|
APOLLO
|
(38) |
|
Built in 1803, Bursledon.
Hospital ship in 1846. |
|
|
- 1805 Capt. Edward FELLOWES, fitting out at Portsmouth for the Mediterranean.
In 1806 APOLLO was employed operating with the British army along the shores of Calabria. - During the night of 5 June 1806 Capt. FELLOWES captured a French brig which had run aground in the Gulf of Taranto while taking six brass 24-pounders to the batteries that the French were raising opposite the Faro at Messina. Her crew had stove her and landed to defend her, assisted by troops. APOLLO's boats went in under heavy fire from muskets and a field piece ashore and brought her off before morning. Only one seaman was wounded. The prize was taken into Messina on the evening of the 10th.
- On 30 June, some 5,000 troops under Sir John Stuart, acting without authority, crossed the straits from Sicily and landed in the Bay of St. Euphemia. They found a French force of 8,000 men, including 300 dragoons, under General Regnier, in an unassailable position on a hill in front of the town of Maida. The British force included the 27th. (the Iniskillings) 58th., 78th. Highland, 81st. and two "foreign" regiments, and their cavalry consisted of a few light dragoons and some of Sir Sidney SMITH's midshipmen on donkeys. The French marched down to meet them on the plain where they could use their cavalry but the British, unlike the rest of Europe, were not impressed by the advancing columns and held their fire until they could enfilade, then finished off with the bayonet. The French lost 3,000 dead, wounded and prisoner, the British only 300. After the victory the 27th., caught bathing, stood stark naked to repel a cavalry charge. General Stuart praised Capt. FELLOWES for his solicitude for the success of the campaign; his promptitude in sending supplies on shore and his anxiety to assist and treat the wounded.
- In March 1807 APOLLO took part in the assault on Alexandria. The fleet sailed from Messina on the 6th. But after part of the convoy escorted by APOLLO had separated in thick weather on the 7th. General Fraser decided to hold back the transports until he had determined whether the landings would be resisted. The inhabitants proving friendly 700 troops were landed before APOLLO and the remainder of the transports arrived on the 19th. They proceeded to Aboukir Bay where they began to land their troops the following day. Alexandria capitulated the same afternoon.
- 1808 Capt. Bridges W. TAYLOR. Mediterranean.
A French convoy from Toulon, attempting to supply their forces in Spain, was attacked with some success by British ships off the mouth of the Rhone in October 1809. Some of the enemy ships were chased along the coast on the 23rd. until they took refuge in Rosas Bay. APOLLO was sent there on the 29th. and reported the presence of the convoy protected by an armed storeship, two bombards and a xebec. - On the 30th. the boats of TIGRE, CUMBERLAND, VOLOTAIRE, APOLLO, TOPAZE, PHILOMEL, SCOUT and TUSCAN went in and either burnt or brought out all the enemy vessels.
APOLLO lost two marines killed, sergeant Evan Jones and private William Saunders and one seaman, John MACKIE. Lieuts. James BEGBIE (first) and J. FORSTER were wounded as were private Peter Manning and two seamen, Louis SAUF and Paul SAUSTER. - She returned from the Mediterranean at the end of the year bringing home Vice Ad. THORNBOROUGH and was re-fitted in Portsmouth to return to the Mediterranean.
- On 24 April 1811 the three frigates, APOLLO, EAGLE and HAVANNAH entered Port St. George in Lissa to formally take over the island as a major British base. Lieut. Col. George Robertson landed with his staff as the first Governor. Rounding Cape Corse, at the north end of Corsica, at daybreak on 13 February 1812 Capt. TAYLOR fell in with the French frigate-built storeship MERINOS and a corvette. The MERINOS struck after losing 6 men killed and 20 wounded out of a crew of 126. She was only armed with twenty 8-pounders and was going to Sagona for timber. While all the ships were becalmed the corvette made her escape with the help of boats from the shore. She was English MOHAWK taken in 1799.
- Off Corfu on 20 September APOLLO captured the xebec ULYSSE (6) belonging to M. Oletta commander of a division of gunboats from the island.
- APOLLO and WEAZLE chased a trabaccolo on 21 December 1812 which took shelter under the tower of St. Cataldo between Brindisi and Ortranto. Their boats under Lieuts. George BOWEN of APOLLO and Michael QUINN of WEAZLE went in and, after the first shot from the barge brought down the Neapolitan colours, carried the tower without the assistance of the ships.
- Capt. TAYLOR received orders from Rear Ad. FREMANTLE on 18 January 1813 to sail with 250 men, the privateer ESPERANZA and four gunboats to attack the island of Lagosta (he called it Augusta) south of Curzola in the Adriatic. The fort stood on the pinnacle of mountain and the attacking force were exhausted by the climb. Mr Thomas ULLOCK, purser of the APOLLO, with 15 Calabrese under Capt. Rorica and Antonio Langaletta, spiked the guns of the lower battery under musketry from the fort. APOLLO's barge, launch and yawl under Messrs. William Henry BRAND, William HUTCHINSON and William David FOWKES, midshipmen, with the gunboats under Lieut. M'Donald of the 35th. regiment, drew a continual fire of the fort and the battery upon them as a diversion. They also captured a boat trying to escape.
A garrison was left on Lagosta and Capt. TAYLOR sailed with IMOGENE and gunboat No. 43 to attack Curzola. In spite of squalls they managed to land 160 soldiers, 70 seamen and 50 marines with a howitzer and a 6-pounder field gun the same night. Lieut. Charles TAYLOR commanding IMOGENE had to be detached to bring off or destroy boats which some 300 enemy troops on Sabioncello were planning to use to relieve Lagosta.
The enemy on Curzola seemed determined to hold out so Capt. TAYLOR brought off his seamen and started a bombardment of the sea batteries on the morning of 3 February and forced them to capitulate after three hours firing.
A privateer which had been the bane of shipping in the Adriatic was captured together with two of her prizes. Seaman Edward WILLIAMS was drowned when the yawl was sunk in securing the ship. Charles M'GREGOR was killed by grape and William WARD wounded. The same day seven vessels were captured in the channel bound for Ragusa and Cattaro with grain. They also returned a large quantity of church bells and plate which had been collected by the French. - APOLLO and CERBERUS sighted several vessels in a creek near Bari on 19 March 1813. They were protected by a tower with one gun, a battery with two and a large force of armed men. Because the two ships could get close in for support Capt. TAYLOR sent in through the surf all the boats of APOLLO and most of those from CERBERUS. They drove back the enemy, destroyed the tower and the battery and burnt the vessels.
- On 11 April he sent three boats from APOLLO and two from CERBERUS to occupy an island near the north entrance to Corfu. they captured a brig and a trabaccolo taking grain into the port.
In a calm on the 14th. the boats chased a vessel into a secure anchorage at Melera. Capt. TAYLOR sent word for an attack to be delayed until APOLLO could come up in support but the message arrived too late and the first lieutenant of CERBERUS and Mr Thomas ULLOCK, purser of APOLLO were wounded. APOLLO's marines were landed on the island and found eight vessels laden with flour and grain scuttled there. Marine Anthony FRANCIS was dangerously wounded. - At daylight on 24 April a felucca was seen to run into S. Cataldo, about 25 miles south of Brindisi in the heel of Italy, and disembark troops. APOLLO landed 30 marines under Lieuts. TOTHILL and CAMPBELL and they drove the enemy out of a strong position taking 26 prisoners, killing one soldier and wounding a captain. The remaining 30 with the felucca's crew threw away their muskets as they retreated. The boats cleared and brought out the felucca, which had been scuttled, before cavalry and about 150 soldiers of the Chasseurs d'Orient arrived from Lecce. There were no British losses.
- Taking advantage of a strong northerly Capt. TAYLOR ran to Zante on 6 February 1814 to consult with Lieut. Gen. Campbell on plans to capture the island of Paxo as a preliminary to an attack on Corfu. He was given carte blanche for all the troops which could be spared from St. Maura (detachments of the 35th. regiment and Royal Corsican Rangers, about 160 men) plus a few of the 2nd Greek light infantry from Cephalonia. Together with seamen and marines from APOLLO they landed in the lee of the island during a gale on the 13th. and rapidly captured a fort with three guns and 122 regular troops without a shot being fired.
- Shortly afterwards Capt. TAYLOR was drowned when his boat was upset off Brindisi and APOLLO returned home.
|
|
|
