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RN ship losses @rnshiplosses.bsky.social · 4h

'We have more French ships in our ports than remain in the ports of France' said Admiral Warren after 2nd Finisterre, with pardonable hyperbole. The British didn't bring the Glorioso into service, she was too battered and anyway they were alright for 74s.

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RN ship losses @rnshiplosses.bsky.social · 7h

Thanks, what a fascinating bit of little-known history. Apparently there is a book about it: Brendan O'Brien, 'Speedy Justice: The Tragic Last Voyage of His Majesty's Vessel Speedy' (University of Toronto Press, 1992).

RN ship losses @rnshiplosses.bsky.social · 7h

It is, and I'd like to know more about it. Apparently the defendant in the case was on board along with some witnesses (hope they were kept apart) and several court officials. Don't know what the case was about, but presumably it did not go ahead...

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RN ship losses @rnshiplosses.bsky.social · 7h

He was, and he did. Pedro Messía de la Cerda y de los Ríos: he and his crew were regarded as heroes in Spain, and were greatly admired in Britain. The ship did well too, the Glorioso was designed by Vice-Admiral José Antonio de Gaztañeta e Iturribalzaga, one of the best naval architects of the day.

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RN ship losses @rnshiplosses.bsky.social · 7h

Well, it's showing up for me without any problems. Here are the two pages I referenced. Citation: Neil Cunningham Dobson & Sean Kingsley, 'HMS Victory, a first-rate Royal Navy warship lost in the English Channel, 1744: preliminary survey & identification', Odyssey Marine Exploration Papers 2 (2009).

Page 40 from Neil Cunningham Dobson and Sean Kingsley, 'HMS Victory, a first-rate Royal Navy warship lost in the English Channel, 1744: preliminary survey & identification', Odyssey Marine Exploration Papers 2 (2009). Relevant excerpt reads: 'The problematic sourcing of timber for wooden knees is also theoretically significant. During the reign of King George II, the procurement of timber reached crisis levels. Towards the end of the Seven Years War (1756-63), Roger Fisher, a specialist on wood supply, observed that "Indeed, so great has the consumption been that one of the most eminent timber dealers in the county of Sussex now living, has declared to me, that there is not now, as he verily believes, more than one tenth part of the full grown timber, standing or growing, as there was when he entered into business, forty-five years ago" (Marcus, 1975: 12).
This deficiency was not merely a matter of bad management, but one of partial environmental determinism and a failure by the Admiralty to react appropriately. The first 40 years of the 18th century witnessed a succession of mild winters. A sustained positive phase in the North Atlantic Oscillation created unusually high pressure and a strong westerly airflow that resulted in the decadal temperature rising by 0.6 degrees centigrade above normal between 1730 and 1739 – when Victory was being built. Consequently, cut timbers contained more sap than in typical growth cycles, making the seasoning process longer if not impossible. Wood was rotting instead of seasoning (Wilkinson, 2004: 85, 88-89).
All of these factors could have had a cumulative effect on the hull of HMS Victory, and her service record hints that all was not well with her structure. By October 1744, she had notably suffered numerous accidents and may have been as badly patched up as the Royal George would be later. Admiralty records leave the impression that from the start, the construction and operation of Victory experienced deep-set problems'.

Page 41 from Neil Cunningham Dobson and Sean Kingsley, 'HMS Victory, a first-rate Royal Navy warship lost in the English Channel, 1744: preliminary survey & identification', Odyssey Marine Exploration Papers 2 (2009). Relevant excerpt reads: 'The length of time that Victory spent being built, and the reality that re-fits were deemed necessary already in March 1737 (the year she was launched) and January 1739, when new knees had to be inserted, leaves the question of Victory's seaworthiness open to debate. In the absence of oak timber of sufficient size and suitability for ship construction, she was almost certainly constructed in part of unseasoned timber. The amount of time she spent in and out of dock would also have compounded any problem of rot, given the above concerns that warships were not being adequately ventilated.'

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RN ship losses @rnshiplosses.bsky.social · 8h

8 Oct 1944 // Minesweeper BYMS 2030 was sweeping at the mouth of the Seine when a mine exploded under her stern. She immediately began to settle and sank about 35 minutes later. All her crew survived and were safely evacuated, although four men suffered injuries. #RoyalNavy #WW2 #NavalHistory

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RN ship losses @rnshiplosses.bsky.social · 8h

8 Oct 1944 // Minesweeper HMCS Mulgrave detonated a mine while sweeping off Le Havre. There were no casualties. Severely damaged, she was beached at Le Havre and temporary repairs enabled her to be towed to Portsmouth, where she was declared a total loss. #RoyalCanadianNavy #WW2 #NavalHistory

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RN ship losses @rnshiplosses.bsky.social · 8h

8 Oct 1917 // HM Trawler Ben Heilem, an Aberdeen boat in #RoyalNavy service as a minesweeper, ran aground off Berwick on Tweed. Salvage attempts failed because of bad weather, and she was abandoned as a wreck. No lives were lost. #WW1 #NavalHistory

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RN ship losses @rnshiplosses.bsky.social · 8h

8 Oct 1812 // 18-gun sloop HMS Avenger (formerly merchant vessel Thames) was wrecked with no loss of life in the Narrows at St John's Harbour, Newfoundland. A change in the wind headed her as she tried to make the harbour in bad weather, and she was driven on shore. #RoyalNavy #NavalHistory

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RN ship losses @rnshiplosses.bsky.social · 8h

8 Oct 1804 // HMS Speedy, a schooner based on Lake Ontario, disappeared in bad weather while sailing from York (Toronto) to Newcastle with passengers destined for an impending court case. Wreckage was found, but there were no survivors from around 40 people on board. #RoyalNavy #NavalHistory

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RN ship losses @rnshiplosses.bsky.social · 8h

8 Oct 1800 // 18-gun brig sloop HMS Diligence struck an uncharted reef and was wrecked, with no loss of life, near Río Puercos on the north coast of Cuba. All the crew were rescued by HMS Thunderer on the following day, and the wreck was burnt. #RoyalNavy #NavalHistory

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RN ship losses @rnshiplosses.bsky.social · 8h

Image: Charles Brooking, 'The Capture of the "Glorioso" 8th October 1747' (c1747). National Maritime Museum: BHC0371. Glorioso is in centre right exchanging fire with HMS Russell, blazing wreck of HMS Dartmouth on the right. Second picture: detail of HMS Dartmouth. [5/5] #RoyalNavy #NavalHistory

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RN ship losses @rnshiplosses.bsky.social · 8h

About 300 men from the Dartmouth were killed, and fewer than 20 survivors were rescued. HMS Russell and the privateers continued to pursue the Glorioso and finally captured her on the following morning, after an overnight battle involving formidable resistance from the Spaniards. [4/5]

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RN ship losses @rnshiplosses.bsky.social · 8h

However, before the Russell came within range, HMS Dartmouth, cruising nearby and attracted by the sound of gunfire, had raced in from seaward to join the action. The battle went on from 1pm to around 3.30pm, when a shot hit Dartmouth's magazine and she was torn apart by a huge explosion. [3/5]

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RN ship losses @rnshiplosses.bsky.social · 8h

She then sailed for Cadiz, but was intercepted by a squadron of British privateers off Cape St Vincent. In a lengthy battle she successfully held them off, inflicting heavy damage, and when 80-gun HMS Russell happened to come into sight the privateers sent a boat to appeal for her assistance. [2/5]

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RN ship losses @rnshiplosses.bsky.social · 8h

8 Oct 1747 (O.S.) // 50-gun HMS Dartmouth blew up and sank while engaging the Spanish 74-gun warship Glorioso off Cadiz. The Glorioso, carrying millions of dollars from the Spanish Main, had already defeated two British attacks and had safely landed her cargo of treasure at Corcubión. [1/5]

Charles Brooking, 'The Capture of the "Glorioso" 8th October 1747' (c1747). Royal Museums Greenwich, National Maritime Museum: BHC0371. The painting shows the Glorioso (right centre) exchanging fire with HMS Russell, with British privateers in the background and the wreck of HMS Dartmouth, destroyed by an explosion, on the right.

Detail of Charles Brooking, 'The Capture of the "Glorioso" 8th October 1747' (c1747), showing the blazing wreck of HMS Dartmouth.

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RN ship losses @rnshiplosses.bsky.social · 1d

I always like being able to post those words. As for your query, I am pretty sure the answer is no. Indeed, if it turns out that there is a day when no losses took place, I will write a post remarking on the fact.

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RN ship losses @rnshiplosses.bsky.social · 1d

Yes, I feel the same. Dreadful enough to lose someone, but to have that endless unknowing as well...

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RN ship losses @rnshiplosses.bsky.social · 1d

7 Oct 1944 // HM Trawler Vidonia, in use as a fuel carrier, was at anchor off Utah Beach, Normandy, when she was rammed in poor weather by US Liberty Ship Jose Artigas. Badly holed, she broke up and sank with the loss of eight of her crew. #RoyalNavy #WW2 #NavalHistory

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RN ship losses @rnshiplosses.bsky.social · 1d

7 Oct 1944 // Motor launches HDML 1118 and HDML 1119, Royal Indian Navy, were at anchor off Maungdaw, Burma, when two RAF Spitfires attacked them with gunfire. 1118 was badly damaged and 1119 was sunk. Five men died in this tragic friendly fire incident. #RoyalIndianNavy #WW2 #NavalHistory

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RN ship losses @rnshiplosses.bsky.social · 1d

ML 339 was hit at 3:38am by a torpedo which destroyed her stern. The forward section caught fire and sank shortly afterwards. Three men were lost. About 20 minutes later the Caroline Moller was hit by a torpedo and sank with 16 men lost from her crew of 35. [2/2] #RoyalNavy #WW2 #NavalHistory

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RN ship losses @rnshiplosses.bsky.social · 1d

7 Oct 1943 // Two vessels were lost to torpedoes while escorting coastal convoy FN32 off the Norfolk coast, when the convoy was attacked in the early hours of the morning by a large squadron of German torpedo boats: motor launch ML 339 and Admiralty tug Caroline Moller. [1/2]

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RN ship losses @rnshiplosses.bsky.social · 1d

7 Oct 1943 // Submarine HMS Trooper, on patrol in the Aegean Sea, was lost with all hands (64 men) on or around this date, cause of loss uncertain until her wreck was discovered in the Aegean north of Donoussa in 2024, confirming that she was sunk by a German mine. #RoyalNavy #WW2 #NavalHistory

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RN ship losses @rnshiplosses.bsky.social · 1d

7 Oct 1918 // HM Drifter Ocean Foam, a Great Yarmouth boat in #RoyalNavy service as a patrol vessel, sank off Penzance following a collision with Admiralty trawler Castor II. All her crew were saved. #WW1 #NavalHistory

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RN ship losses @rnshiplosses.bsky.social · 1d

7 Oct 1918 // HM Trawler Kalmia, a Grimsby boat in #RoyalNavy service as a patrol vessel in the Aegean, was written off as a total loss after an accidental fire at Stavros. However, sold to new owners, she was repaired, and saw further naval service in the Second World War. #WW1 #NavalHistory

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