All at Sea - Razee's

Indefatigable, fires as she bears, with a stern rake into the damaged Droit's de l'Homme - John Steven Dews.

https://www.johnstevendews.com/

New additions continue with the All at Sea collection with work postponed while I was away over Christmas and New Year to build some of the newer models added to the Warlord Black Seas range to my collection and to plug some gaps, particularly with a view towards my interest in the small ship, light squadron engagements from William James' History which I am working up for playing with Kiss Me, Hardy and To Covet Glory.

Two particular glaring examples are of the razee's developed by certain navies and the British in particular as a way of refashioning some of their old and in some cases obsolete third rates into powerful fourth and fifth rates, more than capable of holding their own in terms of firepower with initially the large French super-frigates, and later the even more impressive US types of the latter period, whilst also gaining in manoeuvrability and speed by the cutting down of their upper works, but retaining the heavier timbers of their former rating to give them a very impressive robustness under fire.

Given the interesting facts about this class of ship I thought I would look at the history of these ships with the Royal Navy and two particular examples of the fourth and fifth rate razees, HMS Indefatigable and HMS Majestic.

Fifth-Rate 44-gun Razee

In 1794 in response to rumours that the French had designed and built a new class of large 40-gun frigates following on from the Pomone launched in 1787 of some 1,239 tons and mounting 26 x 24-pounder guns and 28 x 18-pounders, that would be a serious challenge to the largest British class of frigate, the 38-gun types of 930 - 950 tons carrying typically 28 x 18 pounder long guns and 10 to 12 x 9-pounders, the British looked for an answer by 'razeeing', basically cutting down three 64-gun ships of the line to create a 44-gun fifth rate.

The 64-gun ship was fast becoming obsolete in the line of battle, rapidly outclassed by the heavier built and armed 74-gun types, but kept on as a stop gap until they could be replaced, and thus two Intrepid Class 64's, Anson and Magnanime were selected in August 1794 to be razeed followed by the Ardent Class Indefatigable, in September.

The conversion would see the main armament of 26 x 24 pounder long guns retained together with 8 x 12-pounder guns and 4 x 32-pounder carronades on the quarterdeck and a further 4 x 12-pounders and 2 x 32-pounder carronades on the forecastle, with a standard compliment of 310 men.

This model is a very nice representation of a razeed 64-gun type and makes a really great addition to my small ship collection to better represent one of the most famous of the three, HMS Indefatigable, forever remembered as the ship famously commanded by Sir Edward Pellew and I have two scenarios in mind in which this model will take centre stage.

The first being the 168 mile chase of the French 40-gun frigate Virginie off the Lizard, Cornwall on the 20th April 1796.

Indefatigable 44-guns versus Virginie 40-guns, 20th April 1796

Indefatigable caught up with the Frenchman at 00.15 and the fight lasted an hour and forty-five minutes until the Virginie struck with four feet of water in her well as well as 15 dead and 27 wounded, with no British casualties, later joining the Royal Navy as HMS Virginie as a 38-gun frigate.

The second and perhaps most famous action was fought in company with HMS Amazon 36-guns, 150 miles south-west of Ushant in heavy seas against the damaged French 74-gun Droits de l'Homme as depicted in John Steven Dews' excellent depiction of this fight in the header to the post.

Indefatigable 44-guns & Amazon 36-guns vs Droits de l'Homme 74-guns, 13th January 1797

The French third-rate was one of the French fleet that took part in the abortive attempted invasion of Ireland and was struggling to get home in the winter weather with a crew of 700 men together with 1,050 soldiers and 50 British prisoners of war when she was intercepted by Sir Edward Pellew.

The stormy conditions had left the ship without a foremast and with her other two masts tottering and the high seas meant that she was unable to open her larboard lower gun ports for much of the five hour action that commenced at 12.30 on the 13th January 1797.

The Kiss Me Hardy Ship Record Card for Indefatigable shows an elite crewed razee with five d6 per broadside to which could be added another three for a first fire at short range hitting on three or more and doubling to sixteen d6 for a rake showing what a powerful ship this is. Her 1384 tons gives her a sturdy hull rating of 60 Damage Points, so she can take it as well as dish it out.

To make matters worse the three ships found themselves in Audierne Bay with an on-shore wind blowing that would see both the Amazon and Droit's de l'Homme wrecked and only the Indefatigable able to haul off.

Only about 350 men survived the wrecking of the Droit's de l'Homme, whilst most of the Amazon's got ashore apart from six men drowned and three killed in action.

Indefatigable had 19 wounded and Amazon 3 dead and 15 wounded.

As well as Indefatigable, this model will also serve for another interesting small action taken from the next failed attempt at invading Ireland in 1798, when a French fleet bringing reinforcements to Donegal were pursued from Tory Island, resulting in several frigate encounters one of which included the action between HMS Anson 44-gun razee, Kangaroo 18-gun brig and the French 40-gun frigate Loire on the 18th October 1798.

H.M.S. Anson 44-gun razee, Kangaroo 18-gun brig versus the French 40-gun frigate Loire on the 18th October 1798

Amazon and Kangaroo chased the Loire, and at 10.35 the Anson closed, with both ships carrying damage to their rigging from previous fights along the retreat route of the French fleet, with the Loire having lost a fore-topmast and main-topmast, and with Anson having lost her mizzenmast, main-yard and main-crosstrees and with her fore-yard and bowsprit wrecked.

At 1375 tons the Anson presents a very similar profile to the Indefatigable, but I have rated her as Average Jolly Jack Tars, to differentiate her from the latter led by the veteran commander Pellew.

At 11.45 after an exchange of fire the Anson lay disabled by the fire received from Loire, when the Kangaroo finally managed to come up which, after a broadside or two from the British brig, caused the French frigate to lose her mizzenmast, after which she struck.

Anson had 8 dead and 13 wounded, Loire 48 killed and 75 wounded, later taken by the Royal Navy as HMS Loire as a 38-gun frigate.

Below you can see for comparison the new model razee next to the named 38-gun frigate Indefatigable illustrating why this new kit makes for a much better way to represent these powerful fifth-rates on the table.

My new 44-gun razee next to the 38-gun frigate for comparison.

Finally, my new 44-gun razee should see her first table-top appearance in my Bantry Bay game I am planning for Clotted Lard which is a fictitious 'Might Have Been' encounter between a French force, part of  the fleet sent to Ireland in 1796, escorting troop transports, intercepted by Pellew's 'Inshore Squadron and later supported by elements of Rear-Admiral John Colpoy's Channel Squadron, more anon.

The other new model to join the collection, is my larger fifth-rate razee, with ideas of working on some American War of 1812 models later on.

 Fourth-Rate 58-gun Razee

Action between the Majestic and Terpshichore, 2nd February 1814  - John Bentham-Dinsdale

On the 18th June 1812, the United States of America declared war on Great Britain and the Royal Navy found itself facing a new enemy at sea, the US Navy which possessed within its comparatively tiny fleet a small number of very powerful and extremely large frigates, designed to overpower any other enemy frigate they might encounter.

The design of these large frigates was to include a spar deck above the main deck, doing away with the more traditional forecastle and quarterdeck arrangement, and allowing the ship to carry in addition to the 24-pounder long guns below a large number of 42-pounder carronades on the spar deck above and allowing these types such as the USS Constitution to achieve notable success against their British opponents and with such victories severely denting the Royal Navy's reputation of invincibility.

The Majestic was a Common type 74-gun ship of the line built in Deptford, Kent and launched on the 11th February 1785, too late to participate in the American War of Independence for which she had been ordered.

On her completion she weighed in at 1,642 tons and carried 28 x 32-pounder long guns on her main deck, 30 x 18-pounders on her upper deck,  6 x 9-pounders and 8 x 32-pounder carronades on her quarterdeck, 4 x 9-pounders on her forecastle and 6 x 18-pounder carronades on her poop deck.  

By the end of 1812 when she was taken into the Royal Dockyard in Chatham for conversion to a 58-gun fourth-rate razee she had already the battle honours, Glorious First of June 1794 and the Battle of the Nile 1798 to her credit and would emerge from the work on her, that would see her poop deck, quarterdeck and forecastle removed, facilitating her upper deck to become a spar deck, whilst retaining her 28 x 32-pounder long guns on the gun deck and replacing her 18-pounders with 30 x 42-pounder carronades above, together with 2 x 12-pounder long guns in her bow.

Le Tonnant at the Battle of the Nile, with Majestic pictured in the background - Louis Le Breton

The reduced weight meant that the new Majestic was faster and more agile, whilst her new gunnery arrangements meant she packed a formidable punch at short range, being more than capable of dealing with the US super frigates and holding her own against a third rate ship of the line, with her new broadside weighing slightly more than her original one and with the smaller ship only needing a smaller compliment of 495 men.

With the work completed to refit the Majestic to her new configuration, she set sail from the Downs to Portsmouth on the 23rd March 1813 to begin her new role policing the North Atlantic convoy routes against enemy privateers and warships, leaving for Bermuda on the 2nd June escorting a convoy of 550 ships from Falmouth.

Her work over the next seven months would see her providing convoy escort, blockade duty on the American coast and the capture of five privateers and blockade runners, USS Ulysses on June 30th, Spanish Schooner Euphemia on 27th August, American vessel Jerusalem out of Havana bound for Boston, 3rd September, Swedish ship Gothenburg taken later in the month, and American Schooners Betsy and Jane bound for Boston, 26th October 1813, with her new layout proving to be a considerable success.

HMS Majestic bearing down to attack the Terpsichore and Atalante 3rd Fenruary 1814 - RMG

On the 2nd February 1814, Majestic sighted and gave chase to an American privateer, Wasp, (not the famous US Navy ship rigged sloop that fought HMS Reindeer 28th June 1814) and William James recounted the events in his history;

'On the 2d of February, at 8 p.m., latitude at noon that day 36° 41' north, longitude 22° 11' west, the British 56-gun ship Majestic, Captain John Hayes, steering east-half-north with the wind a moderate breeze from the south-south-east, on the lookout for the American frigate Constitution, which had sailed from Boston bay on the 1st of January, discovered on her weather bow a ship, evidently a cruiser, standing towards her. 

In about 20 minutes the stranger, which, as afterwards ascertained, was the American privateer Wasp, of Philadelphia, mounting 20 guns, found her mistake; and wearing, stood to the north-east under all the canvass she could set. The Majestic made sail in chase, and continued the pursuit until daylight on the 3d; when, having got within four miles of the Wasp, she descried, about three leagues off in the south-south-east, three ships and one brig, of a very suspicious appearance, the ships especially. 

At 7 a.m. the Majestic made the private signal, and, receiving no answer, shortened sail to reconnoitre the strangers. These were not, as conjectured, an American squadron, but the two French 40-gun frigates Atalante and Terpsichore, from Lorient on the 8th of January, and their prizes, a large richly-laden Spanish ship, captured the day previous, named the San-Juan-de-Baptista, carrying 20 guns and 50 men, and an unarmed merchant brig. 

At 7 h. 30 m. the four vessels stood towards the Majestic. Having again made the private signal without effect, Captain Hayes, at 8 h. 30 m. a.m., gave up the chase of the Wasp, and hauled to the wind on the larboard tack, with a light breeze from the north-north-east, more distinctly to make out the character of the strangers in the south.'

Terpsichore was one of fifty-four Jaques Noel Sane designed 'Pallas Class' frigates built for the French Navy from 1807 to 1813, the illustration is of a sister ship Clorinde, and the class becoming a standard design for the French navy in the latter part of the Napoleonic Wars. Displacing 1,390 tons, Terpsichore was unusual from her sisters being one of about four armed with 28 x 18-pounder long guns on her gun deck and 16 x 24-pounder carronades and 2 x 8-pounder guns on a spar deck fitted in 1810, amply illustrating the effect of the American design ideas on foreign frigates, British and French.

At 9 a.m. the Majestic tacked to the westward. At 9 h. 15 m., just as she had got upon the beam of the weathermost ship, which was the Terpsichore, the latter made to her consort the signal for an enemy. Captain Hayes being determined to force these ships, now clearly seen to be large frigates, to show their colours, the Majestic, at 10 a.m., tacked, hoisted her colours, and bore up. for the Terpsichore. 

In five minutes the latter shortened sail, for the Atalante, who was some distance astern, to close; and on the Majestic's evincing an increased eagerness to get alongside of her, the Terpsichore wore and stood towards her tardy companion, with the signal flying, " The enemy is inferior to us." The French commodore answered this with, make more sail." Thinking his signal had been misunderstood, Captain Breton repeated it, but merely obtained a repetition of the answer to his first signal.

As soon as the Terpsichore had joined the Atalante, which was at about 11 h. 30 m. a.m., the two frigates, formed in line ahead, with the Lima ship and merchant brig on the weather bow, seemed resolved to withstand an attack. But the Majestic by her bold approach, extinguished the last remnant of resolution in the poor commodore; and at 11 h. 45 m., the Atalante crowded sail nearly before the wind to the south-south-east. In a minute or two the Terpsichore hoisting French colours followed her consort. Both French ships carried their larboard studding sails; and the Atalante, ludicrously enough, still kept the signal flying, " Make more sail." The armed ship and merchant brig, meanwhile, had hauled up to the eastward, also under a press of canvas.

Towards noon the wind freshened and the Majestic gained upon the Terpsichore. At 2 h. 15 m. p.m. the latter opened a fire from her stern chase-guns. At 3 p.m., being in a good position, going at the rate of 10 knots an hour, the Majestic commenced firing her bow guns with considerable effect, almost every shot striking. After a running fight, which lasted until 4 h. 49 m. p.m., the Terpsichore  fired a few of her aftermost guns at the Majestic, who was then within musket-shot distance, and struck her colours, but did not shorten sail. 

The Majestic, in consequence, fired another shot or two; when, at 4 h. 56 m., the French frigate let all fly and brought to. The wind increasing and the prize being in a state of confusion, Captain Hayes felt himself obliged to stay by her, and to suffer the other frigate, with the ship and brig, to escape. The sea, indeed, got up so very fast, that out of 317 prisoners, 100 only could be removed; and, in effecting that, the jollyboat was stove and two of the prisoners drowned. The previous loss on board the Terpsichore, out of a crew of 320 men and boys, amounted to three men killed and six wounded. The Majestic did not lose a man.'

So that covers the two latest additions to the collection, and I look forward to showcasing the next, which will be a look at some of my new fourth rates.

Postscript

In addition to new models the work continues with my Bantry Bay project and specifically my new cliff headlands which, once completed, I will post a look at the process of how I constructed them.

More anon

JJ