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MINDEN
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(74) |
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Built in 1810, Bombay.
Hulk in 1842. |
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- 1811 Capt. Edward Wallis HOARE who was posted to MINDEN at Bombay on 16 October 1810.
In the spring he was ordered to sail from Madras to the coast of Java with two companies of troops to await the arrival of an expedition then fitting out in Indian ports. - On 5 June 1811 a detachment of troops, which Capt. HOARE had landed about 15 miles to the west of Cheribon to procure supplies for the squadron, was attacked by the enemy.
After a spirited exchange lasting about 15 minutes the enemy retired in confusion.
Mr UPPLEBY, midshipman, directed two field pieces and one seaman and four marines were wounded.
During the attack Capt. HOARE landed with remainder of the detachments of the 14th. and the 89th. regiments together with armed seamen, making about 200 in all.
He was in time to repulse a second attack made by about 500 men.
The enemy fled leaving 44 men, including many Europeans, on the ground.
Two marines from MINDEN were killed and 7 wounded. - On 27 July Lieut. Edmund LYONS (later, as an Admiral, he was British Minister at Stockholm) in MINDEN's launch and cutter, landed 19 prisoners of war at Batavia and there learned that the Dutch had no suspicion that British forces were in the area.
So during the night of 30 July, after sending word to MINDEN, with only the 34 seamen in his two boats, he stormed the Dutch fort at Marrack on the coast of Java mounting 54 guns and garrisoned by 180 soldiers and the crews of two gun boats.
He ran his boats ashore through the surf and the seamen mounted ladders to take possession of the lower battery.
Lieut. LYONS then hailed the enemy that he had 400 men and would give no quarter.
The Dutch troops rushed through an gateway left invitingly open but were dispersed by the fire of two captured 32-pounders which had been placed there.
The two parties then exchanged fire while the battery was destroyed and the guns spiked. - As dawn approached he decided that it was time to re-embark and was mortified to find the launch bilged by the surf, so all his people had to cram into the cutter.
Only four were wounded including Mr William LANGTON, midshipman, the second in command.
The youngest member of the party was Mr Charles Henry FRANKS, a fifteen year old midshipman who hoisted the British flag over the fort.
position.
In his dispatch Commodore BROUGHTON stated that Lieut. LYONS had made the attack against orders so Capt. HOARE sent him to Batavia in the cutter to await Com.
BROUGHTON's arrival to give his explanation.
He was praised for his gallantry and appointed to command 5 gunboats. - Commodore BROUGHTON sailed from the Batavia Roads with ILLUSTRIOUS, LION, MINDEN and LEDA on the morning of 4 September 1811 to rendezvous off Gressi with transports that were following on from the same place.
The 14th. regiment of foot and part of the 78th. regiment, together with artillery and field pieces, were embarked in the warships to attack Gressi and Sourabaya on Java. - 1812 Capt. Alexander SKENE, East Indies.
- 1814 Capt. Joseph PRIOR (Vice Ad. HOOD) East Indies.
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