French gun-vessel Torride (1795)
| History | |
|---|---|
 United Kingdom
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| Name: | Sally |
| Captured: | 1797 |
 France
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| Name: | Torride |
| Acquired: | 1797 By capture |
| Captured: | 25 August 1798 |
 United Kingdom
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| Name: | Torride |
| Acquired: | 1798 by capture |
| Fate: | Last listed 1802 |
| General characteristics | |
| Sail plan: | possibly ketch at capture; brig in British service |
| Complement: |
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| Armament: |
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The French gun-vessel Torride was the cutter Sally of unknown origin. The French Navy named her Torride around end-1797 and brought her into Toulon, where they refitted her as a gun-vessel. The Royal Navy captured her in 1798 at Abukir and took her into service as HMS Torride. She served at the siege of Acre in 1799, where the French recaptured her on 25 August for a few hours before the British recaptured her. She served in the Mediterranean and was last listed in 1802.
She was listed on 18 August 1798 as being stationed near Lake "Madieh" to protect the lines of communication between Rosetta and Abukir.
On 25 August 1798 boats from HMS Goliath cut Torride out from under the guns of castle of Berquier (Abu Kir) in a hard-fought action lasting 15 minutes. Torride had a crew of 70 men under the command of lieutenant de vaisseau Martin Bedat (or Bedar), and was armed with three 18-pounder guns and four swivel guns. Despite fire from the castle, the British suffered only two men wounded, including Lieutenant William Debusk, who led the attack; the French suffered four men killed, and ten wounded, including Bedat. Captain Thomas Foley of Goliath sent Bedat ashore under a flag of truce. Several French prisoners escaped by jumping overboard and swimming ashore.
French Adjutant-general Escale, in a letter to General Kléber, states that if one didn’t know the facts of Torride's capture one would have thought that treason had to have been involved. She had no watch, no guards, the crew was asleep, and the wicks from which the guns could be lit were not lighted. The crew was able to fire only three gun shots before the British boarding party was already on board. Her captain redeemed himself by fighting bravely, sustaining eight wounds. In a letter dated 4 September, Napoleon wrote to General Menou that he was not surprised at what had happened with Torride. Recent developments (i.e., the Battle of the Nile), had eroded navy morale, and it had been stupid to have left her in such an exposed position. In a letter dated 11 January 1799 Napoleon wrote to Contre-Amiral Ganteaume that he should have the aviso Torride and a second aviso carry into Lake Bourlos the artillery for three batteries: two Gomer mortars of "12 pouces", four Gomer mortars of "8 pouces", four 24-pounder guns, two grills for heating shot, 150 cartridges per mortar, and 200 cartridges per gun. Apparently it had slipped Napoleon’s mind that Torride was now serving the Royal Navy.
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Wikipedia