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ALARM
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(28) |
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Built in 1845, Sheerness.
Sold in 1904. |
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- She was commissioned for the West Indies by Capt. Charles FRAUKLAND on 8 October 1845. He was succeeded by Capt. Granville LOCH on 14 October 1846.
- In February 1848 ALARM and VIXEN (6) paddle, Cdr. A. P. RYDER, were summoned by the British Consul General, Mr Walker, to Bluefields in Nicaragua where a Colonel Salas had kidnapped two British subjects and on 8 February they anchored of the mouth of the river at San Juan de Nicaragua.
Colonel Salas was understood to be in a fort at Serapaqui some thirty miles up the river with a considerable number of troops.
The fort had been built on a bluff some fifty feet above the water and was surrounded by thick woods. It consisted of six timber stockades each eight feet high. One side of these looked across the river, the other down a mile and a half long reach with thickly wooded banks on either side.
An expedition consisting of of 260 officers and men under the command of Capt. LOCH was mounted using twelve boats the ship's launches, VIXEN's paddle-box boats and the ship's barges with Royal Marines and a detachment of the 38th. Regiment.
The journey up river took 72 weary hours.
At night they rested but each new day brought new falls and rapids over which the boats had to be man-handled.
When they anchored below the fort an unfortunate accident cost the lives of the Consul, Mr Walker, and a friend of his whom he attempted to rescue when he slipped overboard.
Both were swept away by the fierce current and lost.
On 12 February LOCH and RYDER hailed the fort and attempted to negotiate with Salas but they were met by gunfire so an attack was mounted.
Heavy musket fire from both banks killed two and wounded several, including Midshipman TURNER of VIXEN, as they pulled up the reach against a 5 knot current.
The boats were badly damaged by shot and nearly half the oars were broken; it is surprising that, in the hour and forty minutes it took them to pull past the fort to the only landing place, casualties were not greater.
Capt. LOCH himself led the landing together with the Royal Marines of ALARM under 1st. Lieut. Boyle.
They were followed by Cdr. RYDER and his VIXENs then Lieutenants JOHNSTON and RIDGE with more seamen from ALARM .
Stoker Denis BURKE of VIXEN fought his way into the fort and captured the enemy colours and then after a short period of hand to hand fighting with pistol and cutlass the Nicaraguans fled.
The stockades and the guns were destroyed and the British party retired safely downstream taking with them two officers and seven men as prisoners.
It was thought that Colonel Salas had about 200 men under his command of which 20 were known to have been killed.
The British losses were two men killed and one officer and twelve men wounded.
Capt. LOCH was made a CB, RYDER was made Post-Captain and the 1st. Lieutenant of VIXEN, George RIDGE, was promoted to Commander. - LOCH was succeeded by Capt. George RAMSAY in August 1849.
and ALARM returned to Devonport in 1853. She was commissioned in June 1855 by Capt. Douglas CURRY for service in the Pacific. - ALARM was reduced to a hulk in 1860 and in the 1890s she was used as a coal depot in Queenstown. She was sold in 1904.
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