HMS Crescent (1784)

HMS ''Crescent'' was a 36-gun ''Flora''-class frigate of the British Royal Navy. Launched in 1784, she spent the first years of her service on blockade duty in the English Channel where she single-handedly captured the French frigate, ''La Reunion''. In 1795, ''Crescent'' was part of a squadron commanded by George Elphinstone, that forced the surrender of a Batavian Navy squadron at the capitulation of Saldanha Bay. After serving in the West Indies, ''Crescent'' returned to home waters and was wrecked off the coast of Jutland on 6 December 1808.

Background

Britain's early preference for smaller warships was mainly because of a requirement to maintain a large navy and to keep the expense of doing so down. However, by the latter half of the 1770s, Britain was facing a war with France, Spain and the United States of America, and was in need of a more powerful type of frigate. In 1778, the Navy Board ordered the first of two new types of frigate, the ''Minerva''-class of 38 guns, and the ''Flora''-class of 36 guns. For both 18-pounder guns comprised the main battery. ''Crescent'' was ordered on 11 August 1781 and was to be of the 36-gun variety.

Construction

Built by John Nowlan and Thomas Calhoun of Bursledon, Hampshire, ''Crescent'' was along her gun deck, had a beam and a depth in the hold of . This gave her a burthen of 887 tons ( bm). Launched on 28 October 1784, she was completed in January the following year, including copper sheathing of the hull, and was taken to Portsmouth where she was laid up in ordinary and not fitted for sea until 6 June 1790. ''Crescent'' was armed with a 26-gun main battery of 18-pounders on her gun deck, eight 9-pound guns and four 18-pound carronades on her quarterdeck, and two 9-pound guns and four 18-pound carronades on her fo'c'sle.

Career

Initially commissioned under Captain William Young in May 1790, she was recommissioned in January 1793 under James Saumarez. She joined Rear-Admiral John MacBride's squadron on blockade duty in the English Channel and on 22 June, assisted by HMS ''Hind'' and a privateer named ''Lively'', captured the 10-gun French privateer, ''le Chib de Cherbourg''. Later that month, ''Hind'' and ''Crescent'' also took a 12-gun privateer called ''L'Espoir''. ''Crescent'' narrowly avoided capture when on 8 June 1793 she evaded the 50-gun French ships, ''Le Scévola'' and ''Le Brutus''.

Action of 20 October 1793

On the morning of 20 October 1793, lookouts on board ''Crescent'' reported sails off Cape Barfleur, on the Cotentin Peninsula, heading towards Cherbourg. Saumarez set a course to intercept, and with the wind in his favour, soon came up on the port side of the two vessels which proved to be the 38-gun French frigate ''La Réunion'' and a 14-gun cutter named ''Espérance'', returning from a raiding cruise in the Channel under the command of Captain François A. Dénian.James (p.104)Clowes (p.479)

A second British frigate, the 28-gun HMS ''Circe'', was becalmed some away and ''Espérance'' fled towards Cherbourg, leaving ''Réunion'' and ''Crescent'' to engage alone. Although the French ship was bigger, compared to , and carried a larger crew; the British ship had a slight advantage in weight of shot, to and was marginally faster.Clowes (p.479)

After the opening exchanges, ''Réunion'' lost her fore yard and mizzen topmast while ''Crescent'' lost the top off her foremast. Both ships had rigging cut and a number of sails damaged, but ''Crescent'' was still able to manoeuvre across ''Réunion's'' stern and rake her. This raking caused huge damage to the French ship and her crew, and although ''Réunion'' continued to resist for some time, she was no longer able to move effectively.
With Saumarez about to cross his bow and ''Circe'' now rapidly approaching due to a strengthening wind, Dénian realised he had no choice but to surrender his vessel.James (p.105) The engagement had lasted two hours and ten minutes, during which time the cutter, ''Espérance'', managed to escape to Cherbourg. The French frigate ''Sémillante'', which had been anchored in the harbour, was unable to come to ''Réunion's'' rescue because of contrary wind and tides.

Capitulation of Saldanha Bay

In 1795, ''Crescent'' was commanded by Edward Buller and on 7 March 1796 she made for the Cape of Good Hope. As part of a squadron commanded by George Elphinstone, she was present at Saldanha Bay where a squadron of the new Batavian Republic capitulated.Rodger (p.436) The Cape had long been important to Britain's marine traffic, providing a convenient stopping point en route to India. In the previous year, fearing that it may fall into the hands of the French, Britain had captured the colony from the Dutch. The following year (1796) the Dutch sent a squadron under the command of Rear-Admiral Engelbertus Lucas to recapture the Cape. Keith's ships trapped the Dutch in Saldanha Bay on 17 August and Lucas was forced to surrender without a fight.

''Crescent'' remained stationed at the Cape and in 1797 she was under the command of Captain John Murray. Murray was superseded by Captain John Spranger in February 1798, then Charles Brisbane in June that same year.

West Indies

''Crescent'' was repaired and refitted at Deptford in August 1798, re-commissioned under William Lobb in April 1799 and sent to the West Indies. In November, while en route, she captured the 16-gun ''El Galgo''. Then while serving on the Jamaica station, in July 1800 ''Crescent'' took the 12-gun , which the Royal Navy took into service as a 14-gun transport under her existing name.

Between 21 May and 8 August, ''Crescent'', , and ''Nimrod'' captured two Spanish vessels: a felucca that was sailing from Havana to Veracruz, and a xebec sailing from Campeche to Havana.

Captain Lennox Thompson took command of ''Crescent'' in July 1802 and in June the following year, ''Crescent'' was recommissioned under Lord William Stuart.

Return to home waters

''Crescent'' returned to home waters in February 1806, under Captain James Carthew. She served in the North Sea before undergoing repairs between June and October 1808. Recommissioned under George Reynolds in April 1808 she remained in home waters and passed to Captain John Temple, who was in command when ''Crescent'' was wrecked off the coast of Jutland on 6 December. More than 200 people died as a result, including Temple himself.

Citations

References

*
*
*
*
*Potgieter, Thean; Grundlingh, Albert (2007). "Admiral Elphinstone and the Conquest and Defence of the Cape of Good Hope, 1795–96". Scientia Militaria: South African Journal of Military Studies, Vol 35, No. 2.
*

External links

*

{{DEFAULTSORT:Crescent
1784 ships
Maritime incidents in 1808
Frigates of the Royal Navy
Shipwrecks of Denmark
Shipwrecks in the North Sea