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DIAMOND
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(38) |
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Built in 1794, Deptford.
Broken up in 1812. |
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- 1794 Capt. Sir W. Sidney SMITH.
On the 3 January 1795 Capt. SMITH disguised his ship and sailing under French colours rounded the west point of Ushant. The following morning he worked to windward between the shoals and rocks off Point St. Matthew and followed a French line-of -battle ship going into Brest roads. When the ebb came strongly out of the harbour at sunset the French ship anchored and Capt. SMITH followed suit astern of her.
When the flood tide made DIAMOND weighed and, by the light of the moon, passed the French ship and sailed between two others, one a frigate, and the Toulinquet rocks. In the morning they could see that there were no men-of-war in the Road.
To get back to sea Capt. SMITH altered course to re-pass the line-of-battle ship. This alarmed a corvette which made signals to alert other ships which immediately began getting under sail. To disarm them, Capt. SMITH closed with the line-of-battle ship, which he now discovered was disabled with jury topmasts, and spoke to her captain French and learnt that she was the CATON, and claimed that DIAMOND was from the French Norway squadron. The other ships broke off the pursuit and allowed DIAMOND to escape. - When, on 17 March 1796, a convoy consisting of a corvette, three luggers, four brigs and two sloops was chased into Erquy, some 6 miles west of Cape Frehel, by armed vessels detached by the Prince of Bouillon, Capt. SMITH determined to attack them when LIBERTY and ARISTOCRAT offered their assistance. DIAMOND silenced a gun that the enemy had mounted to cover the entrance but battery of three 24-pounders was still firing on them so marines and seamen were landed to take them. Troops had been drawn up to oppose them so Lieut. PINE and his party had to climb a precipice in front of the guns to reach the battery. When the guns were silenced the armed vessels were attacked. They kept up firing while hauling themselves on shore but Lieut. M'KINLEY in LIBERTY and Lieut. GOSSETT of ARISTOCRAT were able to get in close to the corvette and when the enemy crew were observed leaving their vessel Capt. SMITH gave the order to board.
The enemy troops were keeping up a heavy fire so the corvette, L'ETOURDIE of 16 guns, and one of the merchant brigs were burnt.
On the next high tide Lieut. PEARSON was detached with the boats to burn the remainder under cover of ARISTOCRAT and Mr KNIGHT in DIAMOND's launch. Lieut. PINE was struck in the chest by a musket ball but was still able to present their Lordships with the colours which had been struck on the battery. Lieut. Carter of the marines was dangerously wounded. - 1796 Capt. Thomas le Marchant GOSSELIN, 04/1796 to 07/1796. Capt. Sir R. J. STRACHAN, 12/1796.
- Capt. GRIFFITH (later Vice Ad. COLPOYS), 04/1799. Channel.
On 30 April 1800 he sent in to Plymouth the NORDYFIT, Capt. Torrager, which he had detained while she was bound for Altona from Charante with brandy. Another prize, a French brig, arrived the following day.
ALCMENE, which lost her rudder on the Black Rocks, was escorted safely into Plymouth by DIAMOND on 12 May.
On 12 June DIAMOND sailed from Plymouth with the heavy baggage and clothing of the 2nd or Queen's Royal regiment which had sailed some time previously. - On 3 June Sir Edward PELLEW in IMPETUEUX was joined by AMETHYST and AMELIA off Quiberon.
THAMES and CYNTHIA attacked the forts at the at the west end of Quiberon on the 4th., destroyed them and brought off several vessels. RAMILIES, DIAMOND and VIPER joined on the 5th. and during the following night they launched an attack on Morbidan with 300 of the Queen's regiment. Two brigs, two sloops, two gun vessels and about 100 prisoners were brought out. A corvette brig, L'INSOLENTE, of 18 guns was burnt and all the guns and the magazine were destroyed.
On 23 June the boats of Ad. John WARREN's squadron launched an attack on the enemy's vessels in the Quimper river and also blew up and destroyed batteries and forts on Quimper Point. During the attack DIAMOND ran on to some rocks and knocked a hole in her bottom. She returned to Plymouth on 4 July and ran directly up the Hamoaze to go in to dock for repair. - DIAMOND sailed from Plymouth on a cruise on 1 February 1801 and on 5 March she went in search of a French privateer supposed to be cruising off the Isle of Palma. The following morning Capt. GRIFFITH fell in with her between that island and Teneriffe and the damage the enemy received in the chase forced her to run ashore on the north side of the island of Gomera where she soon became a wreck. Since Capt. GRIFFITH had some prisoners he wished to land he sent an officer ashore with a flag of truce and learned that the privateer was named La MOUCHE of 18 guns and 160 men and belonged to Bordeaux. A small Spanish polacre laden with sundry merchandise was captured off the N. E. end of Teneriffe on 12 March.
DIAMOND returned to Plymouth at the beginning of May. - 1802 Capt. Thomas ELPHINSTONE, Biscay.
A midshipman, Charles KERR of DIAMOND was given charge of a detained American vessel from Bordeaux and was himself captured by the French privateer AVANTURE and carried into Santander.
The British consul obtained his freedom. - 1805, Weymouth.
- 1807 Capt. George ARGLES, off Le Havre. Later in the year, coast of Africa.
- 1808 Ditto, Jamaica.
On 29 February he captured the Spanish letter of marque NUESTRA SENORA DE LOS DOLORES, Capt. Don Vincento Pica, of 2 guns and 23 men bound for Havana from Vera Cruz with flour and 1,900 dollars in specie. - 1811 Out of commission at Chatham
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