HMS Athena: A Charles Mullins novel (Sea Command Book 4) Read Online Free Page B
Author: Richard Testrake
this lee shore, Mullins made for the center of the convoy, threatening a large sailing barge. Designed to transport guns and horses across the Channel, this craft, unable to evade, was helpless to the threat.
The corvette, now with the wind behind her, charged back through her flock, touching one of the larger sailing barges, whose bowsprit fouled the corvette’s rigging. This gave Athena opportunity to approach the struggling corvette.
The escort managed to break free from her entanglement before Athena’s arrival, but her subsequent broadside was fired too early, before her guns bore on their targets, with most of her shot going wide and into the sea.
Athena continued her approach and closed the enemy, port-side to port-side. At long musket shot range, she fired, with no response save for a single French eight-pounder gun.
This single shot accounted for much of the damage Athena received during the engagement. The ball struck the helm, severing the tiller cable besides killing one helmsman and seriously wounding another.
The bosun led a party below to steer the ship from the rudderstock. There was a short delay with no control over the helm, which might have given the enemy an opening, but she had her own difficulties.
Struck at point-blank range by a dozen nine-pounder balls, serious damage was caused to the corvette, including a pair of her guns dismounted and her foremast wounded.
Her more serious problem however was with her crew. The corvette had few professional seamen aboard, being served mainly with newly-conscripted soldiers sent aboard just before sailing.
Many of these hands were already incapacitated from seasickness and now the rest, faced with the destructive cannon-fire at close range, were frozen by fear.
Athena continued past her foe, cutting across her stern. Some of her guns had been loaded, this time with grape, and her terrible fire continued.
Mullins thought the corvette would strike her colors at any moment, but then one of the convoy, this one little better than a raft with lee-boards, and a single gaff-rigged lugsail, crashed into her beam. Athena’s crew was occupied for critical minutes clearing the wreckage away. By the time she was clear, the corvette had escaped into shoal waters where Mullins did not wish to venture.
Judging the corvette to have been damaged enough that she would be unlikely to sail soon, he left her and began pursuing the remainder of the convoy.
Most of these surrendered after the firing of a gun. Only one had to be battered into wreckage.
Chapter Five
Deciding he must make port to have his helm repaired, he located the commodore of the inshore squadron and reported his difficulty. With no objections, Athena set course for Portsmouth. Long before reaching port, new tiller ropes had been rove and a makeshift helm was fabricated, so the ship could be steered from on deck.
Once safely moored in port, the ship became a beehive of activity while the necessary repairs were made and additional stores were brought aboard. Their carpenter was able to obtain additional materials to repair some of the previous damage, and Mullins began to believe the ship might not be put back into ordinary or sent to the breaker’s yard.
Captain Howard, the flagship’s captain, came over one afternoon to look over the ship. He confided Athena had surprised some of the naysayers over her productive cruise. A possible use for the ship had surfaced and he wished to explore Mullin’s thoughts on the matter.
It seemed a minister was being sent to New York to consult with American officials. A frigate, HMS Phaeton, 38 guns, Captain Cockburn commanding, would convey the official.
Once there however, the frigate having concluded her previous business would rendezvous with a hired East India Company ship, the Sir Edward Hughes, that would take on a cargo of specie. These funds were payment for losses incurred by loyalists during the late war. Some of the specie
The corvette, now with the wind behind her, charged back through her flock, touching one of the larger sailing barges, whose bowsprit fouled the corvette’s rigging. This gave Athena opportunity to approach the struggling corvette.
The escort managed to break free from her entanglement before Athena’s arrival, but her subsequent broadside was fired too early, before her guns bore on their targets, with most of her shot going wide and into the sea.
Athena continued her approach and closed the enemy, port-side to port-side. At long musket shot range, she fired, with no response save for a single French eight-pounder gun.
This single shot accounted for much of the damage Athena received during the engagement. The ball struck the helm, severing the tiller cable besides killing one helmsman and seriously wounding another.
The bosun led a party below to steer the ship from the rudderstock. There was a short delay with no control over the helm, which might have given the enemy an opening, but she had her own difficulties.
Struck at point-blank range by a dozen nine-pounder balls, serious damage was caused to the corvette, including a pair of her guns dismounted and her foremast wounded.
Her more serious problem however was with her crew. The corvette had few professional seamen aboard, being served mainly with newly-conscripted soldiers sent aboard just before sailing.
Many of these hands were already incapacitated from seasickness and now the rest, faced with the destructive cannon-fire at close range, were frozen by fear.
Athena continued past her foe, cutting across her stern. Some of her guns had been loaded, this time with grape, and her terrible fire continued.
Mullins thought the corvette would strike her colors at any moment, but then one of the convoy, this one little better than a raft with lee-boards, and a single gaff-rigged lugsail, crashed into her beam. Athena’s crew was occupied for critical minutes clearing the wreckage away. By the time she was clear, the corvette had escaped into shoal waters where Mullins did not wish to venture.
Judging the corvette to have been damaged enough that she would be unlikely to sail soon, he left her and began pursuing the remainder of the convoy.
Most of these surrendered after the firing of a gun. Only one had to be battered into wreckage.
Chapter Five
Deciding he must make port to have his helm repaired, he located the commodore of the inshore squadron and reported his difficulty. With no objections, Athena set course for Portsmouth. Long before reaching port, new tiller ropes had been rove and a makeshift helm was fabricated, so the ship could be steered from on deck.
Once safely moored in port, the ship became a beehive of activity while the necessary repairs were made and additional stores were brought aboard. Their carpenter was able to obtain additional materials to repair some of the previous damage, and Mullins began to believe the ship might not be put back into ordinary or sent to the breaker’s yard.
Captain Howard, the flagship’s captain, came over one afternoon to look over the ship. He confided Athena had surprised some of the naysayers over her productive cruise. A possible use for the ship had surfaced and he wished to explore Mullin’s thoughts on the matter.
It seemed a minister was being sent to New York to consult with American officials. A frigate, HMS Phaeton, 38 guns, Captain Cockburn commanding, would convey the official.
Once there however, the frigate having concluded her previous business would rendezvous with a hired East India Company ship, the Sir Edward Hughes, that would take on a cargo of specie. These funds were payment for losses incurred by loyalists during the late war. Some of the specie
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