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Coog
06-24-2012, 10:27
While off Minorca on 24 June 1795 HMS Lowestoffe, a 32-gun frigate under Captain Robert Middleton, and HMS Dido, a 28-gun Frigate under Captain George Henry Towry, encountered two French frigates, the 42-gun Minerve and the 36-gun Artémise.

The French were initially wary, but when they realised that they were larger and stronger than the British vessels, the French captains manoeuvred to attack. Minerve attempted to run down Dido but when Dido turned to avoid the impact, Minerve's bowsprit became entangled in Dido's rigging, costing Dido her mizzenmast and colours. Lowestoffe came along the port side of Minerve and her broadside carried away Minerve's foremast and topmasts, crippling her. Lowestoffe pursued the retreating Artémise, which eventually escaped. Lowestoffe returned to Minerve, firing on her until she struck. Lowestoffe had three men wounded, the Dido six killed and 15 wounded. Minerve lost about 10 percent of her crew of over 300 men.

The British took Minerve into service as the 38-gun frigate HMS Minerve. The weight of Minerve's broadside alone was greater than that of the two British frigates together, making the battle a notable victory; the Admiralty duly awarded the two captains a Naval Gold Medal each. In 1847 the Admiralty issued to all surviving claimants from the action the Naval General Service Medal with the clasps "Dido 24 June 1795" and "Lowestoffe 24 June 1795"

Coog
06-24-2012, 10:41
On 24 June 1808 the 36-gun HMS Salsette, under Captain Walter Bathurst, captured a Russian cutter after having lost one man killed in a four-hour running fight. The cutter turned out to be the Opyt (aka Apith), armed with fourteen 12-pounder carronades and carrying a crew of 63 men. In the pursuit and engagement the cutter had lost four men killed and eight wounded, including her commander, before she struck. When her commander, Lieutenant Gavril C. Nevelskoy (also Novelski), tendered his sword, Bathurst returned it to him in recognition of his and his crew’s heroic resistance. Bathurst then landed all the survivors near Libawa. The British took Opyt into service as HMS Baltic.

Coog
06-24-2012, 11:02
On 24 June 1800 near Gibraltar, the 74-gun HMS Swiftsure, under Captain Benjamin Hallowell, was sighted by a French fleet under Admiral Ganteaume. Swiftsure was overtaken by the faster French fleet, consisting of four ships of the line and a frigate. The Indivisible and Dix-Août succeeded in shooting away her yards and masts, and the Swiftsure was forced to surrender. Two men were killed, two were mortally wounded, and another six were wounded aboard Swiftsure, whilst the French lost 33 killed and wounded. On his repatriation, Hallowell received the court-martial that was automatic for a Royal Navy captain who had lost his ship, but was honourably acquitted. Meanwhile the captured Swiftsure was taken into service with the French Navy, with her name being retained

csadn
06-24-2012, 14:14
the 74-gun HMS Swiftsure,

Looking at the track record of British ships with this name: I sure wouldn't want to serve on one.

David Manley
06-25-2012, 23:51
I don't know. The nuke did a pretty good job :)