinican Creole, Matinik or ; Kalinago: or ) is an island and an overseas department/region and single territorial collectivity of France. An integral part of the French Republic, Martinique is located in ...
on 28 January under Captain
Jean-Marie Renaud
Jean-Marie Renaud (?— 16 February 1805) was a French Navy officer. He is mainly known as the commander at the action of 22 October 1794.
Career
With the rank of Captain, Renaud commanded the India station, comprising the frigates ''Prudente' ...
and was bound for France with several important dispatches.
Despite identifying his quarry as a superior opponent, Laurie ordered a chase. Renaud had orders to avoid combat and pressed on sail to escape Laurie.
The chase covered 180 miles and lasted until the following morning, when Renaud reluctantly came about to meet ''Cleopatra'', which was overhauling ''Ville de Milan''.
The engagement began in earnest at 2:30pm, and a heavy cannonade was maintained between the two frigates until 5pm, when ''Cleopatra'' had her wheel shot away and her rudder jammed.
''Ville de Milan'' approached from windward and ran aboard ''Cleopatra'', jamming her bowsprit over the quarterdeck while raking ''Cleopatra''s decks with musket fire. The British resisted one attempt to board, but on being unable to break free, were forced to surrender to a second boarding party.
''Cleopatra'' had 22 killed and 36 wounded, with the loss of her foremast, mainmast and bowsprit. ''Ville de Milan'' probably had about 30 killed and wounded, with Captain Renaud among the dead. She also lost her mainmast and mizzenmast.
Three days were spent transferring a prize crew and prisoners, and patching up the ships, before the two got underway on 21 February.
However, on 23 February they were discovered by the 50-gun , under Captain
John Talbot. ''Leander'' ran up to them, whereupon they separated. Talbot chased ''Cleopatra'', brought her to with a shot and took possession. The freed crew reported the situation to Talbot, and left him to pursue the fleeing ''Ville de Milan''. Talbot soon overtook her and she surrendered without a fight.
He took both back to Halifax. There ''Ville de Milan'' was taken into service as HMS ''Milan'', with Laurie as her captain.
Laurie's engagement with the superior opponent had initially cost him his ship, but had rendered her easy prey to any other Royal Navy frigate in the vicinity.
Had he not brought her to battle, ''Ville de Milan'' could have easily outsailed ''Leander'' or even engaged her on fairly equal terms. Instead the damage and losses incurred in defeating ''Cleopatra'' had left ''Ville de Milan'' helpless to resist.
Later actions
With the loss of her captain to the command of ''Milan'', ''Cleopatra'' was recommissioned in July 1805 under Captain John Wright. She remained on the Halifax station, from September 1806 under Captain Robert Simpson. ''Cleopatra'', which was under the command of Captain William Love, , and shared in the capture of ''Jane'', Collins, master, on 25 June 1807.
From August 1808, ''Cleopatra'' was under Captain
Samuel Pechell
Rear-Admiral Sir Samuel John Brooke Pechell, 3rd Baronet CB, KCH, FRS (1 September 1785 – 3 November 1849) was a prominent British Royal Navy officer of the early nineteenth century. Although he served in several celebrated naval actions of ...
. On
22 January 1809 she fought an action with the 40-gun , and with the support of and , captured ''Topaze''. ''Cleopatra'' was then present at the
Invasion of Martinique in February 1809. Captain
Charles Austen
Rear Admiral Charles John Austen CB (23 June 1779 – 7 October 1852) was an officer in the Royal Navy and the youngest brother of novelist Jane Austen. He served during the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, and beyond, eventually ri ...
took command in October 1810, with command reverting to Pechell in July 1811. Captain Charles Gill took over in December 1812, followed in an acting capacity by Captain William M'Culloch in 1814.
Fate
''Cleopatra'' was paid off in July 1814 and broken up at
Deptford
Deptford is an area on the south bank of the River Thames in southeast London, within the London Borough of Lewisham. It is named after a ford of the River Ravensbourne. From the mid 16th century to the late 19th it was home to Deptford Dock ...
by 21 September 1814.
Notes, citations, and references
Notes
Citations
References
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External links
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Cleopatra, HMS
Frigates of the Royal Navy
Ships built in Bristol
1779 ships
Captured ships