|
GALATEA
|
(36) |
|
Built in 1810, Deptford.
Hulk in 1836. |
|
|
- Capt. Woodley LOSACK was appointed to her in the autumn of 1810 and on 20 May 1811 she was part of the squadron, under Capt. Charles SCHOMBERG in ASTREA off Madagascar when they were in action with three French frigates.
The enemy, firing at long range, produced a calm to leeward which rendered the British squadron unmanageable for three hours.
This enabled two of the enemy to round the quarter of GALATEA and PHOEBE, raking them for a long time.
As darkness approached Capt. LOSACK hailed Capt. SCHOMBERG to say that, due to 55 shot holes in her hull and the loss of her mizzen and fore-top-masts she was so totally disabled as to prevent her head being put towards the enemy to renew the action. - Two of the enemy frigates, RENOMMEE and NEREIDE laden with troops, surrendered, CLORINDE escaped.
The squadron had escaped from Brest on 2 February and was destined to reinforce Mauritius. - On GALATEA Lieut. Hugh Peregrine of the Royal Marines and 15 men were either killed or mortally wounded; Capt. LOSACK, Lieut. Thomas BEVIS, Lieut. Henry Lewis, RM
midshipmen Henry WILLIAMS and Alexander HENNING, 21 men and 3 boys were all wounded. - While GALATEA was returning to England she fell in with the American frigates PRESIDENT and CONGRESS on 31 October 1812.
They did not press home an attack so she escaped, but one of the two south-sea whalers, which had been in company since Ascension Island, was taken.
GALATEA was 93 men short of complement at the time so an action would not have been desirable.
On his return Capt. LOSACK demanded a court martial claiming that Capt. SCHOMBERG had implied misconduct on his part during the action off Madagascar.
The Admiralty declined the court martial but continued him in command of GALATEA until the end of the war. - 1814-15 Capt. LOSACK, West Indies.
- 1816 Deptford
- 1825 Capt. Sir Charles SULLIVAN, 08/1825.
During 1827 a new gun carriage designed by Capt. James MARSHALL was subjected to repeated trials on board GALATEA under the inspection of Rear Ad. Sir Thomas HARDY.
Its superiority in training and firing led to its adoption in all ships for bow and stern guns in 1833. - 1829 Capt. Charles NAPIER, 01/1829, Channel squadron.
On 11 March 1830 GALATEA left Spithead to go to the assistance of WOLFE which had gone on shore on the Isle of Wight.
The ship's boats and dockyard lighters got her off the following day.
GALATEA herself went aground on Middle Bank but floated off with the tide. She sailed for Lisbon on 17 August and returned on 10 September. - On 14 November Governor Sir John Hill and his suite embarked at Spithead for passage to St. Vincent.
The frigate arrived at Barbados at the beginning of January and Port Royal, Jamaica, on the 13th.
After a short refit they took on board invalids and officers for passage to England and sailed on the 24th.
On 5 February they anchored off the Tampico Bar and sailed on the 14th. for Sacraficios where they met and socialised with the USS NACHETTS.
They returned to Tampico until 28 March when they sailed for Havana which was reached 12 days later.
GALATEA sailed for England on 11 April, arriving at Spithead on 6 May. - 1831 Out of commission at Portsmouth.
|
|
|
