Sails Across the Sea: A Tim Phillips Novel (War at Sea Book 8)

by Richard Testrake

  Early on, the Royal Marines came aboard. A sergeant, a corporal and eighteen privates. The seamen and petty officers from the burned Aurora came aboard in a body and the brig was now alive. The stores and armament appeared along with all the tools that went along with a Royal Navy warship. Her new hull gradually sank lower into the water as tons of material were loaded on board.

  The crew was unusually experienced, being handed over intact as it were. Most warships at this stage of the war tended to sail with a distressing percentage of its men being untrained landsmen. Phillips would have faced combat with an equal French warship with equanimity with this crew.

  However as long as he had the time to spare, he took the brig out in the Channel and began gun and sail drill to keep his men up to his standard. On the way back to the harbor he entertained Mister Hawkins in the cabin. During supper, he explained his difficulty with the brig’s armament.

  “We have eighteen ‘smashers’, Mister Hawkins. This gives us a broadside greater than many a frigate, but the enemy has become acquainted with our carronades by now. Any enemy ship we meet will do her best to remain out of range of our guns, and could give us a pasting if they have any long guns aboard.”

  We have a fast brig, and that will help us to keep up with any likely enemy and prevent them from getting to arm’s length, but I do wish we had some long guns to reach out to an enemy outside of carronade range.”

  “But what can we do about it, Captain? The Office of Ordnance handles these matters, and we cannot influence them.”

  “Oh, there are ways and means, Mister Hawkins. I will explore some of them. In the meantime, I would value your opinion on this Burgundy before us. I was told when I purchased it that it had just been landed.”

  “This is smuggled wine, Sir?”

  “I am sure it is. Mister Hawkins. Admiral Curtis gave me a course to the wine shop that stocked it.”

  Lieutenant Hawkins had a strong Methodist bringing, and was decidedly uncomfortable about freely discussing criminal activity, such as purchasing smuggled wine for consumption aboard a King’s ship. He had little to say the rest of the meal.

  Back in the harbor, Phillips made another visit to the Admiral’s office. He was not there at the time, so Phillips discussed his concerns with an elderly commander who was ‘holding the fort’ for Admiral Curtis in his absence.

  “Captain Davis”, Phillips offered, “I think I am tempting fate if I sail out to sea with just my 32 pounder carronades. Surely, I have an astonishing weight of broadside, but it is close range stuff and if a French ship with a few long guns can keep at arm’s length, she could well give us some serious trouble.”

  “Well, Phillips, just what the devil do you expect me to do about this? Ordnance decides matters like this. I might remind you, as soon as the dispatch pouch reaches us from London, you will be on your way to Gibraltar. You will take some transports with you which you will drop off for Wellington’s use. Anything you need done had best be finished by tomorrow.”

  Phillips sat in his launch thinking a bit before he ordered his cox’n to take him to the brig, where he collected his gunner.

  It was nearing the end of the working day when the men barged through the door of the shack that harbored the superintendent of the gun wharf. Greeting the suspicious official with jovial bonhomie he offered, “Mister Everson, I need some long guns for my gun brig. All she has are 32 pounder carronades and I need a few long guns that can reach out a little.”

  Everson sniffed and said, “Well Captain, I am sorry for your lack but I don’t make the rules. Your brig was ordered to be fitted with the carronades and that is what she has. Good day, Sir.”

  “Mister Everson, I realize the end of the working day is nigh and I am prepared to offer extra pay for workers to load the necessary guns and ball into my ship’s boats. We can furnish our own labor on our end.”

  “Captain, you do not understand that HM government keeps very close watch on all King’s property. Since you are not allocated the weapons, there is no way I could furnish them without running afoul of King’s justice.”

  “But what about captured enemy guns, Mister Everson? I know you have such. I sent in a prize filled with French ‘Eights’, fresh from a foundry.”

  “Well, we do have such piled up in back, mixed up with worn out British guns. When we get enough, we send them to a foundry of our own to be re-cast. The new guns are in the French caliber and would be useless to you.”

  “Mister Everson, you have no French eight pounder ball at all? I can prepare my own grape by breaking down our issue charges and remaking them.”

  With a calculating look in his eye, Everson said, “There is a stack of the French guns behind yonder warehouse. There are even a few hundred balls to fit, but I am afraid they have been stored outside and are now rusty. I think four of the guns could be removed without notice and who would care about those French ball? I would sell that material to you for say £20, but I cannot since they are King’s property.”

  “I am about to leave and it will be a few hours before the watchman comes on duty. By the way,would you care to donate £20 to our widow’s and orphan’s fund?”

  Borrowing pen and paper from the official, Phillips wrote out a note-of-hand for the sum and scribbled ‘Widows and Orphans Fund’ on the bottom of the paper. Showing the note to Gunner Andrews, he asked him to take note of the purpose of the note. “I would not care for some person to get the wrong idea about where this money is going.”

  After closely examined the paper, Everson then took the note, carefully tore the legend from the bottom, folded the paper and placed it in his pocket. I thank you for your charity, Captain. I am afraid I really must leave now. I need to find the watchman and insure that he will be coming on duty in two hours as he is scheduled.”

  Walking a short distance, the men spotted the launch and longboat out in the harbor as arranged previously, the men resting on their oars. The gunner hailed the boats in his loudest voice and they began moving toward shore. The bosun’s mate took a party of men equipped with tackle to the back of the warehouse to see what was required.

  A heavy tripod was already erected there with a block up in the apex. All that was required was to reeve line through the block. There were some four wheeled carts there, meant to be pulled by donkeys, but since there were none present, men would have to do.

  Another party of men went over to the stack of French eight pounder guns and levered one off the top to crash on the stone pavement. A heavy mat was laid down beside it and the barrel was rolled onto the mat. Men tailed onto the lines running from the mat, and it was hauled over to the tripod.

  The bosun made a cradle of line secured to the gun and another party dragged the gun, mat and all to the block, then hoisting the gun so a cart could be manhandled under it. Using drag lines to the cart, the gun barrel was hauled out onto the wharf. When three other guns were beside the first on the wharf, Phillips signaled Midshipman Orson to open the dark lantern for a few seconds. Soon an answering dim light flashed from the ship and the brig began to move. She ghosted across the harbor until she came up to the wharf. Crewmen on board tossed the mooring cables which were made fast to bollards on the dock.

  Now, the brig’s main yard was swung out over the dock and with the aid of tackle, the first gun was hoisted off its cart. The load swung violently until men on the drag ropes damped its movement, then men on the brig’s capstan wound the weight straight up. After the gun cleared the ship’s side, the main yard was hauled around and the load deposited on deck.

  When the other three guns were lying beside the first on mats, the brig was cast off from the dock and she proceeded to sea. Captain Phillips had alerted the port authorities that he would be proceeding out to practice gun drill after dark.

  CHAPTER FIVE

  That is what the brig spent the evening doing, thundering away with the big carronades. While his men could use the practice, of course, the real purpose was to give the brig an excuse to b
e moving during the evening. Normally, of course, he would be forbidden by Admiralty custom from doing all this live fire, but he had purchased powder and shot with his own money. The Navy would take no adverse notice of that.

  While the thundering was going on, Chips and his crew were in the process of constructing a gun carriage to hold the first French gun. They were nearly finished when the ship returned to harbor.

  Chips reported to Phillips he would need more good oak timber to make the other three gun carriages as well as the iron fastenings. There was a portable forge in the brig which one of the landsmen, a former farrier, could use to make those fittings, but they had no charcoal for it. Phillips had a whole list of material he needed to acquire soon.

  It was three days later when Phillips finally was called to the Admiral’s shore office and was told the long awaited pouches had arrived from London. He was to escort four transports to the Spanish coast, find where General Wellesley wanted the supplies, then proceed on Gibraltar for further orders.

  With the newly purchased supplies brought aboard and stored, Terrier set sail. She picked up her convoy at Spithead and proceeded on her way. Training was continuous for the next days, both on board the escort brig and the transports. Terrier kept to windward of the flock so that she could swoop down on any misguided privateer that might attempt to destroy the tranquility of the voyage.

  Nearing Brest, a pair of luggers were spotted who were taking a suspicious interest in the convoy. Built as normal fishing boats, these particular craft had a few guns aboard and a large number of men to serve as boarders. Given the chance, one could swoop down on a poorly guarded merchant, overpower her crew and carry her off in a flash. Phillips instructed Hawkins to have the guns loaded with grape. The eight pounder gun carriages were not finished yet, so they would rely on the carronades.

  The predator boats had apparently worked out a strategy of getting a single transport separated from the convoy. Once they had driven it far enough away, it could be attacked and captured. The presumption of course, was these boats were faster than either the escort brig or the individual ships of the convoy.

  Phillips did not think so. Watching the boats he could tell when they were sailing well, and he thought Terrier could do better. He did not, however, let Terrier out. He wanted the enemy to believe the brig was slower than she really was. Mister Hawkins did not believe in this tactic. He wanted Terrier to hang up all the sail she could carry and let the devil take the hindmost. Phillips was beginning to think the man was going to give him trouble. He had never heard the like. In his experience, the captain of a vessel was a god-like being who was listened to with respect by every member of the crew.

  Phillips was coming to the belief that Hawkins did not respect him, he just hoped the man would obey him. The problem, Phillips feared, was Hawkins had noticed Phillips taking his own course on various matters, such as obtaining the French guns. There was the possibility that the first officer thought he could defend himself against any disciplinary action brought by Phillips by threatening to relay all of his misdeeds to the admiral. Phillips did not really fear the consequences of any of Hawkins possible revelations of his semi-illicit activities, but he knew the man could cause him a great deal of inconvenience.

  Right now, Hawkins was positively dancing, so nervous was he over the incursion of one of the privateers into the convoy itself. He was begging his captain to raise more sail in an effort to drive the interloper away.

  Phillips was trying to keep his attention on the other lugger. That one was doing an end around, having sailing clear around the windward flank of the convoy and now looping in from forward. Terrier was there, ignored by the interloper who by now regarded the brig as ineffectual and nearly harmless. While Phillips worked out his solution to the problems, Hawkins suddenly gave orders to the helmsmen and sail handlers to bring the brig around

  The brig began to swing around before the action could be corrected. Phillips decided to let the brig turn onto the new course and build up a little momentum, before he corrected the error. He did not wish the hands to believe there was disagreement on the quarterdeck. As the brig settled onto the new course Hawkins had ordered, he looked to Phillips in triumph. Granted, the brig was now coursing toward the corsair in the center of the convoy but that predator was causing no trouble there with the transports scattering from it. Phillips could see the second intruder coming up toward a fat ship loaded with military supplies right on the outside.

  The brig, having picked up a little momentum, was ready for the next maneuver. As Hawkins looked on with surprise, Phillips tacked the brig and she came around, suddenly on a course to intersect the enemy. Now was the time to see what the brig could do. Setting all plain sail, aloft and alow, the brig’s cutwater began throwing water to either side of her prow. The privateer closing on its target was now unable to turn aside since the transport he had intended to pillage was alongside

  Phillips had an intelligent midshipman standing by on the quarterdeck as a messenger. He gave the lad his instructions and the boy went racing down the deck, stopping at each gun, instructing every gun crew to fire their load of grape into the enemy as the gun bore on the target. The gunner was to aim low, so most of the grapeshot would impact the privateer rather than the transport behind it.

  Terrier passed the stem of the lugger by just a few fathoms and the guns began to roar. Each carronade was charged with thirty two pounds of plum-sized iron balls, and the ships were so close most of them hit. Long before the after guns fired, the privateer was in pieces.

  Again the brig went after the other lugger but it had seen the error of its ways now and was heading for Brest. Heaving to beside the wrecked lugger, the launch took off what men were still alive. Most of the few survivors were terribly wounded. Captain Phillips felt no enmity for these men. They had fought for their country and lost. He was upset over the actions of his first lieutenant though. Unless the man had simply made a stupid, unprofessional mistake, it seemed he might be attempting to usurp command himself.

  CHAPTER SIX

  Captain Phillips invited the first officer to his cabin that night to discuss the situation. He began by informing the officer he realized how difficult it must be to be under a captain half his age, He informed Hawkins he was prepared to ask for his replacement the next chance he had.

  Of course, Hawkins realized that would be the kiss of death to his career. Already a very senior lieutenant, with few distinguishing achievements, he could look forward to spending the rest of his life ashore on half pay.

  The officer volubly protested “Sir, I know you are disturbed because I changed course. At the time, I thought you were making a mistake and had not seen the lugger in the middle of the convoy. I am most sorry for my action.”

  “Mister Hawkins, there can only be one captain aboard any ship. If you believe that should be yourself, you had better approach the Commander of the Mediterranean Fleet when we join and make your case. Should you attempt such an action again, I will regard it as mutiny and place you under arrest to be held for court martial. As it is, I intend to log the incident.”

  The rest of the meal was spent in grim silence. Mister Hawkins apparently still felt he was being abused but now did not dare protest. It was a relief to both when the midshipman of the watch reported the wind was shifting and the brig was now unable to maintain her course. Hawkins immediately left to investigate. A few minutes later, Phillips himself went on deck, staying well away from Hawkins and the Master’s Mate by the helm who were discussing the necessary course change.

  Next morning, the convoy was well out in the Atlantic and hopefully free from danger from any of the small, privateer pests along the French coast. With good weather prevailing, Gunner Wilcox and Chips were undertaking to fit the illicit guns to the carriages Chips had constructed.

  Four carronades, two forward and two aft, were lifted from their slides and struck below into the hold. The new gun carriages were put in place, then the guns were lifted f
rom the deck by tackle from the yards. Since the exterior of each gun was rather roughly cast, and not uniform, it was necessary to drop the gun in its proposed carriage on a trial, then Chips would carve away any wood that interfered with the gun being seated properly.

  By nightfall, the guns were ready for service. There were no prepared powder cartridges for these gun, so new ones had to be sewed. There were still a few barrels of the purchased powder Phillips had laid on before leaving port, so the new cartridges were filled with that. He need not account for this powder or for the shot, but in order to fire grape, he would need to break down some of the 32 pounder grape charges and use the components to make new loads for the smaller guns.

  Phillips saw little need for that. Grape was strictly a close range tool, and the remainder of the carronades would prove very useful in filling that need. What he needed the long eight pounders for was for their utility at long range, distances the carronades could not reach.

  He had hoped to see a potential target by now to test his new guns upon, but nothing came into sight. Shortly before reaching their rendezvous with the invasion fleet off Lisbon, the wind died down and the convoy had to wait for another breeze. A signal flag was hoisted on Terrier indicating gun drill was to commence.

  Having expended much of his practice powder and shot already, Phillips proposed just using the new guns. One of the boats took out empty beef barrels which were tossed overboard. The first shots fired from each gun were with reduced charges, in order to insure the guns were properly seated in their carriages.