HMS Endymion (1797)
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| Career |  |
|---|---|
| Ordered: | 30 April 1795 |
| Builder: | John Randall & Co, Rotherhithe |
| Laid down: | November 1795 |
| Launched: | 29 March 1797 |
| Commissioned: | 12 June 1797 |
| Decommissioned: | 1859, Receiving ship |
| Fate: | Broken up in Plymouth, 18 June 1868 |
| General Characteristics | |
| Class: | Endymion-class |
| Design: | copied from French prize Pomone |
| Tonnage: | 1,277 tons builder's measuresment |
| Length on gundeck: | 159 ft 3 in (49 m) |
| Beam: | 42 ft 7 in (13.0 m) |
| Draught: | 15 ft 8 in (4.8 m) |
| Speed: | over 14 knots (26 km/h) running, 11 knots (20 km/h) close-hauled |
| Complement: | 300, later during the War of 1812: 340 |
| Established armament: |
|
| Rated: | 40-gun fifth-rate, rerated as 50-gun fourth-rate in 1817 |
- This article is about the British frigate Endymion, launched in 1797. For other ships of the same name see HMS Endymion.
HMS Endymion was a 40-gun 24-pounder fifth-rate frigate, that served in the French Revolutionary War, the Napoleonic Wars, the War of 1812 and during the First Opium War. She was the lead ship of her class of six frigates build to the lines of the French prize Pomone captured in 1794.
She was famous for her duel with USS President on January 15, 1815, damaging the American rigate. This damage led to the President's capture some hours later. Apart from this, she was known as the fastest sailing-ship in the Royal Navy during the Age of Sail, logging 14.4 knots running.
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[edit] Career
Endymion was first commissioned in June 1797. She then served in the Channel Fleet, off the coast of Ireland and in the Mediterranean until the Peace of Amiens. When war broke out again in 1803, she was part of the blockading squadron off Brest until 1805. During these first years of service, Endymion took a number of French and Spanish prizes, mainly merchants and privateers, but also some warships of up to 20 guns.
In autumn 1805, she joined the squadron of Rear Admiral Louis off Cadiz, part of Vice Admiral Nelson's fleet, blockading the allied Franco-Spanish force under Admiral Villeneuve. On 2 October, Nelson ordered Louis' five ships of the line with Endymion to Gibraltar for water and provisions and in consequence, Endymion missed the Battle of Trafalgar on 21 October.
In 1807 she took part in the Dardanelles Operation, where she was detached to Constantinople with the British ambassador for negotiations with the Ottoman Empire. The mission was a failure and when the squadron sailed back through the Dardanelles, the British were attacked by Turkish shore batteries, with Endymion suffering 3 killed and 9 wounded. From 1808 on, Endymion served again in home waters, where she took a number of French privateers.
In 1812, the ship underwent a large repair at Plymouth, finally docking out in July 1813. Two further 32-pounder carronades were added to her armament and her complement was increased to 340 men. She was then detached to North America, where she captured some American privateers. Her crew undertook also several boat-attacks to raid American shipping. In late 1814, Endymion joined the blockading-squadron off New York.
[edit] Duel with USS President
On January 14, 1815, USS President under the command of Commodore Stephen Decatur left New York for a mission in the Indian Ocean. She then fell in with the British blockading-squadron, consisting of the Razee HMS Majestic (56 guns, Captain John Hayes) and the frigates HMS Endymion (Captain Henry Hope), HMS Pomone (38 guns, Captain John Richard Lumley) and HMS Tenedos (38 guns, Captain Hyde Parker). Immediately, the British squadron gave chase with Majestic leading. At noon, Endymion, being the much superior in sailing, overhauled her squadron and left them soon behind. It was 2 P.M. when she gained on the President and shortly afterwards, both ships exchanged broadsides, with the latter still trying to escape. Endymion was able to rake her antagonist three times and did considerable damage to her hull, whereas the fire from President was mainly directed to the Endymion's rigging in order to slow her down. Finally at 7.30 P.M., President shot away most of the Endymion's foresails with chain shot, and in consequence, the British frigate was no longer able to follow. At 11 P.M. Pomone and Tenedos came up with the heavily damaged President. Captain Decatur decided that further resistance was futile and hailed, that his ship has surrendered. But the men on Pomone didn't hear that, and fired two broadsides into the President, who then hauled down a light to show the British that she has surrendered. Shortly afterwards, Captain John Richard Lumley (from Pomone) took possession of the President.
The running fight between Endymion and President was always subject to a discussion, whether the British frigate had beaten the President, or the American frigate had beaten the Endymion. It is clear, that President could not fight a normal duel as - for instance - USS Constitution fought with the British frigate HMS Java. Had Decatur tried to fight down the Endymion broadside to broadside, he would have had little chance to escape from the other British ships. His only chance was to get rid of the Endymion by dismantling her rigging, and in this he was successful. On the other hand, Endymion - as the smaller and weaker ship (see below) - managed to slow down and damage the American frigate, including pouring in three heavy raking broadsides. There was much discussion, how many of the American casualties (American sources: 24 killed and 55 wounded, British sources: 35 killed and 70 wounded; Endymion had 11 dead and 14 wounded) were subject to the Pomone's fire. But before Pomone fired her first broadside, President was already shattered with shot holes on the starboard-side, the side the Endymion had engaged (Pomone engaged the port side, and there was only little damage recorded). See the external links, for two different descriptions of the fight.
Comparison of force (English measurement methods used for both ships)
| HMS Endymion | USS President |
| Length (gundeck): 159 ft 3 in | Length (gundeck): 173 ft 3 in |
| Beam: 42 ft 7 in | Beam: 44 ft 4 in |
| Tonnage: 1277 tons | Tonnage: 1533 tons |
| 346 men | at least 450 men |
| 26 x 24 pdr, 2 x 9 pdr, 20 x 32 pdr carr., 2 x 18 pdr | 32 x 24 pdr, 22 x 42 pdr carr., 1 x 18 pdr |
| Broadside weight: 659 lb (299 kg) | Broadside weight: 846 lb (384 kg) |
[edit] Post 1815
After the War of 1812, Endymion was kept in reserve until 1833. From 1840 to 1842, she took part in the First Opium War, including operations on the Yangtze river. In 1859, she became a Receiving ship in Plymouth, and was finally broken up in June 1868.
Throughout her career, Endymion was praised for her remarkable good sailing qualities, and therefore was a highly desired command for every frigate captain. Even in the 1830s, long after her war service, she was regarded as the benchmark for Royal Navy frigates and was still capable of outsailing much newer ships, she sailed in company with.
[edit] Commanding Officers
The captains of Endymion were:- [1]
- 1797 Capt. Sir Thomas Williams.
- 1801 Capt. P.C. Durham.
- 1803 Capt. Hon. Charles Paget.
- 1805 Capt. Durnford King.
- 1806 Capt. T.B. Capel.
- 1810 Capt. William Bolton.
- 1813 Capt. Henry Hope.
- 1833 Capt. Sir Samuel Roberts.
- 1840 Capt. Hon. Frederick William Grey.
- 1845 Capt. George R. Lambert.
[edit] References
- William James, Naval History of Great Britain 1793 - 1827, in Six Volumes
- Robert Gardiner, Frigates of the Napoleonic Wars, (Chatham Publishing, 2000) ISBN 1861762925
- Rif Winfield, British Warships in the Age of Sail 1793 - 1817, (Chatham Publishing, 2005) ISBN 1861762461
