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HMSAigle(1801)Wikipedia,thefreeencyclopedia

HMSAigle(1801)
FromWikipedia,thefreeencyclopedia

HMSAiglewasa36gun,fifthratefrigateoftheRoyal
Navy.Orderedon15September1799andbuiltatBucklers
Hardshipyard,shewaslaunched23September1801.More
thanfiftyofhercrewwereinvolvedintheEastonMassacre
whenshevisitedPortlandinApril1803topressrecruits.
Muchofhercareerasafrigatewasspentinhomewaters
whereshefoughttheBattleofBasqueRoadsin1809
initiallyprovidingsupporttothecrewsofthefireships,then
forcingthesurrenderofthestrandedFrenchships,Varsovie
andAquilon.LaterthatyearsheleftTheDownstotakepart
intheWalcherenCampaignwhereshecarriedoutatwoday
longbombardmentofFlushing,leadingtoitscapitulationon
15August.
InOctober1811,AiglewassenttotheMediterraneanwhere
sheandhercrewraidedtheislandofElbabeforebeing
askedtoprovidenavalsupportduringtheinvasionand
occupationofGenoa.RefittedinJanuary1820,hersquare
sternwasreplacedwithacircularone,givingherawider
angleoffireandimprovedprotectionattherear.Converted
toacorvettein1831,shereturnedtotheMediterranean
underLordPaget.From1852,shebecameacoalhulk,then
areceivingshipbeforebeingusedasatargetfortorpedoes
andbrokenupin1870.

Contents
1 Constructionandarmament
2 Service
2.1 ActionoffGroix
2.2 BattleofBasqueRoads
2.3 WalcherenCampaign
2.4 Mediterraneanservice
3 Fate
4 Notes,citations,andreferences
4.1 Notes
4.2 Citations
4.3 References

History
UnitedKingdom
Name:

HMSAigle

Ordered:

15September1798

Builder:

BalthazarandEdwardAdams

Cost:

14,335

Launched:

23September1801

Commissioned: December1802

Generalcharacteristics[1]
Classandtype: Aigleclassfifthratefrigate
Tonsburthen: 970 8494(bm)
Length:

Beam:

146ft2in(44.6m)
(gundeck)
122ft1in(37.2m)(keel)
38ft8in(11.8m)

Depthofhold: 13ft0in(4.0m)
Propulsion:

Sails

Sailplan:

FullyRiggedShip

Complement:

264

Armament:

Gundeck:2618pounder
guns
QD:49pounderguns+8
32poundercarronades
Fc:29pounderguns+2
32poundercarronades

Constructionandarmament
Aiglewasthefirstoftwo,ofafrigateclassdesignedbySirJohnHenslow[1]BuiltundercontractbyBalthazar
Adams,shewasorderedon15September1798andherkeelwaslaiddowninNovemberatBucklersHard
shipyardinHampshire.Launchedon23September1801,herdimensionswere:146feet2inches(44.6m)
alongthegundeck,122feet1inch(37.2m)atthekeel,withabeamof38feet8inches(11.8m)andadepthin
theholdof13feet0inches(4.0m).Thismadeher9708494tons(bm).[1]

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Althoughclassedasa36gunfifthrate,Aiglewasarmedwithamainbatteryoftwentysix18pounders
(8.2kg)onheruppergundeck,four9pounders(4.1kg)onthequarterdeckandtwoontheforecastle.She
additionallycarriedten32pounder(15kg)carronades,eightonthequarterdeckandtwoonthe
forecastle.[1][Note1]

Service
AiglewasfirstcommissionedfortheEnglishChannel,underGeorge
WolfeinDecember1802.[1]AlargepressgangfromAigle,ofmorethan
50marinesandsailors,ledbyWolfe,putashoreinPortlandon2April
1803.InwhatbecameknownlocallyastheEastonMassacre,ascuffle
brokeoutbetweentheinhabitantsandWolfe'sforces.[4]Several
civilianswereshotandfourwerekilled,[5]whilesixteenmembersofthe
pressgangreceivedinjuries.Ninewerewoundedsoseriouslytheyhad
tobedischarged.Wolfeandthreeofficersstoodtrialformurderbut
wereacquitted[6]andleftPortland,aboardAigle,on10Aprilto
continuetheirpatrolinhomewaters.TakingaFrenchfrigate,Franchise
on28May,[7]Aiglewentontocapturesixmerchantvesselsoverthe
courseofaweek.[8]AFrenchprivateer,Alerte,of14gunswastakenon
27September,offVigo.[9]

AplaqueinStGeorge'sChurch,
Portland,rememberingtwo
quarrymen,ablacksmithandayoung
ladywhodiedduringtheEaston
Massacre

NotfarfromtheCordouanLighthouse,on12July1804,Aigle
encounteredtwoFrenchvessels.[10]Theywerethe20gunCharenteandthe8gunJoieoutofRochefort[Note2]
andat17:00Aiglecaughtupwiththem.[11]TheFrenchshipsshortenedsailandlookedasiftheywereaboutto
dobattlebutafterdischargingtheirguns,bothranaground.ManyoftheFrenchsailorsweredrownedwhenthe
boatstheywereattemptingtoescapeinwereengulfedbythelargewaves.Theheavyswellpreventedthe
BritishfromrefloatingthestrandedshipssoWolfeorderedthemdestroyed.[12][13]
BoatsfromAigleweresentaftersomesmallcraft,seenintheearlyhoursof27November1804intheBayof
Gibraltar.Onhearingsomesmallarmsfire,CaptainThomasDundasinNaiadsetoffinthedirectionofthe
noiseanddiscoveredaflotillaofSpanishgunboatsofwhichhemanagedtocapturetwo.Theboatsandcrewof
Aiglewererecoveredwithoutlossoflife.[14][15]
TemporarycommandwasgiventoHenrySturtinFebruary1805[1]butWolfewasbackinchargeon21August
1805,whenAiglediscoveredasmallBritishsquadronunderCaptainJohnTremayneRoddcomprisingthe
frigatesIndefatigableandNiobeandthreesmallervessels.[16]RoddhadbeenshadowingtheFrenchfleetat
BrestunderViceadmiralGanteaume,whichhadsinceleftandwasnowatanchorbetweenCamaretand
Bertheaume.Shortlyafterherarrival,AiglewasdispatchedtoupdateAdmiralCornwallisofthis
development.[17]
NineSpanishgunboatsattackedAigleinVigoBayon28September1805.Foranhourshehadtoenduretheir
firebeforethewindgotupandthepreviouslybecalmedAiglewasabletolaunchacounteroffensivecapturing
onegunboatanddrivingtheothersaway.[18]TwoChassemaresweretakenbythecrewofAigle,inacutting
outexpeditionon15October1807[19]andwhilecruisingwithPallasandGibraltarinDecember,sheassisted
withthecaptureofaSpanishschooner,BuenoVista.AfewdayslaterthesamethreeshipstookaFrench
Luggerandhadmoresuccessinthefirstquarterofthefollowingyear,whenfourmoreChassemareswere
seized[20]andaformerBritishbrig,Margaretwasrecaptured.[21]

ActionoffGroix

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Aiglewasinactionagainon22March1808againsttwolargefrigatesItalienneof40gunsandthe38gun
Sirene.AsquadroncomprisingAigle,the32gunfrigateNarcissus,thetwoseventyfoursImptueuxand
Saturn,andtwoorthreesmallervesselswereanchoredbetweentheGlnanislands,whilstbeingresuppliedby
atransportconvoy.[22]At15:45,twoFrenchfrigatestothesoutheastweresimultaneouslyseenfromAigle's
mastheadandbytheBritishschoonerCuckoo,whichwasstationedmidwaybetweenthesquadronandthe
islandofGroix.Aigleimmediatelygavechase,andcomingwithinhailingdistanceat19:30,Wolfedirected
CuckootorelaytoImptueuxandNarcissus,nowfollowingtwomilesbehind,hisintentiontocutoffthe
FrenchshipsbysailingbetweenGroixandthemainland.[22]
Anhourlater,havingenduredthefireofthegunsonbothshores,Aiglewasinapositiontoattacktherearmost
frigateofthepairastheyemergedfromthewesternsideoftheisland.ThisfrigatesoughttheshelterofGroix'
batteriessoAiglesetoffinpursuitoftheotherwhichwasnowmakingforLorient.Asitwasnowdark,Aigle
displayedabluelighttoindicateherpositiontotheclosingImptueux,andat21:00,comingwithin50yards,
exchangedfirewiththeFrenchman.Topreventaboarding,whichWolfewasdeterminedupon,thefrigatecame
aboutand,shortlyaftertheBritishhadbrokenofftheirattackforlackofsearoom,ranagroundonthePointe
deChatsontheeasternedgeofGroix.[23]
Saturn,NarcissusandCuckoojoinedAigleandImptueuxduringthenightandthefollowingmorningatdawn,
thefiveBritishreturnedtotheislandbutnofurtherattemptwasmadeoneitheroftheFrenchfrigates.Sixdays
laterthestrandedshipwasrefloatedandbothvesselsarrivedsafelyinLorient.[24][Note3]
Earlyin1809,Aiglewasbackchasingmerchantmen,securingfiveinJanuaryandFebruary.[25][26]

BattleofBasqueRoads
AiglewaspartofthefleetunderAdmiralJamesGambierthatfoughtthe
BattleoftheBasqueRoadsinApril1809.[27]TheFrenchshipswere
anchoredundertheprotectionofthepowerfulbatteriesontheIsle
d'Aix[28]whenon11AprilLordCochraneledanattackingforceof
fireshipsandexplosivevessels.[29]Justpriortotheattack,Aigletookup
apositionjustnortheastoftheBoyartShoalanchoredbehindHMS
Imperieuse[Note4]andaheadofUnicornandPallas.Itwasthejobof
thesefourfrigatestotakeonboardthereturningfireshipcrewsandgive
assistancetotheescortingboats,ifrequired.[29]Thefireshipshada
partialsuccesstheFrench,havinganticipatedsuchanattack,hadrigged
aboomacrossthechannel.[31]Oneoftheexplosivevesselshowever
breachedtheboom,leadingtheFrenchtocuttheircablesanddriftonto
theshoals.[32]

MapillustratingthepositionofAigle
offtheBoyartShoalshortlybefore
theBritishattackonthenightof11
April

Thefollowingday,aftermuchdelay,GambiertooktherestofhisfleetintotheBasqueRoads.TheBritishships
anchored,withsprings,inacrescentaroundthestrandedFrench,andexchangedfire.Aigletookupaposition,
secondinlinebehindUnicorn,andjustaheadofEmeraldandIndefatigable.Theseshipsdirectedtheirfire
mainlytowardstheFrenchshipsoftheline,VarsovieandAquilon,bothofwhichstruckataround17:30.[33]

WalcherenCampaign
Aiglewaspartofalargeexpeditionaryforceinthesummer1809.Comprisingmorethan600vesselsandnearly
40,000troops,itleftTheDownson28Julyintentdestroyingthedockyards,andarsenalsatAntwerp,Terneuse
andFlushing,andcapturingtheFrenchfleetstationedintheriverScheldt.[34]

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TroopswerelandedontheIslandofWalcherenat16:30on30July,
whilebombvesselsandgunboatsbeganabombardmentofVeere.The
townsurrenderedimmediatelybutittookseveraldaysoffighting,
beforethefortwascapturedon1August.[35]TheBritishthenmounted
anattackonFlushing,andtheislandofZuidBevelandwhichwastaken
unopposedthefortstherehavingalreadybeendeserted.[36]However,
theBritishneglectedCadzandonthesouthwestsideoftheScheldt,
wheremorethan5700Frenchtroopscrossedtherivertoreinforce
Flushing.[37]ThecapitulationofFortRammekensallowedtheBritishto
ThebombardmentofFlushing
besiegethetownon3August[35]andtopreventfurtheraidbeingsent,a
flotillaofgunboatswasdispatchedtothewesternarmoftheScheldt,to
cutitoffontheseawardside.TheBritishthenbeganlocatingandmarkingachannelforlargershipson6
August.[38]
Alargesquadronoftenfrigates,includingAigle,waseventuallyabletomakeitswayupthewesternpassage
on9August,enduringfirefrombatteriesonbothsidesoftheriverformorethantwohours.[39][Note5]Aigle,in
thecentre,hadhersternframeshatteredwhenashellfellthroughthedeckandexploded,killingamarineand
woundingfourothermembersofthecrew.Shewastheonlyshiptosufferanydamageandhercasualties
amountedtoalmosthalfthetotaloftwokilledandninewounded.[39]

Sicktroopsbeingevacuatedfrom
Walcherenon30August1809

AtwodaylongbombardmentofFlushingforceditscapitulationon15
August.Ratifiedthefollowingday,itlefttheBritishincontrolof
Walcherenwhichtheygarrisonedwith10,000troops.[40]Schouwenand
DuivelandontheEasternbranchoftheScheldt,wereoccupied
peacefullyon17August.[41]TheFrenchfleethadalreadywithdrawnto
Antwerphowever,havingbeeninformedon29JulywhentheBritish
werestillatsea.[42]BetweentheBritishandtheirobjectivewerenow
morethan35,000Frenchsoldiers,garrisonedinheavilyarmedfortsat
Lillo,Liefkenshoech,andAntwerp.[41]Thedeliberatedestructionof
dykesbytheFrenchhadledtowidespreadflooding,andwithdisease
spreadingthroughtheBritisharmy,itwasdecidedtoabandonthe
expeditioninearlySeptember.[43]

Aftera13hourchaseacrosstheAtlanticon12September1810,AiglecapturedaFrenchprivateerfrom
Bordeaux.Phoenix,armedwitheighteen18poundercarronadesandcarryingawelltrainedcrewof129,had
beensuccessfullypreyingonBritishandAmericanshipping.[44]

Mediterraneanservice
SirJohnLouiswasappointedcaptaininOctober1811andtookAigletotheMediterranean.[1]Aigleand
CuracoausedboatstolandmarinesandseamenneartheharbourofCampodelPorto,Elba,on20June
1813.[45]Whenthebatteriesprotectingthetownwereoverrunandthetroopsthererouted,theFrenchscuttled
threeoftheirownshipstopreventthemfrombecomingprizes.[45][46]Thefollowingmorning,havingreturned
totheboats,themarinescapturedasmallconvoyofthreesetteesanddrovethebrigprotectingtheminto
Portoferraio.TwolargefeluccasweretakenfromthetownofMescaintheGulfofSpezia,onthe28June.
Preventedbythewindfromusingtheships,theBritishoncemoretooktoboatsbutonlysucceededindriving
theirquarryinshore.LaterthateveningthewindchangeddirectionandAigleandCuracoawereableto
bombardthetownwhilemarinestookthefeluccasfromthebeach.[46]

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FourmerchantvesselssurrenderedtoPembroke,AlcmeneandAigleon11April1814,[47]thenwhenaSicilian
armyunderLordWilliamBentinckinvadedandoccupiedGenoaeightdayslater,Aigleprovidednavalsupport
aspartofafleetunderViceAdmiralEdwardPellew.[48][49]
Reratedasa42gunfrigateinFebruary1817,AigleunderwentrepairsandalterationsatWoolwichfromMarch
1817.[50]InaccordancewithRobertSeppings'designs,inJanuary1820,Aiglehadhersquaretransomremoved
andacircularsternfitted.Thisgaveherimprovedprotectionintherearandallowedabetterfieldoffire.[51][52]
Shewassubsequentlylaidupthenrepairedandcutdowntoa24guncorvettebetweenMarchandJuly1831.
RecommissionedinAugust1841underLordClarencePaget,shewassenttotheMediterranean.[50]

Fate
AiglereturnedtoWoolwichinOctober1852whereshewasconvertedtoacoalhulkandreceivingship.She
movedtoSheernessinSeptember1869andinthefollowingAugust,shebecameatargetfortorpedoesbefore
beingsoldandbrokenupinNovember1870.[50]

Notes,citations,andreferences
Notes
1.Thegunratingofavesselwasthenumberoflonggunsitwasdesignedtocarryanddidnotalwaysmatchitsactual
armament.Before1817,carronadeswerenotcountedatallunlesstheyweredirectreplacementsforlongguns.[2][3]
2.Charente,underthecommandofLieutenantJosephSamson,carried20long6pounders,fourswivels,andhadacrew
of104men.JoiewascommandedbyLieutenantBenjaminGadobertandwasrecordedascarryingeight12pounders.
NavalhistorianWilliamJamesthoughtthisanerror,andsuggestedthatJoie'sgunsmusteitherhavebeen8pounders
orcarronades.[10]
3.HistorydoesnotrecordwhichFrenchfrigatewasItalienneandwhichwasSirnebutJamespostulatesthatasthe
latteronlywenttoseaafterasarmeenfluteorstoreship,itseemslikelyitwasthestrandedvessel.[24]
4.Imperieusewasa38gunfifthrate,previouslytheSpanishshipMedea.Shewascapturedin1804andtakeninto
serviceasIphigeniabutrenamedImperieusein1805,placedonharbourservicein1818,andsoldin1838.[30]
5.Theothershipsinthissquadronwerethe40gunLavinia,the32gunHeroine,the36gunAmethyst,the38gun
Rota,NymphenandEuryalus,bothof36guns,the38gunStatira,the36gunDryad,andthe38gunPerlen.They
sailedupriverinthatorderwithAiglebetweenNymphenandEuryalus.[39]

Citations
1.Winfieldp.156
2.Daviesp.24
3.Irelandp.42
4.Adkinspp.109110
5.Adkinsp.110
6.Adkinsp.110
7.TheLondonGazette:no.15706.p.680(https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/15706/page/680).29May1804.
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1803.Retrieved26June2016.
10.James(Vol.III)p.270
11.James(Vol.III)pp.270271
12.James(Vol.III)p.271
13.TheLondonGazette:no.15725.p.937(https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/15725/page/937).4August1804.
Retrieved2August2016.
14.Heathcotep.59
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15.TheLondonGazette:no.15761.p.1489(https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/15761/page/1489).8December
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16.James(Vol.III)pp.302303
17.James(Vol.III)p.303
18.TheLondonGazette:no.15862.p.1412(https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/15862/page/1412).12November
1805.Retrieved7September2016.
19.TheLondonGazette:no.16077.p.1379(https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/16077/page/1379).17October
1807.Retrieved9September2016.
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Retrieved9September2016.
21.TheLondonGazette:no.16078.p.1402(https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/16078/page/1402).20October
1807.Retrieved9September2016.
22.James(Vol.V)p.26
23.James(Vol.V)pp.2627
24.James(Vol.V)p.27
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Retrieved24July2016.
28.James(Vol.V)pp.103104
29.James(Vol.V)p.105
30.Winfieldp.182
31.James(Vol.V)p.104
32.James(Vol.V)pp.108109
33.James(Vol.V)p.114.
34.James(Vol.V)pp.131132
35.James(Vol.V)p.133
36.James(Vol.V)pp.133134
37.James(Vol.V)pp.134135
38.James(Vol.V)pp.135136
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51.James(Vol.VI)Appendixp.21
52."SirRobertSeppings".HMSUnicorn.RoyalNavyMuseum.2014.Retrieved7August2016.

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Categories: FifthratefrigatesoftheRoyalNavy 1801ships
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