HMS Shannon (1803)
Encyclopedia
The third HMS Shannon was a 36-gun frigate of the British Royal Navy
built at Frindsbury
on the River Medway
on the Thames Estuary
. She was completed on 3 September 1803 during the Napoleonic Wars
. Her name was changed from Pallas to Shannon shortly before construction, traditionally an omen of bad luck for a ship.
, on patrol off the Cape La Hogue searching for French coastal shipping and privateers attempting to slip out of the Normandy
port of Cherbourg. The 18-gun brig HMS Merlin, under Edward Pelham Brenton
, accompanied her.
At 8pm on the 10 December, just three months after she was completed, the ship was lost on Tatihou
Island, near Barfleur
, directly under an enemy battery. There was a heavy gale blowing and in the darkness, Leveson-Gower lost his position after losing sight of the Barfleur lighthouse. Assuming he had sea room, he attempted to wear around; a lee tide caught Shannon and crashed her straight onto the rocks. The crew of the Shannon were all able to scramble ashore unharmed, where the French troops garrisoning the battery above the wreck captured them.
Merlin spotted land thanks to a bolt of lighting and was able to wear off in time. She stood back into shore the following day and at 11.30am dispatched two boats of marines and sailors to destroy the wreck of the Shannon to prevent the French from salvaging her guns and stores. Despite heavy fire from the island's batteries the boarders were able to burn and destroy the frigate without suffering a single casualty.
, who was a captive at Verdun
, where Leveson-Gower would join him in January 1804. About three and a quarter years after the loss of Shannon, Leveson-Gower and his officers returned to England. There a court martial honorably acquitted them of all blame for the loss.
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
built at Frindsbury
Frindsbury
Frindsbury is part of the Medway Towns conurbation in Kent, southern England. It lies on the opposite side of the River Medway to Rochester, and at various times in its history has been considered fully or partially part of the City of Rochester. Frindsbury refers to both a parish and a manor....
on the River Medway
River Medway
The River Medway, which is almost entirely in Kent, England, flows for from just inside the West Sussex border to the point where it enters the Thames Estuary....
on the Thames Estuary
Thames Estuary
The Thames Mouth is the estuary in which the River Thames meets the waters of the North Sea.It is not easy to define the limits of the estuary, although physically the head of Sea Reach, near Canvey Island on the Essex shore is probably the western boundary...
. She was completed on 3 September 1803 during the Napoleonic Wars
Napoleonic Wars
The Napoleonic Wars were a series of wars declared against Napoleon's French Empire by opposing coalitions that ran from 1803 to 1815. As a continuation of the wars sparked by the French Revolution of 1789, they revolutionised European armies and played out on an unprecedented scale, mainly due to...
. Her name was changed from Pallas to Shannon shortly before construction, traditionally an omen of bad luck for a ship.
Wreck
She was attached to the Channel fleet and spent the next few months under her captain, Edward Leveson-GowerEdward Leveson-Gower
Edward Frederick Leveson-Gower DL, JP , styled The Honourable from birth, was a British barrister and Liberal politician...
, on patrol off the Cape La Hogue searching for French coastal shipping and privateers attempting to slip out of the Normandy
Normandy
Normandy is a geographical region corresponding to the former Duchy of Normandy. It is in France.The continental territory covers 30,627 km² and forms the preponderant part of Normandy and roughly 5% of the territory of France. It is divided for administrative purposes into two régions:...
port of Cherbourg. The 18-gun brig HMS Merlin, under Edward Pelham Brenton
Edward Pelham Brenton
Captain Edward Pelham Brenton was an officer of the British Royal Navy during the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars who military career was relatively quiet, apart from involvement in the capture of Martinique in 1809...
, accompanied her.
At 8pm on the 10 December, just three months after she was completed, the ship was lost on Tatihou
Tatihou
Tatihou is an island of Normandy in France with an area of 290,000 square metres. It is located to the east of the Cotentin peninsula just off the coast near Saint-Vaast-la-Hougue. It is almost uninhabited, and is usually reached by amphibious boat although, being a tidal island, it is also...
Island, near Barfleur
Barfleur
Barfleur is a commune in the Manche department in the Basse-Normandie region in north-western France.-Middle Ages:In the Middle Ages Barfleur was one of the chief ports of embarkation for England....
, directly under an enemy battery. There was a heavy gale blowing and in the darkness, Leveson-Gower lost his position after losing sight of the Barfleur lighthouse. Assuming he had sea room, he attempted to wear around; a lee tide caught Shannon and crashed her straight onto the rocks. The crew of the Shannon were all able to scramble ashore unharmed, where the French troops garrisoning the battery above the wreck captured them.
Merlin spotted land thanks to a bolt of lighting and was able to wear off in time. She stood back into shore the following day and at 11.30am dispatched two boats of marines and sailors to destroy the wreck of the Shannon to prevent the French from salvaging her guns and stores. Despite heavy fire from the island's batteries the boarders were able to burn and destroy the frigate without suffering a single casualty.
Aftermath
Edward Pelham Brenton was the younger brother of Captain Jahleel BrentonJahleel Brenton
Sir Jahleel Brenton, 1st baronet, KCB was a British admiral born in Newport, Rhode Island, British North America.-Early life:...
, who was a captive at Verdun
Verdun
Verdun is a city in the Meuse department in Lorraine in north-eastern France. It is a sub-prefecture of the department.Verdun is the biggest city in Meuse, although the capital of the department is the slightly smaller city of Bar-le-Duc.- History :...
, where Leveson-Gower would join him in January 1804. About three and a quarter years after the loss of Shannon, Leveson-Gower and his officers returned to England. There a court martial honorably acquitted them of all blame for the loss.