HMS Liverpool (1814) facts for kids

Ship's plan for Liverpool
Quick facts for kids History
United Kingdom
Name	HMS Liverpool
Builder	Wigram, Wells & Green, Blackwall Yard, London
Laid down	May 1813
Launched	21 February 1814
Commissioned	May 1814
Decommissioned	3 April 1816
Recommissioned	1818
Decommissioned	January 1822
Fate	Sold, 1822
General characteristics
Class and type	Endymion-class frigate, reclassified as a fourth rate
Tons burthen	124686⁄94 bm
Length	159 ft (48.5 m) (overall)
Beam	41 ft (12.5 m)
Draught	12 ft 4 in (3.8 m)
Sail plan	Full-rigged ship
Speed	14 knots (16 mph; 26 km/h)
Complement	300
Armament	Upperdeck: 28 x 24-pounder guns QD: 16 x 32-pounder carronades Fc: 2 x 9-pounder guns + 4 x 32-pounder carronades

HMS Liverpool was a powerful warship, a frigate, used by the British Royal Navy. She was built by Wigram, Wells and Green and launched on February 21, 1814. She was built quickly using pitch-pine wood, which meant she could be finished fast, but might not last as long.

Her most important job was in the East Indies Station. In 1819, she led a successful mission against a group called the Al-Qasimi. This group, based in Ras Al Khaimah, was involved in sea robbery, which the British wanted to stop. HMS Liverpool was sold in 1822 but kept sailing in the Persian Gulf for some time after that.

Life at Sea: HMS Liverpool's Service

Liverpool started her service under Captain Arthur Farquhar in May 1814. Her first time in service was quite short. She helped protect groups of ships (convoys) traveling to places like Newfoundland, Nova Scotia, and Quebec.

She then worked at the Cape Station (near South Africa). After this, she returned home to Deptford and was taken out of service on April 3, 1816. Before that, on October 21, 1815, she captured a French ship called Circonstance. This ship was carrying 67 enslaved people.

On March 5, 1816, Liverpool was pushed ashore and badly damaged near Dover, Kent, England. She was later refloated and moved to The Downs. In 1817, she was stored at Deptford.

New Missions and Captures

In 1818, Liverpool was put back into service under Captain Francis Augustus Collier. He sailed her to join the East Indies Station, passing through Mauritius and Trincomalee. While at Port Louis, she captured four ships involved in the slave trade.

In the middle of 1819, she captured three more ships: Deux Amis (July 29), Constance (August 17), and Jenny (August 24). Money was paid out for the enslaved people who were freed from these ships.

The Persian Gulf Campaign of 1819

Rear Admiral King chose Captain Collier of Liverpool to lead the naval part of a joint mission. This mission involved both the navy and the army. Their goal was to punish the Al Qasimi group at Ras Al Khaimah in the Persian Gulf.

Naval and Army Forces

The naval force included Liverpool, Eden, Curlew, and several gun and mortar boats. The Bombay Marine (part of the East India Company) also sent six armed ships. These included the 16-gun Teignmouth (led by Captain Hall), the 16-gun Benares, and others. Later, two more frigates and 600 men from the Sultan of Muscat joined the group.

On the army side, Major General Sir William Keir led about 3,000 soldiers. These included the 47th and 65th Regiments of Foot, along with Indian soldiers (called 'sepoys') and marines. In total, 1,645 European and 1,424 Indian soldiers and marines took part.

The Attack on Ras Al Khaimah

The fleet arrived near Ras Al Khaimah on December 2. Troops landed two miles south of the town on December 3. Captain Walpole of Curlew was in charge of the gunboats and a small armed boat (pinnace) to protect the landing. There was no resistance when they landed.

The attack on the town began on December 6. Cannons and mortars fired from land and sea. On December 7, two large 24-pound cannons from Liverpool were added to the land batteries. When the troops stormed the town on December 9, they found that everyone had already left. The attack cost the British five dead and 52 wounded. The Al Qasimi reportedly lost a thousand people.

Capturing Dhayah Fort

After Ras Al Khaimah fell, three ships were sent to block the nearby harbor at Rams. They landed troops on December 18. These troops fought their way through date farms to the hilltop fort of Dhayah on December 19. Inside the fort, 398 men and 400 women and children were trapped. They had no water or good shelter from the sun.

They held out for three days under heavy fire. Then, the two 24-pound cannons from Liverpool were used again. After two hours of firing, which broke through the fort's walls, the last of the Al Qasimi surrendered. This happened at 10:30 AM on December 22.

After the Battle

The expeditionary force then blew up the town of Ras Al Khaimah. They left a group of 800 sepoys and artillery there. They also visited Jazirat Al Hamra, which was empty. They went on to destroy the forts and larger ships in other towns like Umm Al Quwain, Ajman, and Sharjah. Ten ships that had hidden in Bahrain were also destroyed. The Royal Navy had no casualties during this action.

This campaign led to the signing of the General Maritime Treaty of 1820. This was the first treaty between the British and the leaders (Sheikhs) of what was once called the Pirate Coast. This area later became known as the Trucial Coast and is now the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

The End of Liverpool's Service

Liverpool continued to serve in the East Indies Station. She also made a trip to China with Captain Collier. Liverpool returned to the Persian Gulf in August 1821. There, many of her crew became sick due to the intense heat.

She was taken out of service at Bombay in January 1822. Liverpool's captain, officers, and crew then moved to a new ship, Ganges. They sailed this new ship back to Spithead, arriving on October 6, 1822.

Liverpool was sold in Bombay on April 16, 1822, for £3,780. The buyer was reportedly a Persian prince. He wanted to use her to help stop piracy in the Persian Gulf.

Images for kids

• Ras al-Khaimah, 1820.jpg

  Ras Al Khaimah in 1820, during the campaign.