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SPARROWHAWK
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(18) |
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Built in 1807, Brightlingsea (Cruizer class).
Broken up in 1841. |
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- 1808 James PRINGLE, coast of Spain.
She took a French privateer ESPERANCE (14) off Cherbourg on 12 January 1809 and the INTREPID (6) off Marseilles on 19 June 1810. - The French had entered Catalonia with an army of 10,000 men but with little means of keeping them supplied, so in December 1810 SPARROWHAWK and MINSTREL with AJAX (74) and CAMBRIAN (38) joined a small squadron under Capt. Thomas ROGERS in KENT (74) to prevent supplies reaching Barcelona.
- A 14-gun ketch, two 3-gun xebecs and eight merchant vessels were sighted lying in the harbour at Palamos, some 60 miles eastwards along the coast, and Capt. ROGERS, relying on the local knowledge of CAMBRIAN's Capt. FANE decided to destroy them.
- The mole at Palamos was protected by two 24-pounders and a 13" mortar mounted in batteries high in the hills and there were about 250 soldiers in the town.
At 1 PM
on 13 December 350 seamen and 250 marines landed on the beach under close cover provided by SPARROWHAWK and MINSTREL.
They took the town and the batteries as the French withdrew to a windmill on a hill and watched as they spiked the guns and blew up the magazine.
The enemy vessels were burnt except for two which were brought out. - Instead of withdrawing to the beach where CAMBRIAN, MINSTREL and SPARROWHAWK were waiting for them, the men came down in some disorder through the town where they were ambushed by the French who had been reinforced from St. Felice.
The boats had to leave the beach to pick up men from the mole where they came under heavy musket fire, and several were killed as they tried to swim out to the boats. - The total British losses were: Two officers, 19 seamen and 12 marines killed; 15 officers, 42 seamen and 32 marines wounded; 2 officers, 42 seamen and 43 marines missing.
SPARROWHAWK contributed 1 man killed and and an officer and 2 others wounded to the total. - She took the privateer INVINCIBLE with two nine-pounders and 33 men off Malaga on 6 November 1811.
- In January 1812 SPARROWHAWK came under the orders of Capt. CODRINGTON in BLAKE who was co-operating with Spanish forces planning to attack Tarragona on the night of the 19th.
SPARROWHAWK was stationed off the the mole to maintain contact with the army on that side and MEROPE to the eastward for the same purpose, while BLAKE kept the French in the town occupied.
In spite of the wind increasing to a gale CODRINGTON stood on and off keeping the bombardment up until daylight but no attack took place nor could they see any Spanish troops in the morning.
Because of the bad weather they were unable to make contact with the shore but on the 23rd., when the wind moderated he received a request to go eastward to Mataro but the three vessels take shelter in Villanueva on the 25th. when a severe gale came up.
They were about to anchor when MEROPE made a signal for the enemy on the road to the west and opened fire on them.
The other two joined in and they disabled three wagons and dispersed a number of troops before moving west to Vendrel where they saw some 3,000 men including cavalry and artillery moving along the coast.
The French immediately fled inland but, by elevating their guns to maximum elevation, the British vessels managed to give them a few broadsides before dark. - The average time for a voyage from Falmouth to San Sebastian or Passages was eight to ten days, depending on the weather and the prevailing wind.
Col. Colborne, sailing as a passenger in SPARROWHAWK from Plymouth in July 1813 wrote: "We ran up the Bay of Biscay in three days, so in about four days I found myself on active service again." - 1814 Thomas CLOWES, Mediterranean.
- 1815 Frederick William BURGOYNE, Leith.
- 1816 Ditto, Mediterranean.
- 1817-22 Chatham.
- 1822 Edward BOXER.
Lieut. Richard Saunders DUNDAS who had joined SPARROWHAWK in September 1822 was promoted to command her on the Halifax station on 23 June 1823 and advanced to the rank of captain while serving in the Mediterranean on 17 July 1824. - 1824 Hon. Richard DUNDAS, 06/1823,Portsmouth.
- 1825 Robert STUART, 11/1824, Mediterranean.
- 1827 James POLKINGHORNE, 11/1825, Cape of Good Hope.
On 23 July 1828 she arrived at Port Louis, Mauritius. - 1828 H. G. COLPOYS, 08/1828, Cape of Good Hope.
- 1829 Thomas GILL, 04/1829, Jamaica.
- 1831 Dawson MAYNE, 07/1830, West Indies.
- 1832 Henry COLPOYS, 09/1831, West Indies. She paid off at Portsmouth on 7 May 1833 having brought home 589,405 Mexican dollars.
The day after her arrival at Spithead two of her crew were killed and three wounded by by the accidental discharge of a gun which had misfired during an exercise. - 1834 Charles PEARSON, 11/1833, Portsmouth.
Jan. - 1838
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