HMS Polyphemus (1782)

In late 1782, Admiral Sir Richard Hughes took a squadron that included Polyphemus, under Captain Thomas Sotheby, out to the West Indies.The action of 6 December 1782 lasted 40 minutes, during which time Ruby, under Captain John Collins, captured the French 64-gun ship Solitaire, under Jean-Charles de Borda.[6] Polyphemus was operating off Queenstown, Ireland, on 22 October when she took possession at Cork of the Dutch 64-gun ship Overijsel (or Overyssel),[7] which the Royal Navy took into service as HMS Overyessel.[8] In December 1796, Polyphemus and Apollo were off the Irish coast when they captured the 14-gun French privateer schooner Deux Amis, of 100 tons bm and 80 men.[10] There was only a handful of ships based at Cork under Rear-Admiral Kingsmill, principally Polyphemus and a frigate squadron, in late December 1796 when the French launched the Expédition d'Irlande, an attempt to create a republican uprising in Ireland.The next day the whole squadron advanced as far as the mouth of the Sound where the Danes had anchored three 74-gun ships, later increased to four, between Kronberg Castle and the Swedish shore.Because of gales the Admiral sheltered his squadron in Elsinore Roads and then went in Romney as far as Sophienberg Castle to talk with Lord Whitworth, who was negotiating with the Danish government.The British objective was to break up the second League of Armed Neutrality, which also included Sweden and Prussia, that Tzar Paul I of Russia had established.During the battle, Polyphemus and Desiree came to the assistance of the 50-gun fourth rate Isis, which was being hard-pressed by the Danes' 56-gun ship Provesteenen, and succeeded in silencing her.[15] In late November or early December (different records disagree), Polyphemus, under Lawford's command, captured several Spanish ships.[18] Lastly, Polyphemus captured the Bon Air, which was sailing from Vera Cruz to Cadiz with a cargo of cocoa, indigo, and cochineal, and $20,000.On 14 July her boats, together with others of the squadron, were taken by the Iris to Captain John Tremayne Rodd in Indefatigable off Rochefort to attack two French corvettes and a convoy at the entrance to the Garonne.The weather on 15 July appeared suitable for the attempt but after the boats left a strong wind blew up and although they managed to capture the corvette or brig Caesar, they could not prevent the convoy escaping up river.[34] The vessels claiming prize money included Pilchard and the hired armed lugger Nile, in addition to the various ships of the line and frigates.Caesar, of 18 guns, had a crew of 86 men according to her roster, and was under the command of lieutenant de vaisseau Louis François Hector Fourré.The British ships, under the command of Commodore Sir Samuel Hood sighted the French convoy shortly after it left Biscay port of Rochefort.In March Murray's squadron carried troops from the Cape of Good Hope to South America in support of a second failed attempt to wrest the River Plate area from the Spanish.A detachment of sailors and marines from Polyphemus served on shore in the Advance Brigade during the disastrous (for the British) attack on Buenos Aires.On the morning of 14 November Cumby sent his boats, under Lieutenant Joseph Daly in the barge, to chase a schooner attempting to enter the harbour at San Domingo.Their quarry proved to be the French navy schooner Colibry, of three carriage guns and a crew of 63 men under the command of lieutenant de vaisseau Deyrisse.[43] In June 1809 Cumby received command of a squadron consisting of Polyphemus, Aurora, Tweed, Sparrow, Thrush, Griffon, Lark, Moselle, Fleur de la Mer, and Pike.They sailed from Port Royal on 7 June with troops under Major-General Hugh Lyle Carmichael to assist the Spanish forces besieging the French in the city of San Domingo.Cumby signed the terms of capitulation in his capacity as senior officer in command of "His Majesty's Ships and Vessels before the City of Santo Domingo.