HMS Iphigenia (1808)

HMS ''Iphigenia'' was a Royal Navy 36-gun ''Perseverance''-class fifth-rate frigate. She was built at Chatham Dockyard by Master Shipwright Robert Seppings.

The French captured her at the debacle of Grand Port and in their service she participated in the capture of several British vessels. The British recaptured her and she served in the West Africa squadron (or "Preventative Squadron"), combating the slave trade. She was broken up in 1851 after serving for many years as a training ship.

British service

Captain Henry Lambert commissioned ''Iphigenia'' and on 28 January 1809 sailed her to the Cape of Good Hope and Bombay. On 13 September she was at Bombay where her crew helped fight, albeit unsuccessfully, the fire on .

In 1810 she joined the British squadron off Isle de France (now Mauritius). The squadron consisted of ''Iphigenia'', ''Leopard'', '' Magicienne'' and '' Néréide''. The squadron blockaded Isle de France from May, and started operations to attempt a take-over on 7 July 1810. ''Iphigenia'' was present at the capture of ''Réunion'' the next day.

On 10 August, the squadron, under Samuel Pym, landed parties to capture the Île de la Passe and take control of Port-Impérial, initiating the Battle of Grand Port. From 23 August, the British squadron faced off against a French squadron under Guy-Victor Duperré, comprising '' Minerve'', ''Bellone'' and ''Victor''. The French had moved the buoys marking the passage through the reef, causing ''Magicienne'' and ''Sirius'' to run aground and leading the British to scuttle them by fire. ''Néréide'' was captured. ''Iphigenia'', which had been kept in reserve, attempted to flee, but French reinforcements under Hamelin - ('' Vénus'', ''Manche'') - intercepted her, forcing ''Iphigenia'' to strike her colours.

French service

''Iphigenia'' was taken into French service as ''Iphigénie'', under Pierre Bouvet, who had assumed command of the French squadron at Grand Port after Duperré was wounded, and had been promoted to Acting Captain 2nd class.Quintin, p. 85 She formed a squadron with '' Astrée'' and ''Entreprenant''.

On 12 September 1810, Bouvet's squadron intercepted HMS ''Africaine'' (commodore Corbett) off Saint-Denis, as the frigate , the sloop and the brig were sailing from the bay of Saint-Paul. Bouvet lured the British into pursuit until midnight. He sent ''Astrée'' forwards, as if ''Iphigénie'' would attempt to slow ''Africaine'' down to allow the rest of the squadron to flee. At three, ''Astrée'' regained her place at the rear of the squadron; the weather, which had been rough, improved somewhat, and in the moonlight ''Astrée'' suddenly found herself within gun range of ''Africaine'', with ''Boadicea'', ''Otter'' and ''Staunch'' out of sight. A gunnery duel followed immediately, in which ''Astrée'' had her rigging damaged; she closed in to ''Iphigénie'', ''Africaine'' in close pursuit. ''Africaine'' soon found herself under fire from ''Iphigénie'' at point blank range, her guns still trained at ''Astrée''. After exchanging broadsides and small arms fire for half an hour, during which the French had the upper hand, the British attempted a boarding. ''Iphigénie'' easily eluded ''Africaine'', and gave ''Astrée'' an opportunity for raking ''Africaine's'' bow. At 4:30, ''Africaine'' struck her colours.

All ''Africaine's'' officers had been killed or wounded in the action, save for Colonel Barry, and only 69 men were uninjured. Bouvet was given Corbett's dagger, which he kept thereafter. The French abandoned ''Africaine'' and ''Boadicea'' recaptured her the next day.

On 3 December 1810, the Isle de France fell to the British. The British took over the ships moored at the island, including ''Iphigénie'', ''Bellone'' and ''Astrée''. They recommissioned ''Iphigénie'', returning her to service as ''Iphigenia''. Captain Thomas Caulfield then sailed her home to Britain where she was paid off in April 1811.

Return to British service

After fitting out at Portsmouth from November to February 1812, ''Iphigenia'' was recommissioned in January under Captain Lucius Curtis. On 25 March 1812 she sailed with a convoy for the East Indies.

Later, under Captain Fleetwood Pellew, ''Iphegenia'' sailed for the Mediterranean on 6 December. In February 1813, while still in the Mediterranean, she came under the command of Captain Andrew King. On 17 April 1814, a British squadron consisting of ''Furieuse'', , ''Iphigenia'', and supported the successful assault on Genoa. Afterwards, King escorted a convoy of transports from Gibraltar to Bermuda.

Post war

She underwent repairs at Chatham between June and September 1815, and sailed for the East Indies again in October. King returned home from the East Indies in command of the Third Rate ''Cornwallis''.

In September 1816 Captain John Tancock took command of ''Iphigenia'' in Trincomalee. In December 1817 he sailed her back to Britain in company with ''Melville'', whose fitting out in Bombay he had overseen.

Between January and June 1818 she was at Portsmouth having defects made good. Captain Hyde Parker took command on 15 March and eventually sailed ''Iphigenia'' for Jamaica. She served also on the Quebec and Mediterranean stations before being paid off on 12 June 1821.

In 1821 ''Iphegenia'' was recommissioned under Captain Sir Robert Mends. She then served in the anti-slave patrol off Africa with Mends as Commodore of the West Africa squadron. On 22 March 1822 she transported Sir Charles McCarthy, Governor of Sierra Leone, to Cape Coast Castle to assume the governorship of the Gold Coast.

On 15 April, her boats captured six slave ships on the Bonny River: ''Vigilante'', ''Petite Betsey'', ''Ursule'', the Spanish ''Yeanam'', ''Becaa'', and the French brigantine ''Utile''. In June ''Yeanam'' foundered in a tornado, claiming the lives of two officers, 16 men and 400 slaves; seven of the ''Iphigenia''s crew managed to survive on the wreckage of the ''Yeanam''.

In August 1822 ''Iphigenia'' was again in the Caribbean. On 27 August her barge, under the command of Lieutenant Stokes, in company with ''Zephyr'', Harrison, which was on her way from Jamaica to London, captured a pirate schooner of about 250 tons (bm), six 18-pounder guns, and 60 men. The capture took place between Matanzas and Double Headed Shot Cays. The pirate had captured ''Sarah'', of Nassau, but the barge and ''Zephyr'' recaptured her and sent her on her way. ''Iphigenia'' sent the prize into Havana.

Fate

She was fitted at Woolwich between December 1832 and July 1833. Between 1833 and 1848, she was lent to the Marine Society as a training ship.

In 1849 she reported two attacks of cholera and one death between 1 and 12 July, inclusive.

"The Commissioners for executing the office of Lord High Admiral of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland" offered ''Iphigenia'' for sale at Woolwich on 19 February 1850. She was finally broken up at Deptford in May 1851.

Notes, citations, and references

Notes

Citations

References

NAVAL HISTORY of GREAT BRITAIN - Vol V

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Iphigenia (1808)
Age of Sail frigates of France
Frigates of the Royal Navy
1808 ships
Ships of the West Africa Squadron
Frigates of the French Navy