HMS Sappho (1806)
HMS Sappho capturing the Danish brig Admiral Jawl
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| History | |
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 UK
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| Name: | HMS Sappho |
| Namesake: | Sappho - Greek poet |
| Ordered: | 27 January 1806 |
| Builder: | Jabez Bailey, Ipswich |
| Laid down: | April 1806 |
| Launched: | 15 December 1806 |
| Honours and awards: |
Naval General Service Medal with clasp "Sappho 2 March 1808" |
| Fate: | Broken up 1830 |
| General characteristics | |
| Type: | Cruizer class brig-sloop |
| Tonnage: | 383 64⁄94 (bm) |
| Length: |
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| Beam: | 30 ft 6 in (9.3 m) |
| Depth of hold: | 12 ft 9 in (3.9 m) |
| Propulsion: | Sails |
| Sail plan: | Brig |
| Complement: | 121 |
| Armament: |
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HMS Sappho was a Cruizer class brig-sloop built by Jabez Bailey at Ipswich and launched in 1806. She defeated the Danish brig Admiral Yawl in a single-ship action during the Gunboat War, and then had a notably successful two months of prize-taking in the first year of the War of 1812. She was wrecked in 1825 off the Canadian coast and then broken up in 1830.
Sappho was commissioned in February 1807 under Commander George Langford. On 7 September she was present at the Battle of Copenhagen.
On 8 January 1808 Sappho and the Revenue Service brig Royal George, Captain Curry, chased a lugger that surrendered to Royal George. The lugger was Eglée, M. Olivier, of 16 guns (3 and 4-pounders), with a crew of 56 men. She was nine days out of Dunkirk and had taken one prize, Gabriel out of Yarmouth, which she had attempted to scuttle after taking the master and crew on board. Ringdove, one of Sappho's sister ships, found Gabriel, but she was sinking fast and could not be saved. The frigate Ariadne also joined the chase and latter shared in the prize money. The same four British vessels shared in the capture of the privateer Trente et Quarante, of 16 guns and 62 men, though the actual captor was Ringdove. Trente et Quarante was a lugger letter of marque, carrying sixteen guns, 6 and 9 pounders, of which 14 were mounted. Her complement was 66 men, of whom 65 were on board, under the command of M. Fanqueux. She was only three months old, was 16 days out of Dunkirk, and had made no captures. Captain Farquar of Ariadne wrote the letters reporting the capture of Eglé and Trente et Quarante, and recommended that the Admiralty purchase the latter.
Sappho was cruising in the North Sea and on the morning of 2 March she was sailing east off Scarborough, when she discovered an armed brig that was steering a course as if intending to cut off several merchant vessels to leeward.Sappho gave chase and at about 1330 hours fired a shot over the brig, which was flying British colours. The brig then fired a broadside at Sappho and exchanged Danish colours for the British colours she been flying to evade scrutiny. Langford immediately bore down and brought what turned out to be Admiral Yawl (or Admiral Juul, or Admiral Yorol) to close action. The engagement lasted about half an hour before Admiral Yawl struck her colours. In the exchange of fire, Sappho had one men wounded and one man injured. Admiral Yawl had two dead: her second officer and a seaman. As a result of the action Langford received promotion to Post-captain, and in 1847 all then surviving officers and crew were qualified to receive the Naval General Service Medal with the clasp "Sappho 2 March 1808".
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