HMS Magnanime was a 64-gun, Third Rate Ship of the Line of the Intrepid Class, built at the Royal Dockyard at Deptford, which at the time was in the County of Kent.


The Intrepid Class was a group of fifteen 64-gun ships designed by Sir John Williams, Co-Surveyor of the Navy, of which nine were built in Kent shipyards. The 64-gun, Third Rate Ship of the Line was the smaller of two main types of Third Rate ship, the other being the larger, more powerfully armed and much more numerous 74 gun ship. Faster and more agile than the 74 gun ships, the 64 gun ship had an advantage over the 74 in that they were much cheaper. Their smaller size and lower construction costs made them ideal for use in far-flung stations such as the far east and Caribbean, where their relative lack of firepower would not be such a disadvantage. By the end of the 18th century however, the 64 gun ships began to be seen as too small and weak to stand in a line of battle against larger and more powerfully armed French and Spanish ships and no new ones were ordered by the Navy Board after 1782. A group of five 64-gun ships entered service in 1796, but they were originally ordered as large merchant ships by the Honourable East India Company and were purchased by the Navy Board while still under construction. All of the 64-gun ships had been withdrawn from front line service by the end of the French Wars in 1815, with the exception of three ships converted into large Heavy Frigates


In 1775, the rebellion in the American colonies which had started in 1773 escalated to all-out war. Gravely concerned that it would only be a matter of time before the old enemy across the Channel weighed in, the Government decided to build up the fleet in readiness, so to that effect, the Comptroller of the Navy Board wrote on 16th October 1775 to Mr Adam Hayes, Master Shipwright in the Kings Dock Yard at Deptford with instructions to build a 64 gun ship of the line. The reason that the Navy Board wrote directly to Mr Hayes was because the Royal Dockyards at Deptford and Woolwich were administered directly by the Navy Board from their offices in London.


The first keel section of what was to become HMS Magnanime was laid at Deptford on 23rd August 1777 and construction proceeded rapidly. While the ship was on the stocks at Deptford, the situation in America took a dramatic turn for the worse. France had been secretly supplying the American Rebels with arms and money since 1776, but rebel victories against the British had persuaded the French to become openly involved. King Louis XVI of France also gambled that war would give the French the opportunity to regain territories lost in the Seven Years War (1756 - 1763) while the British were bogged down in North America. On February 6th 1778, France signed a Treaty of Alliance with the Americans which recognised the United States of America as a sovereign nation for the first time. Under that Treaty, France would supply the Americans with unlimited amounts of arms, money and military assistance in return for the Americans seeking nothing less than complete independence from the UK. In response, Britain declared war on March 17th. On 10th October 1780, HMS Magnanime was launched with all due ceremony into the River Thames.


After her launch, the ship was fitted with guns, masts and rigging at Deptford and was declared complete on 29th December 1780 at a cost of £34,298.2s.0d. On completion, HMS Magnanime was a ship of 1,370 tons. The ship was 159ft 6in long on her upper gundeck and 131ft 6in long at the keel. 44ft 4in wide across her beams, the ship drew 11ft 5in of water at the bow and 16ft 5in at the rudder. She was armed with 26 24pdr long guns on her lower gundeck, 26 18pdr long guns on her upper gundeck, with 10 9pdr long guns on her quarterdeck and 2 9pdr long guns on her forecastle. In addition to these, the ship was also fitted with a dozen half-pounder swivel guns attached to her quarterdeck and forecastle handrails and in her fighting tops. She was manned by a crew of 500 officers, men, boys and Royal Marines.


HMS Magnanime commissioned into the Channel Fleet in October 1780 under Captain Charles Wolseley, whose previous appointment had been in command of another 64 gun ship, HMS Saint Albans.


Intrepid Class Plans


Orlop Plan:





Lower Gundeck Plan:





Upper Gundeck Plan:





Quarterdeck and Forecastle Plans:





Inboard Profile and Plan:





Sheer Plan and Lines:





A damaged, generic model of a 64-gun, Third rate Ship of the Line dating from 1777. Although not necessarily that of an Intrepid Class ship, this model serves to illustrate what HMS Magnanime would have looked like when completed. The model is in the collection of the National Maritime museum and the starboard quarter gallery has been broken off and lost in the over 200 years since it was completed. This is the port broadside view:





Port Bow view:





Port Quarter view, showing the damage:





In the meantime, Spain had joined the French on the American side in the war, but they were more interested in attempting to retake Gibraltar than in anything else and had laid seige to the Rock as sson as war had been declared. A detachment of the Channel Fleet under Viec-Admiral Sir George Rodney had resupplied the garrison of Gibraltar in January of 1781, but they were in need of further relief within a couple of months. On 13th March 1781, HMS Magnanime was part of the Channel Fleet under Vice-Admiral Sir George Darby when it sailed to Gibraltar to further resupply the garrison and to evacuate civilians. The fleet arrived at Gibraltar on the 12th April and was able to enter the harbour without resistance from the blockading enemy forces. After arriving back in Portsmouth, HMS Magnanime, together with HMS Sultan of 74 guns was ordered to India, to join a fleet under Rear-Admiral Sir Edward Hughes, tasked with assisting in the Second Anglo-Mysore War, part of the British effort to drive the French from their remaining possessions.


HMS Magnanime and HMS Sultan joined Hughes' force at sea off India on 30th March 1782. By the time they got there, Hughes had already been in action against a French fleet under the Baillie de Suffren in the inconclusive Battle of Sadras on 17th February. After that battle, Suffren had taken his force to the French colony at Pondicherry to make repairs while Hughes had headed to Trincomalee in modern day Sri Lanka to do the same.


Suffren had made up his mind to destroy Hughes' force and after quickly making running repairs at Pondicherry, set off in pursuit of the British on 23rd February 1782. After all, he had outmanoeuvred the British at Sadras and his ships had come very close to sinking HMS Exeter (64) and had battered the British flagship, HMS Superb (74).


On 8th April, Suffren caught up with Hughes' force, but was prevented from bringing them to action because of adverse winds. By 12th April, the wind had changed and Hughes, realising that the enemy was able to catch up with his rear-most ships, ordered his ships to change tack, form a line of battle and head towards the coast of Ceylon. Suffren used the opportunity this gave him and attacked. The wind had forced both lines into a crescent formation, with the centres of the lines closest. This meant that the centre ships in the lines, HMS Superb and HMS Monmouth (64) on the British side and L'Heros (74), Le Sphinx (64) and L'Orient (74) on the French were engaged, while the ships on the ends of the line were out of range of each other. In the battle, HMS Monmouth suffered terribly, losing her main and mizzen masts while HMS Superb received another battering with heavy casualties. HMS Superb suffered 59 dead with 90 wounded, while HMS Monmouth had 45 men killed and 102 wounded. Towards the end of the battle, HMS Monmouth was in severe danger of being taken by the French and it was only the quick thinking of Captain Hawker in HMS Hero (74) in managing to pass a towline to the crippled British ship and tow her out of danger which prevented this from happening. With the coming of darkness, both sides broke off the action and anchored out of range of each other. This action is now known as the Battle of Providien and HMS Magnanime, not being positioned in the centre of the British line of battle, was not engaged.


The Battle of Providien, 12th April 1782 by Dominic Serres:





The fleets at the Battle of Providien, from Clowes Vol III:





After the battle, HMS Magnanime and the other ships sailed on to Trincomalee, while Suffren and his force made for Batticaloa. Whilst there, Suffren received orders to go to Ile de France (modern day Mauritius) and escort a troop convoy back to India. He refused to do so, considering that it was too dangerous to leave Hughes and his force loose in the area.


Suffren had by now decided to capture the important port of Negatapam, held by the British and sailed to Cuddalore, arriving on 20th June to pick up the troops required for this. Whilst there, he learned that Hughes and his force had sailed past the port, apparently also on their way to Negatapam, so left to give chase. Suffrens force arrived off Negatampam on 3rd July, but found the British force already in the harbour, so he ordered his ships to anchor outside the port.


On 5th July, as expected, Hughes' force left Negatapam and anchored for the night in full view of the French. The following day, the British force was unable to line up directly against the French, so the rear part of the lines could only engage each other at long range, with HMS Hero (74) and HMS Exeter engaging the French La Flamand, while the ships at the front engaged in fierce combat until about 1pm, when the wind changed, throwing both forces into confusion. Unable to move back into combat positions, both fleets drew away from each other. Suffren sailed away back to Cuddalore while the British spent the next two weeks a sea before making for Madras for repairs. The Second Battle of Negatapam had ended as indecisively as the previous battles between the two forces.


Second Battle of Negatapam by Dominic Serres:





The fleets at the Second Battle of Negatapam, taken from Clowes Vol III:





While in Cuddalore, Suffren was reinforced by a French force comprised of two more ships of the line, a frigate and a transport ship carrying 800 troops and their supplies. The anchorage at Cuddalore was too exposed to the weather for Suffren's liking, so he resolved to take Trincomalee from the British and the force arrived off there on 21st August. The French landed 2,400 troops near Trincomalee on 25th August and following a fiercely fought seige, the British garrison surrendered five days later and on September 1st, the French took possession of the town and the harbour.


While in Madras, Hughes was reinforced by the arrival of yet another British ship of the line, this time, HMS Sceptre (64). In addition to HMS Sceptre, the fleet was joined by the frigates HMS Active (12pdr, 32), HMS Coventry and HMS Medea (both 9pdr-armed 28 gun ships) and the storeship HMS San Carlos (22).


On seeing that the British fleet had arrived, Suffren was aware that he outnumbered Hughes' force and that if the French plans for India were to come to fruition, the British fleet would have to be destroyed. For that reason, the French left Trincomalee to face the British once again. The two fleets met again at about 2:30pm on 3rd September 1782. The heaviest action was in the centre of the lines, where the British flagship HMS Superb, HMS Burford (68), HMS Sultan, HMS Hero, and HMS Monarca (68) engaged the French ships L'Heros, L'Ajax (64) and L'Illustre (74). Surrounded by the British, Suffren signalled for assistance and the French ship Le Brilliant (64) came to his aid. His flagship, L'Heros lost her mainmast and had run out of ammunition. Things were going better for the French on the ends of the line, where HMS Isis (50), HMS Worcester (64) and HMS Monmouth were badly damaged and HMS Exeter had been dismasted. At about 5:30pm, the wind changed, favouring the French. The main part of the action now shifted to the ends of the battle lines. HMS Hero lost her mizzen and main masts and HMS Worcester lost her main topmast. The battle ended with nightfall.


The fleets at the Battle of Trincomalee 3rd September 1782:





The Battle of Trincomalee by Dominic Serres:





Once the action had been broken off, Hughes, who did not want to be in the exposed anchorage at Madras during the monsoon season which was imminent, made for Bombay, while Suffren withdrew back into Trincomalee to make repairs. The British force had been so badly damaged that the army commanders at Madras recalled their troops from the field in case the French decided to attack.


By this time, Vice-Admiral Rodney's victory at the Battle of the Saintes in April 1782 had ended French ambitions in the Caribbean and the war elsewhere was approaching its end and was winding down. Peace negotiations were under way and the Royal Navy was able to spare ships to assist in the defence of British possessions in India. Hughes' force was reinforced by the arrival of yet more ships of the line, HMS Gibraltar (80), HMS Defence (74), HMS Cumberland (74), HMS Inflexible (64), in addition to the 50 gun fourth rate ship HMS Bristol, bringing his total strength to 18 ships of the line plus frigates. HMS Exeter spent the time at Bombay having her hull re-coppered.


By June 1783, the British were laying seige to Cuddalore and Suffren was ordered to support the city with his 18 ships-of-the-line. Hughes' fleet was there when Suffren arrived on 13th June 1783. Hughes was not keen on facing the French again, so moved his force away. After five days of adverse winds, Suffren anchored his force off the city. After a conference with the commander of the defending force, it became apparent that the outcome of the seige was going to be dependant on a naval action. The two fleets then began manoeuvring for advantage from 18th June, but were both frustrated in their attempts by fickle winds. Finally, the winds settled down from a westerly direction and the two fleets engaged each other again on 20th June. The action was fought with long-range gunnery and neither fleet was able to significantly damage the other and both forces withdrew at nightfall.


The Battle of Cuddalore, by Auguste Jugelet:





On 22nd June, Hughes headed back to Madras. Many of his ships required repair, his force was short of water and a lack of fresh fruit had led to an outbreak of scurvy aboard his ships. The seige continued until 29th June when a British ship under a flag of truce brought news of the war's end.


The American War of Independence was ended by the 1783 Treaty of Paris, signed on September 3rd 1783 and effective from May 12th 1784. For the British, the colonies in North America had been lost, but their possessions in the Caribbean and India had not only been successfully defended, but the French had been pushed back further. Other than the Americans gaining their independence, France had achieved nothing and financially, the French were in a worse position than they were at the start. With the end of the war, HMS Magnanime left India and returned to Plymouth and paid off into the Plymouth Ordinary in June of 1784.


After being stripped of her guns, store, sails, yards and running rigging, HMS Magnanime was secured to a mooring and became the responsibility of the Master Attendant in the Plymouth Royal Dockyard. The ship was manned by a skeleton crew of senior Warrant Officers and their servants, the Boatswain with two servants, the Gunner with two, the Carpenter with two and the Cook with one. The Purser was allowed to live ashore within a reasonable distance from the Dockyard. In addition to the Warrant Officers, the ship had a crew of 20 men, all rated at Able Seaman.


The world passed by HMS Magnanime until war broke out with the French on 1st February 1793. Seen as approaching obsolescence, 64-gun ships like HMS Magnanime were not high in the priority list of ships to be recommissioned for the war. What the Royal Navy needed instead was large Heavy Frigates. With little spare capacity or money available for building new Heavy Frigates, it was decided instead to use three of the surplus 64-gun ships and convert them into Razee Heavy Frigates. Three ships were chosen, HMS Anson, HMS Magnanime and HMS Indefatigable.


In June of 1794, HMS Magnanime was taken into the Royal Dockyard to begin the process. The work involved the ship undergoing some radical surgery in which her poop deck, quarterdeck and forecastle were removed completely and her Orlop was stripped out. A large opening was created in her former upper gundeck to provide ventilation for the gundeck below and to create a new quarterdeck and forecastle, which was significantly longer than the one it replaced. A new berth deck was installed below the gundeck, in the space formerly occupied by the orlop and a new orlop was suspended below that. When the work was complete, HMS Magnanime was re-rated as a Fifth-Rate, 44-gun Heavy Frigate. On completion of the work, HMS Magnanime was armed with 26 24pdr long guns on her gundeck, 8 12pdr long guns and 4 42pdr carronades on her new quarterdeck with 4 12pdr long guns and 2 42pdr carronades on her new forecastle. She was also fitted with a dozen half-pounder swivel guns as before. Unusually for a rated ship, the carronades were included in the rated armament. After her conversion, the ship was manned by a crew of 330 officers, men, boys and Royal Marines. The work was completed in February of 1795 at a cost of £17,066.


Plans of HMS Magnanime following her conversion to a 24pdr-armed Razee Heavy Frigate


New Orlop Plan:





New Berth Deck Plan:





New Gundeck Plan:





New Quarterdeck and Forecastle Plan:





New Sheer Plan, Lines and Inboard Profile and Plans:





Starboard Bow view of a model of HMS Indefatigable following her conversion. Other than slightly different dimensions, HMS Magnanime was identical:





Port Quarter view:





HMS Magnanime commissioned into the Channel Fleet while the work was still ongoing in November of 1794 under Captain Isaac Schomberg. His previous appointment had been in command of the 74-gun Third Rate Ship of the Line HMS Culodden and during his term in command of that ship, he had participated in the Battle of the Glorious First of June.


It would appear that in his efforts to recruit a crew for his ship, Captain Schomberg resorted to an unusual tactic. On May 26th 1795, this notice was published in the London Gazette:


Notice is hereby given to the Officers and Company of His Majesty's ship Romney, who were actually on board at the capture of La Sybille, French frigate on 19th June 1794 in company with His Majesty's ships Inconstant, Leda and Tartar, that their respective shares of the proceeds of the said ship and her stores will be paid on board His Majesty's ship Magnanime at Plymouth on Saturday the 30th instant and will be recalled on the first Friday in each month for three years from the said time at the house of Mess. Maudes in Downing Street, Westminster.


Thomas Maudes
Downing Street,
Westminster
Agent.


Whether or not anyone liable for impressment actually turned up to collect their prize money is unclear. Somehow, I doubt it.


Once ready for sea, HMS Magnanime was assigned to the normal work of a frigate in the Channel Fleet, that of enforcing the blockades of the French Channel and Biscay ports, patrols, running down French privateers, merchant vessels and naval units.


Captain Schomberg remained in command until he was replaced by Captain the Honourable Michael de Courcy in September 1795 and the ship was assigned to the Irish Station under Vice-Admiral Sir Robert Brice Kingsmill in 1797. As the first Commander-in-Chief of this newly created Station, based in Queenstown, Cork, his first task was to shut down the swarms of French privateers operating in the Western Approaches and it didn't take Captain de Courcy and his crew long to get into the action.


A letter from Captain de Courcy to Vice-Admiral Kingsmill:


Magnanime,
at Sea,
July 17, 1797.


Sir,


Cruising Seventy Leagues Westward of Cape Clear, in compliance with your Instructions of the 22d Ult. HM Ship the Magnanime, under my Command, amidst thick and stormy Weather, fell in with and captured Le Triton, a French Privateer, Nineteen Days from Nantz, pierced for 18 Guns. though only mounting 8 Twelve-Pounders, and manned with 180 Men. Upon her Cruize she appears to have taken One American Schooner.


I have the Honor to be, &c.


M. De Courcy.


Things continued in this vein for the next year or so and the prize money earned from all the French privateers taken would have made Captain de Courcy and his crew relatively wealthy men by the time the ship next paid off.


At 14:00 on 23rd August 1798, HMS Magnanime was patrolling off Cape Finisterre and fell in with the 18pdr-armed 38 gun frigate HMS Naiad, which at the time was in chase of a French frigate, the 12pdr-armed 32-gun ship La Decade. At about 17:00, the French ship began to fire her stern chasers at the pursuing British ships, particularly at HMS Naiad, which was the leading ship. At about 18:15, the British began returning the French fire from their bow guns and after a running fight lasting about an hour, the French ship hauled down her colours in surrender, despite none of the ships actually being damaged. La Decade was taken into the Royal Navy as HMS Decade.


Back in December 1796, the French had attempted to send an invasion fleet to Ireland to support a planned uprising organised by the Society of United Irishmen. The invasion had failed when the fleet had been scattered by the worst weather in living memory. The French were encouraged however by the fact that the invasion fleet had managed to break out and make it all the way to Ireland without being spotted or intercepted by the British. Fast-forward to 1798 and trouble had flared up once more in Ireland. The Society of United Irishmen had been planning a further uprising, once again to be supported with French help. In May 1798, an uprising had spread across Ireland and the French sent a small force of 1,150 troops as the advance party of an army to be landed later. French plans had been disrupted by the uprising starting earlier than originally planned. The Society had had to launch it earlier because they had been thoroughly infiltrated by British spies and the majority of their leadership had been arrested. By September however, it was all over. The combined Irish and French force had been defeated at the Battle of Ballinamuck on the 8th September and had surrendered. The French however, were unaware of the defeat and on 16th September 1798 had dispatched a force of 3,000 soldiers in the 74 gun ship of the line Hoche and eight frigates under Commodore Jean-Baptiste-Francois Bompart. The British, having failed to intercept the invasion fleet of 1796, were now more alert and Bompart's force was spotted leaving Brest by Captain Richard Keats in the 18 pounder armed 38 gun frigate HMS Boadicea. Keats also had under his command the 18pdr-armed 38-gun frigate HMS Ethalion and the 32pdr carronade-armed brig-sloop HMS Sylph. He ordered that HMS Ethalion and HMS Sylph shadow the French force while he went to summon help from Admiral Sir Alexander Hood, the Lord Bridport's Channel Fleet.


HMS Magnanime was part of a squadron commanded by Commodore Sir John Borlase Warren lying at cawsand Bay off Plymouth. In addition to HMS Magnanime, the squadron also comprised the Third Rate Ships of the Line HMS Foudroyant (80), HMS Canada and HMS Robust (both of 74 guns). As soon as the intelligence was received about Commodore Bompart's force, Commodore Warren's squadron immediately departed to intercept them. On 10th October 1798, when the squadron was about 30 miles off the Donegal coast, they met up with the 18pdr-armed 36 gun frigates HMS Melampus and HMS Doris. The Commodore sent HMS Doris to warn British garrisons along the Irish coast of the French force. Later that same evening, the squadron was joined by the 18pdr-armed 38 gun frigate HMS Amelia. At this point, the squadron now comprised HMS Foudroyant, HMS Canada, HMS Robust, HMS Magnanime, the 24pdr-armed 44-gun razee Heavy Frigate HMS Anson, HMS Ethalion, HMS Melampus and HMS Amelia.


The British had correctly guessed that Bompart's force was headed for Lough Swilly, based on intelligence gained from their Irish prisoners and Warren took his force there, hoping to intercept the French. Bonpart's force arrived off Tory Island at the mouth of the Lough on 10th October 1798 and anchored for the night, intending to land their troops the following day. They were still unaware that the uprising had been crushed by the British.


On the morning of the 11th October, Bompart awoke to find strange sails on the horizon. To his horror, he realised that he was trapped against the shore and that an overwhelming British force was bearing down on him. Bompart immediately decided to abandon any plans to conduct a landing and decided to head out to open water to escape the British. HMS Magnanime became engaged against the French frigates Embuscade and Coquille, but had to take evasive action to avoid a collision with HMS Robust, which was slugging it out at point blank range with the Hoche. Ranging past HMS Robust's downwind side, HMS Magnanime became exposed to raking fire from the French frigates Loire, Immortalite and Bellone. This was soon silenced when HMS Magnanime returned fire against all three ships, which also received long-range fire from HMS Foudroyant. HMS Magnanime then worked her way across the Hoche's bows and raked her through them. Very quickly, the Hoche found herself surrounded by British ships; HMS Robust alongside, HMS Magnanime across her bows and HMS Amelia across her stern. The French seventy-four was also engaged in passing by HMS Canada and HMS Melampus. At 10:50, her hull riddled with shot-holes, rigging and sails cut to pieces, masts tottering, five feet of water in her hold, 25 of her guns knocked over and most of her crew dead or wounded, the Hoche lowered her colours in surrender. Mr Charles Dashwood, First Lieutenant in HMS Magnanime had the honour of recieving Commodore Bompart's sword in surrender. In the Battle of Tory Island, HMS Magnanime sustained casualties of seven men wounded. On her return to Warren's squadron, HMS Doris's next task was to tow the damaged Hoche back to Lough Swilly, taking over the tow from the damaged HMS Robust. The Hoche was subsequently taken into the Royal Navy and was renamed HMS Donegal.


The Battle of Tory Island by Nicholas Pocock:





In April 1799, Captain de Courcy was appointed to command HMS Canada and was replaced in command of HMS Magnanime by Captain William Taylor. Captain Taylor's previous appointment had been in command of the old 12pdr-armed 32-gun frigate HMS Andromeda.


On 13th February 1800, HMS Magnanime left Spithead in company with the ex-French 18pdr-armed 38 gun frigate HMS Melpomene and the 32pdr carronade-armed ship-sloop HMS Snake and the East India Convoy. After escorting the convoy past the dangers presented by French naval units and privateers, the three ships arrived at the French-held island of Goree, off the coast of modern-day Senegal.


On 5th January 1802, HMS Magnanime arrived at Plymouth Sound with the remnants of the West India convoy. The convoy had left the Caribbean in mid-November 1801 and had run into a terrible storm which had scattered the convoy. The ship was lucky to have made it home, she had been badly damaged in the storm and had five feet of water in her hold. With her supplies contaminated, most of her crew had fallen ill with dysentery to the point where only 84 were still fit for duty. Her pumps had become choked and her crew had had to resord to bailing the ship out with buckets. The storm had been so severe that most of the convoy had headed back to the Caribbean. On 13th February, the ship paid off at Plymouth, to be fitted and recommissioned as a floating Battery, intended to be moored in the Kings Road off Bristol to guard the port.


On 17th September 1803, HMS Magnanime recommissioned under Captain John Broughton and on 14th November, arrived at Bristol to take up her new role. This lasted until June of 1804 and on 28th, the ship arrived at Spithead to be fitted for sea. On 6th July, the ship departed in company with the old 44-gun two-decker HMS Argo with a convoy for the Downs.


By the summer of 1804, HMS Magnanime had been reassigned to a squadron commanded by Captain Robert Dudley Oliver in HMS Melpomene, tasked with mounting an attack on the French port of Le Havre, where a considerable number of French privateers were based. In addition to HMS Melpomene and HMS Magnanime, the squadron also comprised the 50 gun, fourth rate ship of the line HMS Trusty, the 9pdr-armed 20 gun post-ship HMS Ariadne, the 18pdr carronade-armed 16-gun fireship HMS Pluto, the 6pdr-armed 16 gun ship-sloops HMS Merlin amd HMS Favourite, the bomb vessels HMS Meteor, HMS Explosion, HMS Zebra and HMS Hecla, the 18pdr carronade-armed gun-brig HMS Locust of 12 guns and the hired armed cutters King George, Countess of Elgin, Hope and Nancy.


On 28th July, Captain Oliver wrote to his immediate superior, Admiral George Elphinstone, the First Viscount Keith, Commander-in-Chief in the North Sea, as follows:


Melpomene,
Off Havre,
July 28, 1804


My Lord,


Since my letter to your lordship of 17th instant, we had very light and variable winds fo three days, which were succeeded by a gale from the northward, when the bombs had some difficulty to keep clear of the shore. Yesterday, the wind having got to the SW, I stood in with the squadron and at eleven, made the signal for the bombs to try their range; they placed themselves with the utmost precision immediatly off the Pier Heads and at a quarter past Eleven, began a most tremendous fire of shells and carcasses which was continued without intermission for an hour and a half; in a very few minutes, the town was observed to be on fire and as the pier was very full of vessels, it is impossible, but they must have suffered considerably. The vessels which had been outside the pier during the bombardment of the 16th were so much annoyed as to retire, some into the pier, some up the river, one of them was towed on shore under the batteries and has since been taken to pieces. The enemy's mortar batteries have been very considerably increased since the attack on the 16th, although the fire from them on the bombs was as great as I will venture to say, was ever experienced, they being considerably within the range, yet it is with the most inexpressible pleasure I acquaint your lordship that not a man has been hurt. A shell passed through the mizzen staysail of the Zebra, another carried away the spare topsail yard of the Merlin and two chain-plates and grazed her side; and a forty-two pound shot cut the spare topmast and some other spars and lodged in the booms of the Hecla; that is all the damage done. It is impossible for me to find words to express my admiration of the conduct of the captains Sykes, James, Paul and Beauchamp and the other officers and crews of the bombs for the able manner in which they placed and managed their vessels; and also to the officers and men of the Royal Artillery embarked on board of them for the judicious manner in which they fired the shells.


Some luggers came out of the pier during the bombardment, but were made to keep a respectful distance by the vicinity of the Merlin, Pluto, Locust and the cutters, which were always ready to give assistance where wanted, as were the other ships in the squadron in the situations assigned to them.


I have the honour to be, &c,


ROB. DUDLEY OLIVER


On 31st July, in company with the squadron, HMS Pluto captured the French ship Postillon.


Captain Oliver wrote again to describe further attacks on the 1st and 2nd August,as follows:

Melpomene
Off Havre
Aug 2. 1804


My Lord,


The wind having changed yesterday to the NE, I determined to make another attack on the numerous vessels in Havre Pier, as well as those which were moored outside, amounting to twenty-eight brigs and as many luggers and stood in with the squadron. At Half-past Seven PM, the bombs were well placed off the pier heads when they began a well-directed fire, which was kept up with great spirit for an hour and a half. The town was very soon observed to be on fire in two places and seven brigs which were on the outside of the pier found it very necessary to move: one lost her mainmast. As the wind came more off the land and a strong ebb tide setting out, I ordered the bombs to discontinue firing. At half past nine, we anchored with the squadron about five miles from the light houses. As the Explosion had fired away all her shells and the Zebra most of her powder, I had them supplied from the Meteor and at half past five this morning, got under weigh and stood in with the squadron again. Before eight, the bombs took up their position near the pier heads and kept up a constant fire for near three hours with shells and carcasses. So many shells burst on and about the piers that the enemy's fire was observed to slacken considerably and it was evident that they were in the greatest confusion. Some brigs and luggers got under weigh and came out to endeavour to annoy the bombs, but all the other vessels and ships of the squadron were so well placed as to give chace to them immediately and with was only by cutting away their boats, which were astern and retreating very speedily into shoal water that they escaped, but not before they had run the gauntlet of all the ships and cutters and were very closely engaged for a considerable time by the Merlin, Favourite, Locust gun-brig and Hope cutter and on this occasion, I feel particularly indebted to the exertions of Captains Brenton and Foot and Lieutenants Lake and Dobbin, whose vessels were very often during the Action in very shoal water with a falling tide, indeed nothing but the bad sailing of the Merlin prevented Captain Brenton from cutting off the sternmost brig.


The Locust lost her main topmast but I have not heard of any other loss. The conduct of captains Sykes, James, Paul and Beauchamp, commanding the bombs on both these occasions was highly meritorious and although their ships were frequently struck, it gives me great pleasure to add that no lives have been lost. What damage may have been done to the enemy by near five hundred shells and carcasses thrown into the town and bason last evening it is impossible to calculate, but I may without vanity say that if the exertions of the enemy's flotilla be not much greater on our shore than on their own, we have little to dread from them.


I cannot conclude without expressing my obligations to every officer and man employed in this squadron.


I am &c.


R. DUDLEY OLIVER


By October of 1804 it was all over. Unfit for sea service, HMS Magnanime paid off at Sheerness, to be recomissioned as a Hospital Ship. HMS Magnanime remained in this role until July of 1813 when she was taken into the Royal Dockyard at Sheerness and was broken up.