HMS Euryalus (1803)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

HMS Euryalus was a Royal Navy frigate of 36 guns, built at Bucklers Hard and launched in 1803. In 1805, captained by Henry Blackwood, she led the squadron of frigates watching Cádiz prior to the Battle of Trafalgar. The Franco-Spanish fleet left Cadiz on 20 October and the frigates shadowed them until they were met and destroyed by the main Royal Navy fleet. Being too small to take part in the battle itself, she stood off for most of it, and took on survivors from the French battleship Achille. After the death of Horatio Nelson, she took Cuthbert Collingwood's ship HMS Royal Sovereign in tow as it was badly damaged. Blackwood also received the surrender of the Spanish ship Santa Ma (no ship by this name was in the battle?). She returned to England with Pierre de Villeneuve as prisoner.

After serving in a number of theatres she was in the Mediterranean when Captain (later Admiral) Charles Napier took command. Euryalus engaged in successful commerce raiding and the blockade of Toulon. On 21 April in company with Undaunted she entered the harbour and learned of the defeat of Napoleon; Undaunted was detailed to transport him to Elba. Napier took Euryalus across the Atlantic for service in the War of 1812, including the expedition up the Potomac (August-September 1814) and the bombardment of Fort McHenry. During Napoleon's 'Hundred Days' Euryalus was engaged in landing troops at the mouth of the River Scheldt. She became a hulk at Chatham in 1825. In 1847 she was moved to Gibraltar, and was sold for breaking up in 1860.