• Source: HMS Tobago (1805)

HMS Tobago was a schooner of unknown origin that the British Royal Navy purchased in 1805. In 1806 a French privateer captured her. The Royal Navy recaptured her in 1809 and took her into service as HMS Vengeur before selling her later that year.




Career


Lieutenant Donald Campbell was appointed 20 February 1805 to command the schooner that the Royal Navy had purchased and named Tobago. Campbell participated in a successful attack made in company with Curieux on two merchantmen, lying for protection under the batteries at Barcelona, on the coast of Caraccas. Campbell left Tobago in July.
Lieutenant John Salomon (acting) assumed command of Tobago towards the close of 1805. He had commanded the prison ship Amboyna. Tobago then spent some months sailing between Grenada, Barbados, and Guadeloupe exchanging prisoners of war.
On 6 August Tobago was in company with Jason, Hart, and the schooner Maria when they captured Hercules.




= Capture

=
Before dawn on 18 October 1806 Tobago left Dominica where she had been replenishing her water supplies. Soon after, Salmon sighted a brig, joined by a schooner and a sloop, that all made towards Tobago. Tobago prepared for action, while attempting to steer away from the probably hostile squadron. The enemy closed by 8:30, with the schooner and sloop exchanging fire with Tobago. The French attempted to board, but Tobago repulsed the attempt. She was not able to escape though, and the French schooner was able to get her jib-boom over Tobago's taffrail and rake her with small arms fire. Salmon received a shot in the head and his men took him below decks. Sub-Lieutenant Nichols Gould assumed command and continued the fight for another half-hour but then, with Tobago having lost one man killed and 15 wounded (including Salmon), was forced to strike. Her captor was the French privateer General Ernouf, of 16 guns. Général Ernouf (1805 - 1808), was a Danish 16-gun brig, originally under the command of the notable French privateer captain Alexis Grassin. Tabago sold for 15,300 francs at Guadeloupe.
On 24 June 1807 Salmon received promotion to the rank of Lieutenant after his release and repatriation.




= Recapture

=
On 24 January 1809 Beagle was in the English Channel when she captured Vengeur, of 16 guns and 48 men. Vengeur was in company with Grand Napoleon, which escaped. Vengeur herself did not surrender until Beagle came alongside, though her captain, M. Bourgnie, was wounded. Vengeur had made no captures. Vengeur was the former Tobago.




Disposal


The Royal Navy took Vengeur into service as HMS Vengeur, but sold her within the year.




Notes






Citations






References


Demerliac, Alain (2003). La Marine du Consulat et du Premier Empire: Nomenclature des Navires Français de 1800 à 1815 (in French). Éditions Ancre. ISBN 9782903179304. OCLC 492784876.
Hepper, David J. (1994). British Warship Losses in the Age of Sail, 1650-1859. Rotherfield: Jean Boudriot. ISBN 0-948864-30-3.
La Nicollière-Teijeiro, Stéphane (1896). La Course et les Corsaires de Nantes (in French). H. Champion (Paris), Ve Vier (Nantes).
Marshall, John (1828). "Campbell, Donald" . Royal Naval Biography. Vol. sup, part 2. London: Longman and company. p. 402.
O'Byrne, William R. (1849). "Salmon, John" . A Naval Biographical Dictionary. London: John Murray. p. 1022.
Ralfe, James (1820). The naval chronology of Great Britain; or, An historical account of naval and maritime events from the commencement of the war in 1803 to the end of the year 1816. Whitmore and Fenn.
Winfield, Rif (2008). British Warships in the Age of Sail 1793–1817: Design, Construction, Careers and Fates. Seaforth Publishing. ISBN 978-1-86176-246-7.

Kata Kunci Pencarian:

• HMS Tobago (1805)
• HMS Tobago
• HMS Hart (1805)
• HMS Maria (1805)
• Donald Campbell (Royal Navy officer)
• Général Ernouf
• Diamond Rock
• George Tobin (Royal Navy officer)
• Scarborough (1782 ship)
• HMS Calcutta (1795)