HMS Undaunted (1807) facts for kids
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HMS Undaunted off Dover, by Thomas Whitcombe
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Quick facts for kids History |
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 United Kingdom |
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| Name | HMS Undaunted |
| Ordered | 7 November 1803 |
| Builder | Woolwich Dockyard |
| Laid down | April 1806 |
| Launched | 17 October 1807 |
| Completed | 2 December 1807 |
| Commissioned | October 1807 |
| Decommissioned | October 1815 |
| Recommissioned | August 1827 |
| Decommissioned | February 1834 |
| Fate | Broken up, 1860 |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type | Lively-class frigate |
| Tons burthen | 1,086 tons bm |
| Length |
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| Beam | 39 ft 7 in (12.07 m) |
| Draught |
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| Depth of hold | 13 ft 6 in (4.11 m) |
| Sail plan | Full-rigged ship |
| Complement | 284 |
| Armament |
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HMS Undaunted was a powerful British Royal Navy warship. She was a 38-gun frigate, a type of fast sailing ship used for scouting and fighting. Built during the Napoleonic Wars, this ship became famous for a very special mission: carrying Napoleon Bonaparte to his first exile on the island of Elba in 1814.
Contents
Building a Mighty Warship
The Undaunted belonged to the Lively-class of frigates. These ships were designed in 1799 and were considered some of the best British frigates of their time. The Undaunted was first ordered in 1803. However, the original builder went out of business. So, the job was moved to Woolwich Dockyard.
Work on the ship began in April 1806. She was officially launched into the water on October 17, 1807. The ship was fully ready for duty by December 2, 1807. Building her cost about £36,967, which was a huge amount of money back then!
Adventures at Sea: Napoleonic Wars
Early Missions and Captures
Captain Thomas James Maling took command of the Undaunted in October 1807. The ship served in the West Indies and the English Channel. For a while in 1810, she helped defend the city of Cádiz during a siege.
During these early years, Undaunted captured two important enemy ships. In February 1808, she seized a Spanish ship called Nostra Senora del Carmen. Then, in February 1809, she caught a French privateer (a private ship allowed to attack enemy ships) named San Josephe in the Channel. The Undaunted chased San Josephe for four hours before capturing her. The Royal Navy later used San Josephe as one of their own ships.
Battles in the Mediterranean
In June 1810, Captain George Charles Mackenzie took over command. The Undaunted sailed with a group of ships to Malta. Her missions became less dramatic for a while. However, in February 1811, she did recapture a transport ship called Dorothy. Soon after, Captain Richard Darton Thomas became the new commander.
Under Captain Thomas, Undaunted went to the Mediterranean Sea. There, she worked with Spanish fighters along the coast of Catalonia. She also helped block the port of Marseille. For some time, she was the lead ship of a small group blocking Toulon.
On April 29, 1812, small boats from Undaunted, another frigate, and a sloop (a smaller warship) attacked 26 French ships near the Rhone river. They captured seven ships and burned twelve others. They even destroyed a French Navy schooner (a type of sailing vessel) that had four guns and 74 crew members. This attack was a big success, and no British sailors were lost.
Captain Thomas later had to go home due to illness. Captain Thomas Ussher took command of Undaunted in February 1813.
Continuous Action Under Captain Ussher
For the next two years, Captain Ussher led Undaunted in many attacks along the southern coast of France. They targeted both ships and enemy forts.
- On February 18, 1813, Undaunted captured the San Nicolo.
- On March 18, 1813, sailors and Marines from Undaunted landed near Carry-le-Rouet. They attacked an enemy fort, driving out the soldiers. They destroyed four large guns, a field gun, and a mortar (a type of cannon). They also captured a nearby ship. Two men from Undaunted were killed in this fight.
- On March 29, 1813, Undaunted and other ships attacked 14 merchant vessels hiding near Morgiou. A large group of sailors and Marines attacked the forts protecting the ships from behind. They captured 17 enemy soldiers and threw the enemy's guns into the sea. Meanwhile, boats captured 11 merchant ships filled with oil.
- On May 2, 1813, the French started rebuilding the forts at Morgiou. So, Undaunted joined other ships for another attack. Marines and sailors landed, driving the enemy away. They destroyed the new forts. They also captured several vessels in the bay. For their bravery, surviving crew members later received a special medal.
- On August 18, 1813, Undaunted and two brig-sloops (small, fast warships) attacked the heavily defended port of Cassis. Even though the wind was light, the smaller ships entered the bay. While Marines and sailors captured the main fort, they also captured 24 merchant ships and two gunboats. They took 60 prisoners.
- On November 9, 1813, Undaunted attacked Port-la-Nouvelle. Marines stormed the forts while sailors captured two ships and destroyed five others. Captain Ussher reported that in just 10 months, Undaunted had captured or destroyed 70 enemy vessels!
- On December 22, 1813, Undaunted and another ship sank the Baloena.
- On April 8, 1814, Undaunted captured the brig Bienfaisant.
Napoleon's Special Trip to Elba
On April 24, 1814, Undaunted, still under Captain Thomas Ussher, and another ship were near Marseille. They saw lights and celebrations in the town, which meant something big had happened. The next morning, they learned that Napoleon had given up his power.
Captain Ussher received orders to take the former Emperor Napoleon and his group to exile on the island of Elba. On April 26, Undaunted sailed to Fréjus, where Napoleon was staying. On the evening of April 28, Napoleon, his followers, and representatives of the winning countries boarded Undaunted. The ship then set sail for Elba.
Undaunted arrived at Elba on April 30. Napoleon stepped ashore on May 3 to officially take control of the island. The Undaunted stayed at Elba until the end of the month before sailing to Genoa. Captain Ussher left command of the ship on June 29, 1814.
Captain Charles Thurlow Smith then took over. After Napoleon escaped from Elba in February 1815, Undaunted was sent to chase a Neapolitan (from Naples) squadron. While other ships blocked a port, Undaunted patrolled the coast. She destroyed several vessels and captured two privateers in May and June 1815.
Later Years and Final Fate
Undaunted finally returned to Britain and was taken out of service in October 1815. She remained "in ordinary" (meaning she was stored but not actively used) until August 1827. She was then put back into service under Captain Sir Augustus William James Clifford.
She was used to escort important people, including the Duke of Clarence (who later became King William IV). In 1828, Undaunted sailed to India, carrying Lord William Bentinck who was going to be the Governor-General. She returned to Britain in November 1830 and was taken out of service again.
In November 1831, Captain Edward Harvey recommissioned her. Undaunted served in places like the Cape of Good Hope and the East Indies. During this time, Captain Harvey commanded a group of ships when there was an uprising on the island of Île de France.
The ship eventually returned to the UK. On February 1, 1834, Undaunted ran aground (got stuck) off Selsey Bill. She was taken out of service later that year.
Undaunted was stored at Portsmouth. In November 1859, she was used as a target ship for testing new types of cannon shells. These shells were designed to set ships on fire. They worked so well that Undaunted caught fire and couldn't be saved. She was then sunk with regular cannonballs. The grand old ship was finally broken up in 1860.
