|
ALLIANCE
|
(20) |
|
The Dutch ALLIANTE taken by Capt. YORKE in STAG off the coast of Norway on 22 August 1795.
Sold in 1802. |
|
|
- 1796 Capt. W. CUMMING, 06/1796. Used as a storeship.
- 1797 Capt. H. HEATHCOTE, 08/1797.
- 1798 Capt. J. H. HAY, 03/1798.
- 1799 Capt. D. WILMOT.
At the beginning of the year she was a storeship at Lisbon but soon joined Sir Sidney SMITH to assist in the defence of Acre. Buonaparte set out from Egypt to march to Syria with a force of 12, 000 men early in February. He captured Jaffa on 5 March and then massacred some 3-4,000 Turks who had surrendered there and been granted quarter by marching them down to the beach and shooting or bayoneting them in small groups.
The bones were still piled on the sand in 1820.
His next obstacle was the small town of Acre defended by Turks stiffened by seamen and marines from TIGRE, THESEUS and ALLIANCE which had sailed from Alexandria which Sir Sidney SMITH had been blockading. The ships were able to cover the ditch and low wall which provided Acre's landward defences. The French made 40 attacks between 19 March and 20 May when Napoleon finally gave up, destroyed his battering train and retreated back to Egypt with the loss of 5, 000 men.
Capt. WILMOT was shot by a rifleman on 8 April as he mounted a howitzer on the breach. One seaman and one marine from ALLIANCE were wounded during the siege. - Capt. J. MELHUISH, 12/1799, Mediterranean.
|
|
|
