HMS Captain (1787) facts for kids
HMS Captain capturing the San Nicolas and the San Josef at the Battle of Cape St Vincent, 14 February 1797
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Quick facts for kids History |
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 Great Britain |
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| Name | HMS Captain |
| Ordered | 14 November 1782 |
| Builder | Batson, Limehouse Yard |
| Laid down | May 1784 |
| Launched | 26 November 1787 |
| Honours and awards |
Participated in:
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| Fate | Burned and broken up, 1813 |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type | Canada-class third-rate ship of the line |
| Tons burthen | 1638+63⁄94 (bm) |
| Length | 170 ft (52 m) (gundeck) |
| Beam | 46 ft 9 in (14.25 m) |
| Depth of hold | 20 ft 6 in (6.25 m) |
| Propulsion | Sails |
| Sail plan | Full-rigged ship |
| Complement | 550 officers and men |
| Armament |
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HMS Captain was a powerful warship of the Royal Navy. It had 74 guns and was launched on November 26, 1787. The ship served during the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars. In 1799, it was used for harbour duties. Sadly, an accident in 1813 caused it to burn and sink. Later that year, it was brought up and taken apart.
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Battles of the French Revolutionary Wars
At the start of the French Revolutionary War, HMS Captain was part of the British fleet in the Mediterranean Sea. In 1793, the fleet helped occupy Toulon. This was at the request of French Royalists. However, French revolutionary troops, led by a young Napoleon Bonaparte, soon forced them out. During this time, Captain was also involved in a raid near Genoa.
In June 1796, a famous admiral, Sir John Jervis, moved Captain Horatio Nelson to command Captain. Admiral Jervis made Nelson a commodore. This meant Nelson led a small group of ships. His first mission was off Livorno, as Napoleon's army moved through northern Italy.
Clearing Out Capraja Island
In September 1796, Gilbert Elliot was the British leader in Corsica. He decided to clear out Capraja island. This island belonged to the Genoese and was used by enemy privateers. Privateers were private ships that attacked other ships for profit.
Nelson, commanding Captain, led a group of ships and soldiers to the island. They arrived on September 18. The soldiers landed, and the island quickly surrendered. Later that month, Nelson also managed the British withdrawal from Corsica.
The Battle of Cape St Vincent
In February 1797, Nelson rejoined Admiral Jervis's fleet. They were off the coast of Portugal. On February 14, they met a Spanish fleet. This led to the famous Battle of Cape St Vincent. This battle made both Jervis and Nelson very famous. Jervis became an Earl, and Nelson was knighted for his brave actions.
Nelson saw that some of the leading Spanish ships were getting away. He made a bold decision. He turned Captain out of the main battle line to attack the much larger Spanish ships. Captain exchanged fire with the Spanish flagship, Santísima Trinidad. This huge ship had 136 guns on four decks.
Later, Captain fought closely with the 80-gun San Nicolas. The San Nicolas was damaged by another British ship, HMS Excellent. It then crashed into another Spanish ship, the 112-gun San Josef. Captain was also badly damaged and hard to steer. Nelson then bravely ran his ship alongside San Nicolas. He led his men to board the enemy ship.
Nelson was getting ready to board San Josef next. But then, San Josef signaled that it was surrendering. Boarding San Nicolas and capturing these two larger ships was a huge success. It was later called 'Nelson's Patent Bridge for Boarding First Rates'.
Captain was the most damaged British ship in the battle. This was because it was in the middle of the fighting for a long time. After repairs, it returned to service. In May 1799, it sailed to the Mediterranean. There, it joined a squadron led by Captain John Markham.
Capturing French Ships
After the Battle of Alexandria, a French squadron escaped to Genoa. This squadron was led by Contre-Admiral Jean-Baptiste Perrée. It included several warships.
On June 17, 1799, this French squadron was sailing from Jaffa to Toulon. They met Captain Markham's British squadron. In the battle that followed, called the Action of 18 June 1799, the British captured all the French ships. HMS Captain captured the French brig Alerte. Captain Markham described Alerte as having 14 guns and 120 men.
On November 23, 1800, Captain Sir Richard Strachan on Captain chased a French convoy. The convoy hid in the Morbihan area, protected by shore batteries and a French corvette called Réolaise. HMS Magicienne managed to force the corvette onto the shore. Even though it got off again, British sailors and marines attacked it. They set the corvette on fire, and it soon blew up. Only one British sailor was killed.
Service in the Napoleonic Wars
In 1807, Captain was one of the ships escorting an expedition. This expedition left Falmouth and was heading to attack Buenos Aires. However, Captain turned back north once the expedition reached the Cape Verde Islands.
Captain also took part in the capture of Martinique in 1809. In April 1809, a strong French squadron arrived at the Îles des Saintes. These islands are south of Guadeloupe. British forces then blockaded the French ships there. On April 14, a British force led by Major-General Frederick Maitland invaded and captured the islands. Captain was among the naval ships that shared in the rewards from capturing these islands.
The End of HMS Captain
Later in 1809, Captain was put into harbour service. This meant it was no longer used for active fighting at sea. On March 22, 1813, a tragic accident happened. Captain caught fire in the Hamoaze, near Plymouth, Devon. At the time, it was being changed into a sheer hulk. A sheer hulk was a ship used to lift heavy masts into other ships.
When it was clear the fire, which started at the front of the ship, was out of control, its ropes were cut. It was towed a safe distance away from other ships. This was so it could burn without harming other vessels. Even so, orders were given to sink it. Small ships with cannons then fired at it for an hour. It finally sank after burning down to the waterline. Two men died in the accident. The wreck was brought up in July and then taken apart at Plymouth.
