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Вопрос по 1782 году
kimsky: Не подскажет ли кто, что за бой был между "Сципионом" и "Лондоном"? Хоть с какими-нибудь подробностями.
Ответов - 3
Benbow: 14 October 1782, HMS London (98-gun) together with HMS Torbay (under the command of Gidoin) and the sloop Badger (14-gun) chased two French warships, Scipion (74-gun) and Sibylle (40-gun) off San Domingo. When Scipion raked HMS London, a tiller rope was shot away, and London all but fell on board Torbay, which was firing on Scipion’s port quarter. This gave Scipion time to escape although she eventually struck a rock whilst anchoring in Samana Bay and sank. The analysis of the historians differs on the road taken by Scipion. In agreement with one of the versions, the boat crossed the Channel of La Mona, when it was seen by two English boats. The English shortened the distance which separated them from Scipion and its escort Sybille, a frigate of 40 guns, and started an unequal battle, because the English boats had 98 guns on London and 74 on Torbay. However, the French ship, under the command of the captain de Grimoard, operated superbly, but whereas it moved for a better defensive position, it struck a coral head and sank at 30 feet of depth.
Эд: Описание этого события из Beatson, Naval and Military Memoirs of Great Britain, v. V, 526-528 (1804): To diftress the enemy as much as poflible, Rear-Admiral Rowley fent the ships under his command to cruize in the ftations, in which he thought it mod likely that they fhould fall in with their ships. On the 1 7th of October, the Torbay of feventy guns, Captain Gidoin; the London of ninety guns, Captain Kempthorne, and the Badger sloop, were on a cruize off the eaft end of the ifland of St. Domingo. The London being ahead, at nine in the morning, made the fignal for seeing two fail in the N. W., and Captain Gidoin made the fignal to chace. The chace were at this time on the larboard tack, and standing towards the London. They were foon perceived to be a fhip of feventy-four guns and a frigate, and afterwards prov- ed to be the Scipion and the Sybille, French ships of war. On seeing the British ships in chace of them they tacked, and made all the fail they could from them, going large with the wind on the larboard quarter. At twenty-five minutes paft two, the Scipion hoisted French colours, and fired her ftern chace guns at the London ; and soon after that, the frigate did the fame. Captain Kempthorne, finding that they continued their fire, and that their fire went over his fhip, ordered the London to bear, and to fire the starboard guns at the line of battle fhip : and forty minutes paft five he repeated this, the enemy still firing their stern chaces. At eight o'clock, the London got clofe up alongside of the Scipion, hauled up the main-fail, and took in the fore-studding-sail : and, in fifteen minutes, began a clofe action, with a very heavy fire, which lafted near forty minutes. The Sybille kept firing all the while on the London's larboard bow. The Scipion attempting to bear up, Captain Kempthorne ordered the helm of the London to be put hard aport, in order to cross her bows, or lay athwart hawfe ; but being very clofely engaged, the two ships fell on board of each other, bow and quarter, the larboard cathead abreaft, of the London's larboard gangway, and the action was re- newed with as much keenness as before. The enemy then backed clear of the London's quarter, her main and mizen-top- sails being aback. Captain Kempthorne inftantly attempted to wear the ship, in order to clofe with the enemy, on the slar- board-bow ; and was much difappointed in not being able to accomplish this. Owing to the leading-block of the weather- tiller-rope being shot away, with part of the fweep, the ship came with her head to the wind, before it was possible to get the helm aweather with the assistance of the relieving tackles ; by which means the enemy had time to pass to leeward, under the stern of the London, and to rake her with their starboard guns. The London having wore as foon as posslible, the enemy were again brought to action, by her leading down on the Scipion's starboard bow ; and the frigate, a little ahead of her, kept up a conftant fire from her broadfide, until twenty minutes past ten. The Scipion having now ceafed firing, and her colours appearing to be down, the Captain and his officers concluded that she had ftruck, as the frigate had by this time quitted her, and made off. At forty minutes past ten, the Scipion being then a little ahead of her antagonift, was obferved to bear up, and was endeavouring to get away ; but to prevent this, the London hauled up to bring fome of her bow guns to bear, and fired three shot. The enemy then hauled up his main-fail, and seemed to bring to, his main-topfail half down, and his top-gallant sails flying. At this time, the Torbay coming within hail of the London, Captain Kempthorne informed Captain Gidoin, that he suppofed that the enemy had ftruck ; and requefted that he would go down to her, as the damages which his fhip had received, prevented him from making sail and doing it. He told him, that the ftarboard fore-yard-arm shot away, that all the fails were much cut, with fome of the braces, running rigging, and tiller-rope , that the mizen-mast was very much wounded, that the mizen-mast and tiller were partly shot through ; that all the boats except one were render- ed unferviceable, and that he would follow him with all the sail he could poflibly make, as foon as he could get the fhip under command. Captain Gidoin replied, that he would in- stantly go down, and made fail accordingly. The Scipion was then making off with all the fails me could fet. On board the London, they reeved the tiller-rope and braces, set all their larboard ftudding fails, and hauled in the starboard. At half paft twelve at night, the Scipion was right ahead, about a mile and a half diflant, under a press of fail. The light airs of wind during the night, enabled the enemy to preferve their distance next morning, to keep without reach of fhot, and to fteer for the fhore. At day-light on the i8th, the call end of Hifpaniola appeared fouth, distant four or five leagues. At ten it became almoft calm, and the London being very near the land, Captain Kempthorne was obliged to haul to the north- ward, to prevent driving on fhore, where there was no anchor- age. As the enemy were clofe in with the breakers, standing along fhore towards Samana Bay, Captain Kempthorne sent an officer to inform Captain Gidoin of what he had done, and the Torbay continued the chace. At one in the afternoon, Captain Kempthorne fpoke the Badger Hoop, whose Captain sent two pilots on board the London -, but when they learnt the state of the fhip, neither of them would take charge of her, to stand farther into the bay after the enemy. All that they could therefore now do, was to repair their damages as fast as poflible. The Torbay came up with the enemy at half past three, and poured a broadfide into her. She then put large, and run into a fmall bay called English Harbour, in the island of St. Domingo, where she came to an anchor, immediately after which, fhe ftruck on a funken rock, and was that night totally lost ; but her crew were faved. She was commanded by the Chevalier de Grimouard, who was wounded in the action, in which she had fifteen men killed, and forty-fix wounded. If the enemy had had a few more leagues to run, they must have struck to the Torbay, as they had been so roughly handled in the action with the London, that they were not capable of making much resistance ; but Captain Gidoin was too well ac- quainted with the dangers of the coast to follow them any farther trum he did, and he well knew, from the fresh breeze that then blew, that it was impossible for them to extricate themfelves. On board the London, nine men were killed in the action, and two died of their wounds. Lieutenants Burgefs, Hankey, and Trigge, and feventy-two men, were wounded. Так что по английской версии Scipion спустил флаг, англичане прекратили огонь, после чего он пытался бежать (обычный прием у французов в эту эпоху). Если бы он не наскочил на подводный камень, то его захватил бы Torbay.
kimsky: Ясно, спасибо.
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