HMS Snapper (1805)

HMS ''Snapper'' was a Royal Navy of four 12-pounder carronades and a crew of 20. The prime contractor for the vessel was Goodrich & Co., in Bermuda, and she was launched in 1804. She cruised for some seven years, sharing in several captures of merchant vessels and taking some herself, before a French privateer captured her.

Service

In May 1804 she was commissioned under Lieutenant George Honey at Jamaica, and then on the Halifax station. In October 1806 she sailed in the Channel under Lieutenant William B. Champion. Then in May 1807 he sailed her to the Mediterranean.

On 13 April 1808 Sub-Lieutenant James Young underwent a court martial aboard ''Salvador del Mundo'' at Plymouth. One charge was conduct unbecoming an officer. Apparently he had smoked in the galley with the crew and "permitted liberties derogatory to the character of an officer". A second charge was that he had been absent without leave during a gale and had returned to the vessel intoxicated. The court martial severely reprimanded him. On 11 October the two schooners ''Snapper'' and were in company when ''Nonpareil'' captured the merchant schooner ''Belle Coquette''.

In 1809 she was under Lieutenant William Jenkins. On 9 July ''Snapper'' was in company with the second rate , , , and when they captured ''Goede Hoop''. On 2 August the same squadron captured ''Carl Ludwig''. On 9 November ''Snapper'' was in sight of ''Dreadnought'', ''Gibraltar'', , , , , and the hired armed cutters ''Nimrod'' and ''Adrian'' when ''Snapper'' captured the French brig ''Modeste''.

''Snapper'' was also in company with ''Christian VII'', and when they captured the chasse maree ''Felicitée'' on 10 January 1810 and ''Glorieuse'' ten days later. On 16 February 1810 ''Snapper'' and were in company with when ''Valiant'' captured the chasse marees ''Heureux'' and ''Louisa''. Next, on 2 June was in sight of ''Valiant'' and the schooners ''Snapper'' and when ''Unicorn'' captured the chasse maree ''Marie Josef''.

On 7 September 1810 ''Snapper'' spotted a ship among the rocks on the west side of Ushant. She notified ''Dreadnought'', which attempted a cutting out expedition. The British succeeded in taking the Spanish merchant brig ''Maria-Antonia'', which had been taken by a French privateer. However, the success was bought at a cost of six dead, 31 wounded, and six missing, as well as two ship’s boats, as a result of an ambush by a large party of French troops with two field guns on a cliff overlooking the anchorage. Five days later, on 12 September, ''Snapper'' was in company with a squadron under the command of Rear Admiral Sir H.B. Neal when she captured the merchant vessel ''Sophie''. ''Sophie'' (or ''Sophia''), a galiot with a cargo of timber, reached Plymouth a few days later. The vessels sharing in the prize were , ''Valiant'', , , and the hired armed cutter ''Nimrod''. Then, on 28 September, ''Snapper'' captured ''Aventura'' and ''San Nichola''.

Fate

Lieutenant Henry Thrakston took command of ''Snapper'' in January 1811. On 14 July the French lugger ''Rapace'' captured her off Les Sables-d'Olonne. French records agree on the date and location, but give the captor as the lugger ''Angélique'', which was under the command of ''capitaine de frégate'' Guiné.''Fonds Marine'', 1805-1826, p. 459.

At daybreak Thrakston had sailed to intercept some French vessels that he thought were coasters but that turned out to be a lugger of seven guns, a brig of four guns, and four large pinnaces armed with swivel guns and manned by large numbers of men armed with small arms. A chase ensued with the vessels exchanging fire, until the wind failed and the French were able to approach using sweeps. Although ''Snapper'' had suffered no casualties, Thrakston surrendered as the pinnaces closed to board and after her rigging and sails were shot to pieces and she had lost her topmast.

Citations

References

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* Phillips, Michael
''Ships of the Old Navy'' - ''Snapper''
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Snapper (1805)
1805 ships
Ballahoo-class schooners
Captured ships
Ships built in Bermuda