HMS Alert was an unrated armed Topsail Cutter of ten guns and was built under Navy Board contract at the shipyard of Henry Ladd, on Beach Street in Dover. She was the lead vessel of a group of four, ordered in two batches of two vessels each, with all of the vessels built in Kent shipyards, three of them including HMS Alert in Dover with the fourth member of the class being built in Folkestone.
The Alert Class of Topsail Cutters were unusual in that they were designed by the Surveyor of the Navy, in their case John Williams, and ordered by the Navy Board specifically for service in the Royal Navy. The majority of armed cutters in Royal Naval service were either purchased off the stocks or were hired on a bareboat charter basis, where the vessel remained in private ownership but the Royal Navy put their own officers and crew into her. Topsail Cutters were fast, manoeuvrable and seaworthy. Their small size meant that they could operate close inshore and their speed and manoeuvrability mean that they could outsail pretty much anything. Their seaworthiness meant that they could make surprisingly long voyages for vessels of their size. A couple of examples of this are the Hired Armed Cutter Rattler, which was part of Lord Howe's fleet at the Battle of the Glorious First of June 1794 which was fought in mid-Atlantic and HMS Entreprenante, which was part of Lord Nelson's fleet at the Battle of Trafalgar, fought off the Spanish coast not far from Gibraltar. They were the vessel of choice for the many privateers of all sides in the French Wars operating in European waters as well as smugglers and the revenue authorities trying to catch them.
Of the rest of the Alert Class, HMS Pygmy and HMS Cockatrice were of the second batch ordered in 1780 and were both built by Thomas King's shipyard, also on Beach Street Dover, while HMS Rattlesnake was built by Thomas Farley's shipyard in Folkestone.
The contract for the construction of HMS Alert was signed the 14th December 1776 and once the plans and specifications were delivered to Henry Ladd by Navy Board courier, the first keel section was laid during January of the following year. Construction proceeded quickly and the vessel was launched into the English Channel on the 24th June 1777. After launch, she was sailed under a jury rig to the Royal Dockyard at Deptford where she was to be fitted with her single mast, sails, rigging and guns. In addition, her lowwer hull was to be sheathed in copper. HMS Alert was commissioned under Mr John Bazely on the 1st October 1777.
John Bazely had been appointed into HMS Alert in the position of Lieutenant-in-Command. Born in Dover in March of 1741, John Bazely had entered the Royal Navy relatively late at the age of 14 in 1755, as Midshipman-in-Ordinary in the ex-French 40-gun frigate HMS Ambuscade under Captain Joshua Rowley. He saw much action in the Seven Years War and passed his Examination for Lieutenant on the 12th March 1760.
Lieutenant Bazely's first task on being appointed into HMS Alert was to recruit a crew. The outbreak of war in North America in 1775 meant that the Government of Lord North authorised the Admiralty to issue Press Warrants, enabling Press Gangs to begin rounding up seamen for the fleet. There would have been a ready pool of men available in the Receiving Ship where Mr Bazely was able to find the seamen he needed. He would have been the only commissioned sea-officer aboard HMS Alert and he was assisted by a Second Master appointed by the Navy Board in charge of the day-to-day sailing and navigation, a senior Boatswains Mate to look after the masts, rigging and boats with a Sailmaker to maintain and repair the sails and flags. A Quartermaster was appointed to oversee the vessel's steering and the positions of Purser and Clerk were combined in the role of the Clerk in Charge. In his day-to-day command responsibilities, the Lieutenant-in-Command was assisted by a senior Midshipman.
On completion, HMS Alert was a vessel of 182 tons. She was 69ft 2in long at her main deck and 51ft 2in along the keel, 25ft 11in across the beams and the hull was 10ft 9in deep at the main deck amidships. She was armed with 10 x 4pdr long guns and a dozen half-pounder swivel guns fitted to her bulwarks. She was manned by a total complement of 60 men.
Alert Class PlansSheer Plan and Lines:
Deck Plan, with the Upper or Main Deck in black and the Lower Deck in red:
The Navy Board model of HMS Alert, showing the frames. Starboard bow view:
Starboard Quarter view:
A more modern, commercially available model of HMS Alert:
This model is produced by Vanguard Models.
By the time that Lieutenant Bazely commissioned HMS Alert, the British were trying to put down an armed rebellion in their American colonies and for the British in America, things were going from bad to worse. The defeat at the Battle of Lexington had forced the British to retreat to their stronghold in Boston, which they were forced to evacuate in March of 1776. The Americans had created the Continental Army under General George Washington and a navy of sorts had been cobbled together out of armed merchant vessels together with an array of privateers. The British were aware that after their defeats to the American Rebels of 1776, the French had begun to secretly supply the rebels with arms, ammunition, money and supplies in addition to providing safe haven for vessels of the Continental Navy and American privateers in French ports.
HMS Alert and her crew were set to work patrolling the English Channel and the Western Approaches based in Plymouth. On the 19th September 1777, HMS Alert sighted the American brigantine of 16 guns, USS Lexington. This vessel belonged to the Continental Navy and was under the command of Captain Henry Johnston. She had left Baltimore on the 20th February bound for Bordeaux. Once there, she joined another two vessels of the Continental Navy, USS Retribution and USS Dolphin. These vessels had left Bordeaux on the 28th May looking to cruise the Western Approaches looking for prizes. In particular, they were after the Irish Linen fleet, due to leave Dublin in early June. After taking several prizes, the Americans were forced to scatter after they sighted the British ship of the line HMS Burford (68) off Ushant and sought safety in French ports, with USS Lexington putting into Morlaix. The British had blockaded the Americans and had applied diplomatic pressure on France, then still officially neutral, to expel the Americans. This eventually bore fruit and on the 12th September, the French ordered the Americans out. The following day, the USS Lexington had left Morlaix, but had been becalmed. Lieutenant Bazely's letter to the Admiralty tells the story of what happened next:
"
Plymouth, September 24, 1777
SIR,
I have the pleasure to acquaint you of my arrival here, having met with the Lexington brig, armed by the American congress with 16 four-pounders, 12 swivels and 84 men, commanded by Henry Johnston (late master of the Yankee privateer who made his escape from the Mars at Blackstakes in September 1776) which I took the 19th instant W b S 14 leagues from Ushant, two days from Morlaix, bound for Boston with dispatches for the Congress, which were thrown overboard.
I gae chace at five in the morning and came up with him at half past seven, had a close engagement till ten, when he bore up and made sail. As soon as I got my rigging to rights, I again gave chace and came up with him at half past one, renewed the action till half past two when he struck. I have been fortunate as to have had only 2 men killed and 3 wounded, 1 of which is since dead, with my mast, rigging and sails much cut up and damaged.
The loss on the rebels side is 7 men killed and 11 wounded. In the former are the Master and Lieutenant of Marines, in the latter are the First Lieutenant and Gunner with her rigging, mast and sails much damaged.
It blowing strong easterly the night of th 20th with a large swell and thick weather, I arted company but am in anticipation of her arrival in this port every hour.
I am to beg you will acquaint their Lordships with the very gallant behaviour of my officers and people on this occasion.
I am, Sir,
Your very humble servant
John Bazely.In actual fact, the USS Lexington had run out of gunpowder and shot in the first engagement and endured HMS Alert's bombardment in the second until her Master was killed. Although Mr Bazely was waiting at Plymouth for his prize to arrive, the damage she received and the bad weather forced the USS Lexington to run up the English Channel until she arrived at The Downs on the 25th and was sent to Dover for repairs.
A model of the USS Lexington:
USS Lexington:
USS Lexington is taken. HMS Alert is in the background:
On the 1st October 1777, HMS Alert was re-established as a sloop of war. This was a bureaucratic move to enable Mr Bazely to be promoted and appointed as the vessel's Master and Commander.
During February of 1778, HMS Alert was refitted at the Plymouth Royal Dockyard. The main aim of the work was to increase her armament and when the work was complete, she was armed with 12 x 6pdr long guns in addition to the 12 half-pounder swivel guns which were retained.
On the 14th April 1778, Commander Bazely was Posted and was appointed to command the 98-gun Second-rate ship of the line HMS Formidable, flagship of Rear-Admiral Sir Hugh Palliser. His replacement in HMS Alert was Mr William George Fairfax. Captain Bazely commanded HMS Formidable in the Battle of Ushant, which preceded a huge political row beween Palliser and Admiral Sir Augustus Keppel, the Commander-in-Chief of the Channel Fleet. Bazely's refusal to support Palliser's version of events led to his being appointed to command the frigate HMS Pegasus and hurriedly sent to the West Indies. He later became Commander-in-Chief at The Downs and the Nore before retiring in 1797. He died in 1808.
Lieutenant William Fairfax was born on the 8th March 1739 and entered the Royal Navy as Midshipman-in-Ordinary aboard HMS Centurion (50) under the then Captain Augustus Keppel at the age of 11 in 1750. He passed his examination for Lieutenant on the 20th December 1757.
On the 17th March 1778, Britain and France were at war. The American rebels had negotiated a Treaty in which France recognised the United States of America as an independent, sovereign nation and which committed France to supplying the Americans with unlimited amounts of money, arms and military assistance in return for the Americans seeking nothing less than total independence from Britain. Both sides' navies were now on a war footing and on the 15th June, the French frigates Belle Poule (30) and Licorne (32) together with the corvette Hirondelle (16) and the armed lugger Coureur (10) left Brest to patrol in the English Channel. On the 17th, they encountered Keppel's Channel Fleet to the west of the Lizard. The British Admiral signalled a chase, he wanted to talk to the French to find out what they were up to. That evening, HMS Milford (28) caught up with the Licorne and ordered her to follow him to Keppel's flagship, the First Rate ship of the line HMS Victory. The Frenchman refused and attempted to sail off but was stopped when HMS Hector (74) fired a shot into her. At same time, HMS Arethusa (32) in company with two more British ships of the line was seen to be in pursuit of another of the French ships, the Belle Poule. At about 18:00 on the 17th, HMS Arethusa came up on the Belle Poule and requested that she follow her to the flagship. On receiving the Frenchmans's absolute refusal, HMS Arethusa opened fire and the two ships fought it out, broadside to broadside until 23:30 when they parted company, both ships badly damaged. The following morning, as the Licorne was being led through the British fleet to HMS Victory, she made a last bid for freedom, firing a full broadside at HMS America (64) before striking her colours in surrender before the British ship of the line could reduce her to matchsticks by firing back.
While HMS Arethusa and the Belle Poule were engaged, HMS Alert came up on the Coureur and like the other commanders, Lieutenant Fairfax ordered the French commander to follow him to HMS Victory. When the Frenchman refused, HMS Alert opened fire and the two vessels fought it out at pistol-shot range (about 30 yards) for about 90 minutes until the Coureur surrendered to Mr Fairfax and his men. HMS Alert was hit several times on the waterline and her rigging was cut up. She suffered four men wounded. The Frenchman suffered a similar level of damage, but had five dead and seven wounded. The Coureur was taken into the Royal Navy as HMS Coureur.
In this painting of the action between HMS Arethusa and La Belle Poule, HMS Alert can be seen engaged against La Coureur in the background:
On July 12th 1778, Keppel's Channel Fleet was at sea, looking to force an early, decisive confrontation with the French. The French Atlantic Fleet was at sea, hoping to conduct commerce-raiding operations in the English Channel and the Western Approaches while avoiding Keppel's fleet. On July 17th, HMS Alert was overtaken by the 12pdr-armed French frigate La Junon. Against the heavily armed French frigate, HMS Alert stood no chance and Mr Fairfax and his men had no choice but to surrender their cutter to the enemy.
HMS Alert was taken into the French Navy as L'Alerte. She was fitted to carry 14 x French 4pdr long guns as well as her swivel guns. On her first voyage under French colours, L'Alerte disappeared and no trace of her was ever found.
There are a great number of model kits of HMS Alert available and the vessel is the subject of an "Anatomy of the Ship" book, ISBN number ISBN 13: 9780851775920
