Hired armed cutter Idas

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During the period of the Napoleonic Wars, two vessels have served the Royal Navy as the Hired armed cutter Idas. The name Idas comes from Idas, a figure from Greek mythology.

The first Idas

The first Idas was a cutter that served the Royal Navy from 10 November 1808 to 5 September 1812. She was armed with ten 6-pounder guns and had a burthen of 142 tons (bm).

In August-December 1809, idas participated in the ill-fated Walcharen Expedition. Idas was under the command of Lieutenant James Duncan. She helped cover the initial British landing and then carried dispatches from Rear-admiral Sir Richard Strachan back to England, arriving there on 6 August.[1] Idas spent much of the expedition carrying dispatches or Admiral Strachan from one location to another. Still, on 1 December, Idas was under the command of James Duncan and in company with the hired armed lugger Speculator, when they recaptured the Respect.[2]

On 16 March 1810, boats from Idas and the hired armed cutter King George brought out a French privateer schuyt, of four guns, from the Texel. They did so despite strong small arms fire from the shore.[3][4]

In January 1811, the galiot Gabriel, a prize to Idas. was driven on shore near Yarmouth.[5]

However, in November 1812, the Custom-house officers of Arundel seized Idas while she was at anchor in the Downs and took her into Little Hampton harbour for having carried on an illicit trade.[6]

Letters of marque

This Idas may have served as a privateer under a Letter of Marque both before and after her service with the Royal Navy.

  • On 24 December 1807, an Idas, cutter under the command of John May, of 141 tons burthen and fourteen 6-pounder guns, received a Letter of Marque.[7]
  • On 12 January 1814, an Idas, cutter under the command of Thomas Newton, of 141 tons burthen and sixteen 9 and 6-pounder guns, received a Letter of Marque.[7] On 25 February 1814, the Idas, privateer of Hastings, captured the Commodore Perry, which had been sailing from Philadelphia to Bordeaux. Idas brought her into the Downs on 2 March.[8]

The second Idas

Idas
History
Royal Navy EnsignUnited Kingdom
Name: Idas
Launched: 1808
Acquired: 21 April 1809 by contract
Captured: 4 June 1810
French Navy EnsignFrance
Name: Idas
Acquired: 4 June 1810 by capture
Fate: Disposed of ca. March 1815
General characteristics [9][10]
Displacement: 180 tons (French)
Tons burthen: 102 ​18⁄94 (bm)
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Beam: Lua error in Module:Convert at line 272: attempt to index local 'cat' (a nil value).
Armament: 12 x 9-pounder guns (French service)

The second Idas was a cutter of 10 guns and 102 ​18⁄94 tons burthen (bm) that served the Royal Navy from 21 April 1809 until she grounded and was captured on 4 June 1810.[10] The French Navy refloated her and took her into service. She served until ca. 1815.[9]

British service

Lieutenant William Wells is the first officer on record as having commanded Idas. Initially she participated in the Gunboat War. On 19 June 1809 she captured the Danish vessels Fortuna and Joannes.[11] On 4 July she captured the Gunild Cecilia and the Fortuna.[12] On 25 July she captured the privateer Haberbaden and then on 14 August the privateer Flora, of six guns and 30 men.[13] Flora was nine miles from the Skaw at the time. She had been six weeks out of Copenhagen and had taken only one prize, a Danish sloop, that Idas recaptured. Flora had recaptured the sloop after Alert had captured her.[14][Note 1]

Then on 14 August Idas recaptured the Danish ship Laurentius and Maria.[15] Next, on 6 September she captured the Margaretha Dorothea in company with the gun-brig Urgent.[16] Two weeks later, on 20 September, she captured the Margaretha and the Tra Broders.[12] On 7 October Idas captured the Danish sloops No. 59, Cecilia Maria, and Bonus.[15] On 7 November 1809, she captured the Danish sloop Four Sisters while in company with the hired armed cutter Hero.[Note 2] Two days later, on 9 November, Idas captured the Danish brig Resolution. A partial disbursement of the prize money Resolution amounted to £1400.[17][Note 3] Then at some point Idas captured the Haabet. [19]

On 4 June 1810, while under the command of Lieutenant J. Rayson, Idas grounded on the end of Ellebourge Sand at the entrance on the Scheldt where the French captured her.[20]

The schooner Porgey came to her rescue while under enemy fire, but also grounded and was burnt to avoid capture.[20] A party from Drake arrived with orders either to free Idas, or burn her if necessary to prevent the French from taking possession.[21] The officer commanding the party, Lieutenant Langley was not in uniform, and though he was two years Rayson's junior, Rayson mistook him for Drake's captain. Langley ordered Rayson to leave with his crew, which Rayson did, understanding that Langley would blow up Idas. Langley left with his men on the last boat, not having set fire to Idas but instead intending to return after he had delivered his men back to Drake. Langley was, however, unable to return due to the swiftness of the currents and fire from the shore. Consequently, the French were able to capture Idas. The court martial for the loss of the Idas reprimanded Langley for his actions.[21]

French service

The French refloated Idas on the next day an the French Navy commissioned her under her existing name. The French ceded her to the Netherlands at Antwerp in August 1814. She was declared unserviceable in March 1815.[9]

Notes, citations, and reference

Notes

  1. ↑ For Haberbaden and Flora, Wells received £44 9s 3½d in prize money; an ordinary seaman received £3 1s 6¾d.[13]
  2. ↑ In 1811 the Danes would badly damage Hero and sink Hired armed cutter Swan while the two were operating together near Uddevalla.
  3. ↑ For the Resolution, Margaretha Dorothea, and the Three Brothers (Tra Broder), Wells received £106 15s 2d, over £80 of which was for Resolution; for an ordinary seaman, the sum was £8 5s 4½d, more than £6 pounds of which was for Resolution.[16] A second disbursement for the Three Brothers yielded Wells £41 4s 10d; an ordinary seaman received 18s 3¾d. The announcement also mentioned that Childers had been in company and would share in the prize money.[18]

Citations

  1. ↑ Naval Chronicle, Vol. 22, p.140.
  2. ↑ The London Gazette: no. 16346. p. 307. 27 Feb 1810. Retrieved 5 Dec 2010.
  3. ↑ The London Gazette: no. 16353. p. 425. 20 March 1810.
  4. ↑ Naval Chronicle, (Vol 23, Jan-Jun 1810), p.431.
  5. ↑ Lloyd's List, no.4526, [1] - accessed 18 April 2015.
  6. ↑ Naval Chronicle, Vol. 28.
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 Letter of Marque, p.69.[2]
  8. ↑ Lloyd's List, no. 4850,[3] - accessed 18 April 2015.
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 Winfield and Roberts (2015), Chap. 8.
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 Winfield (2008), p.392.
  11. ↑ The London Gazette: no. 16507. p. 1412. 23 July 1811.
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 The London Gazette: no. 17113. p. 359. 24 February 1816.
  13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 The London Gazette: no. 17231. p. 665. 15 March 1817.
  14. ↑ The London Gazette: no. 16296. p. 1457. 9 September 1809.
  15. ↑ 15.0 15.1 The London Gazette: no. 16336. p. 125. 23 January 1810.
  16. ↑ 16.0 16.1 The London Gazette: no. 17121. pp. 560–561. 24 February 1816.
  17. ↑ The London Gazette: no. 16900. p. 1066. 21 May 1814.
  18. ↑ The London Gazette: no. 17470. p. 700. 20 April 1819.
  19. ↑ The London Gazette: no. 17206. p. 12. 4 January 1817.
  20. ↑ 20.0 20.1 Gossett (1986), p.75.
  21. ↑ 21.0 21.1 Hepper (1994), p.132.

References

  • Gossett, William Patrick (1986) The lost ships of the Royal Navy, 1793-1900. (London: Mansell).
  • Hepper, David J. (1994) British Warship Losses in the Age of Sail, 1650-1859. (Rotherfield: Jean Boudriot). ISBN 0-948864-30-3
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  • Winfield, Rif & Stephen S Roberts (2015 Forthcoming) French Warships in the Age of Sail 1786 - 1862: Design Construction, Careers and Fates. (Seaforth Publishing). ISBN 9781848322042
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