HMS Wolverine (1805)
| History | |
|---|---|
 United Kingdom
|
|
| Name: | HMS Wolverine |
| Ordered: | 7 November 1803 |
| Builder: | Thomas Owen, Topsham |
| Laid down: | February 1804 |
| Launched: | 1 March 1805 |
| Decommissioned: | Aug/Sept. 1815 |
| Honours and awards: |
Naval General Service Medal with clasp "Martinique" |
| Fate: | Sold 15 February 1816 |
| General characteristics | |
| Type: | Cruizer-class brig-sloop |
| Tonnage: | 387 bm |
| Length: |
|
| Beam: | 30 ft 8 in (9.3 m) |
| Depth of hold: | 12 ft 9 in (3.9 m) |
| Sail plan: | Brig rigged |
| Complement: | 121 |
| Armament: | 16 x 32-pounder carronades + 2 x 6-pounder bow guns |
HMS Wolverine (or Wolverene) was a Royal Navy 18-gun Cruizer-class brig-sloop, launched in 1805 at Topsham, near Exeter. Early in her career she was involved in two fratricidal incidents, one involving a British frigate and then a newsworthy case in which she helped capture a British slave ship. She later captured a small naval vessel and several privateers, and took part in the invasion of Martinique, and during the War of 1812, in the attack on Baltimore. Wolverine was decommissioned in August or September 1815 and was sold on 15 February 1816.
Wolverine entered service in 1805 under Commander John Smith (or Smyth). In November Wolverine and the frigate Amethyst encountered each other off the coast of Madeira. After a series of ambiguous and misinterpreted moves by the other, the two captains mistook each other for enemies and opened fire. Both vessels survived and the two captains proceeded to exchange mutually recriminatory letters.
Commander Francis Augustus Collier replaced Smith on 15 January 1806. Wolverine then deployed to the Caribbean.
On 12 March Wolverine, after a chase of 15 hours, captured the French Navy schooner Tremeuse (or Trimeuse, or Tremieuse), which was armed with two 9-pounder carronades and one long 6-pounder; she had a crew of 53 men and was from Guadeloupe. She had been out 12 days without capturing anything. The Royal Navy took Trimeuse into service as Skipjack.
On 16 October Wolverine captured the packet Guadeloupe, of one gun and 42 men. On 25 October she recaptured the American vessel Franklin, which was carrying masts to Barbados and had been a prize to Guadeloupe.
Next, on 9 November, Dart, with Wolverine in company, captured the 8-gun Jeune Gabrielle. She had thrown half her guns overboard during the chase. She was under the command of M. Auguste Boufford and had a crew of 75. She was out of Guadeloupe and had not made any captures. The next day Wolverine captured Marianne, of one gun and 46 men.
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