during the Anglo-Russian
invasion,
Holland 1799
by Geert van Uythoven
Requests for
transport shipping had to be forwarded to the ‘Commissioners of Transports’ of
the ‘Transport Board,’ but actual execution of the requisition orders was the
responsibility of the ‘Transport Office’ (headquarters at Deptford on the
Thames, near London). Its transport agents operated throughout the country,
searching the ports for suitable shipping. For this invasion, a large number of
ships was needed. The ‘Transport Office’ relied on three sources:
1. “Regular
transports”. The least important but the most reliable source, often
converted old or captured naval war vessels. These ships, permanently fitted
out for carrying troops, were never in great numbers available and insufficient
for the expedition ahead. There were different types of these, with the most
common:
- Troopships (for
a description see under 2);
- Artillery horse
ships;
- Artillery store
ships;
- “Victualling”
or supply ships.
2. The navy.
Frigates and ships of the line were not designed for carrying troops but could
provide for a few men when necessary. Smaller vessels could (because of their
design) only be used over short distances and in times of extraordinary need.
Given time some navy ships could be converted for transport purposes. A
“troopship” was a 64-, 50-, or 44-gun twodecker with its lower tier of guns
removed to make room for men, supplies, or equipment. Such ships were said to
be armed ‘en flute’, from a Dutch term for vessels with gun decks removed to
carry men.
3. Finally, the
transport office could use “civilian shipping” to provide for the needs.
Since regular transports and military troopships could not possibly provide the
tonnage needed for this invasion, the transport agents had to negotiate
individual contracts with private owners. This involved several steps. Once a
civilian ship was ‘offered’ or ‘tendered’ to the government, it had to be
inspected or ‘surveyed’ by the transport agent in order to determine both its
suitability for service, and the measures required to have it converted or
‘fitted out’ for troops, horses, supplies, or equipment.
The carrying
capacity of these ships was stated in tons. Generally speaking, 1 to 1 ½ tons
was needed for each man, the exact calculation depending on the type of ship,
and the urgency of the service requested. Some smaller ships were simply not
suited for carrying troops, even at a rate of several tons per man.
Another source
that was more readily available were the revenue cutters of the ‘Treasury
Department’. But although used these were not very suitable, as they were so
small and tightly built. After being inspected, it was reported that these
could be used for a short voyage, provided some precautions were taken: Only
one man for every two or three tons, and even then each soldier should only
carry his own pack and no other baggage, In addition, one third of the troops
would have to be kept on deck at all times, and the ships were only to sail in
calm weather. For the 1799 invasion of Holland, 30 revenue cutters with a total
of 3,255 tons were used.
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Except for the
blockading squadron which would go after the Dutch fleet, the invasion fleet in
1799 consisted of two components:
1. The transport
fleet, including ships of the sorts mentioned above.
2. The escort squadron consisting of
naval war ships, including supporting vessels like bomb vessels, etc. In
addition, 39 flatboats were carried to be used as landing boats.
The First
British Division sailed on 12 August 1799:
- 1st Guards
Brigade (2 battalions, 2,119 men) on 14 transports;
- 2nd Guards
Brigade (2 battalions, 3,312 men) on 13 transports;
- 1st Brigade (5
battalions, 3,442 men) on 16 ships (13 transports & 3 troopships);
- 2nd Brigade (5
battalions, 3,571 men) on 16 transports;
- 5th Brigade or
reserve (2 battalions, 915 men) on 5 transports;
- 18th Light
Dragoons / Staff horses (202 men and 409 horses) on 19 ships;
- Brigade /
regimental artillery (241 men + 10 women) on 6 ships;
- Artillery store
ships (215 men + 18 women), 14 ships;
- Artillery horse
ships (218 horses, 192 men + 14 women), 9 ships.
So excluding the
artillery, for the infantry and a few hundred cavalry, a total of 12,359 men
and 409 horses, already 83 transports were needed! With the artillery included,
transport ships totalled 112!
Note: The CIC General
Abercromby, all general officers and their staffs were transported by the
warships.
Note: Added to the transport
fleet were three hospital ships:
- “Asia”, former 3rd Rate
64. Build 1764 (?)
- “Britannia”
- “Friendship”
Note: Some of the
troops ships (of which most were sent to fetch the Russians as well !!!) were
also part of the blockading squadron, because of their depleted armament a fact
that did not please its commander Vice-Admiral Mitchell. One of these, not send
for the Russians, was:
- “Sheerness”,
5th Rate 44. Build 1787.
Still missing
were the “victualling” or supply ships with one month’s provisions for 12,000
men. This was however not an acute problem, as all warships and transports
carried provisions for 3 ½ weeks. Also missing were the transports carrying 40
commissary wagons and their 160 horses.
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On 24 August, the 3rd Brigade
(2,768 men) embarked, followed by the 4th Brigade (2,387 men). Among
other transports, troopships involved were for the 3rd Brigade the
“Fourterelle” and “Adventure”, for the 4th brigade the “Sensible” , “Roebuck”,
and “Eurus”. For details on these ships see below. Beside these troopships, and
with the missing supply ships and 40 additional transport added, the
“Belliqueux” (3rd Rate 64) escorted the convoy to the Dutch coast.
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British ships were used for transporting
the Russians. Here I have more details about the ships used available:
Troopships destined for
Reval to aid in transporting the Russians:
- “Inflexible”, 3rd Rate 64,
500 tons. Build 1780; converted to storeship 1793; converted to troopship 1799.
- “Wassenaer”, 3rd Rate 64,
500 tons. Dutch, captured at Camperdown 1797; converted to troopship; converted
to powder hulk in 1804.
- “Dictator”, 3rd Rate 64, 500 tons. Build 1783; converted
to troopship 1798; converted to floating battery 1803.
- “Diadem”, 3rd Rate 64, 500
tons. Build 1782; converted to troopship 1798.
- “Brakel”, 4th Rate 54, 500
tons. Dutch, seized at Plymouth 1796; converted to troopship 1799.
- “Expedition”, 5th Rate 44,
400 tons. Build 1784; converted to (26-gun) troopship 1798.
- “Experiment”, 5th Rate 44,
400 tons. Build 1784; converted to storeship 1795; harbour service 1805.
- “Hebe”, 5th Rate 38, 300
tons. French, captured off Ile Bas by the “Rainbow” 1782; converted to
troopship.
They would be followed by
more ships later, some of them first delivering their load of British troops on
the Dutch coast: Ships of war (1,000 tons) and troopships (8,000 tons): See
below. As well as revenue vessels (1,000 tons).
- “Nassau”, 3rd Rate 64, 500
tons. Build 1785; converted to (36-gun) troopship 1797. Wrecked 14.10.1799 on
the Dutch coast (during the invasion).
- “Stately”, 3rd Rate 64,
500 tons. Build 1784; converted to troopship 1799.
- “Tromp”, 4th Rate 60, 500
tons. Dutch, captured at the Cape 1796; converted to harbour service 1799, but
nevertheless used as troopship.
- “Coromandel”, 4th Rate 56,
700 tons. Build 1795: ex-East Indiaman “Winterton”, purchased on stocks;
converted to troopship; converted to storeship 1800; converted to harbour
service 1807.
- “Weymouth”, 4th Rate 56,
700 tons. Build 1795: ex-East Indiaman “Earl Mansfield”, purchased on stocks;
converted to troopship; converted to 26-gun storeship 1798; also used as
troopship 1799.
- “Alkmaar”, 4th Rate 54,
500 tons. Dutch, captured at Camperdown 1797.
- “Calcutta”, 4th Rate 54,
500 tons. Ex-East Indiaman “Warley”, purchased 1795; converted to 24-gun
transport 1804.
- “Europa”, 4th Rate 50, 500
tons. Build 1783; converted to troopship 1798.
- “Adventure”, 5th Rate 44,
400 tons. Build 1784; converted to troopship 1799; converted to harbour service
1801.
- “Roebuck”, 5th Rate 44,
400 tons. Build 1774; converted to hospital ship 1790; converted to troopship
1799; converted to guardship 1803; converted to floating battery 1805. A nice
example how a ship was converted more then once to meet demands!
- “Espion”, 5th Rate 36, 350
tons. French former “Atalante”, captured 1794 by “Swiftsure” off Cork. Wrecked
1799 on the Goodwins.
- “Romulus”, 5th Rate 36,
350 tons. Build 1785; converted to troopship 1799; converted to harbour service
1803.
- “Sensible”, 5th Rate 36,
300 tons. French, captured 1798 by “Seahorse” in the Mediterranean.
- “Blanche”, 5th Rate 32,
350 tons. Build 1786; wrecked in the Texel during the campaign1799.
- “Blonde”, 5th Rate 32, 300
tons. Build 1787; converted to troopship 1798.
- “Ceres”, 5th Rate 32, 350
tons. Build 1781; converted to troops ship; converted to slop ship 1804.
- “Eurus”, 5th Rate 32, 300
tons. Dutch former Zefir seized in the river Forth 1796; converted to
troopship; converted to storeship 1803.
- “Niger”, 5th Rate 32, 350
tons. Build 1759; converted to troopship; converted to prison hulk 1810.
- “Fourterelle”, 300 tons.
Unknown to me.
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Short bibliography:
- Colledge, J.J., “Ships of
the Royal Navy. An historical index” (Devon 1969)
- The Mariners’Museum, “A
Dictionary of the world’s Watercraft” (London 2000)
- Uythoven, Geert van,
“Voorwaarts, Bataven! De Engels-Russische invasie van 1799” (Zaltbommel 1999)
- Williams, Coleman Osborne,
III, “The role of the British navy in the Helder Campaign, 1799” Ph.D. 1985
Auburn University. To be ordered trough www.UMI.com.
© Geert van Uythoven