(Stolen from Wes Aston) Im posting this as a followup to the Battle of Trafalgar, because it has our beloved little Villeneuve in it. What a delightful fellow, I really should read up on this guy. The Ship that was actually a Rock. ---------------------------------------------- The Year was 1804 - just before the battle of Trafalgar - and on the month of January the Royal Navy took possession of a 180 meter high rock which laid just 1.6 kilometers from Martinique which at that time was the very center of French control in the Caribbean. The Royal Navy strangely then declared the very small and steep barren rock a Warship of His Majesties Navy. This Rock was extremely dangerous and nearly impossible to land on as it only had one possible landing spot and that was considered extremely risky to attempt due to heavy swells and narrow sharp rocky ledges which could easily tear a ship apart. There was no water source or any supply of food upon this Rocky Islet. Unless you count the local poisonous snakes. Commodore Samuel Hood aboard his flagship HMS Centaur sent his first Lieutenant James Maurice ashore with a working party equipped with ropes and tools along with several weeks worth of provisions. Maurice being an amateur mountaineer made up the sheer rock face and established a base of operations in some caves that he had found. After some time the working party managed to make use of the rock (which was now called Diamond Rock) in such a manner that it now comprised of 5 cannons which had been ingeniously transferred to the Rock through a combination of pulleys and a sling system together with backbreaking hard work. These guns were, Two 24 pounders at almost sea level, One 24 pounder halfway up and Two 18 pounders at the very top. I kid you not. They installed cannon into this rock. In the heart of French held waters. Then they sent provision and water ashore for 120 men and Lieutenant Maurice was installed ashore as Commander. He then proudly read out his Commission in front of the assembled Sailors and Marines. A Pennant which was usually a long tapering or triangular flag used on ship was then ran up and Diamond Rock officially became rated as a Sloop of War and was aptly named HMS Diamond Rock. The new Ship* with its 64 kilometer visibility was then used to gather intelligence on passing French Ships as they approached the Capitol of Martinique - Port Royal, Often firing at them as they passed by. A whole year and a half passed by of this action until they managed to annoy French Admiral Villeneuve while on his way to his destiny at The Battle of Trafalgar, so much so that he threw his whole Battle Fleet at the Rock. A combined French and Spanish Fleet of 2 ships of the line, 1 frigate, 1 corvette, 1 schooner & 11 gunboats. On the 2nd June 1805 Captain James Maurice was forced into surrendering the Rock after holding out for many days of heavy fire, but not before they had sunk no less than 5 French Gunboats. The Court of Enquiry established that Captain Maurice performed to the very last in defense of his Ship and only eventually surrendered not through French attack but in fact when a tremor caused the water cistern to crack which was the only source of water to the men. They bravely fought on for several more days under heavy fire until they could no longer hold their own due to the loss of their Water supply. This court was held aboard HMS Circe on 24th June and very quickly deliberated a verdict that Maurice and his Officers had done everything in their power to the very last in defense of the Rock against a most superior force. Sources for info: Stockwins Maritime Miscellany-Julian Stockwin en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Diamond_Rock
Posted on: Wed, 22 Oct 2014 15:27:11 +0000
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