Английская Википедия:HMS Raven (1804)

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Шаблон:Infobox ship imageШаблон:Infobox ship careerШаблон:Infobox ship characteristics

HMS Raven was a Cruizer-class brig-sloop built by Perry, Wells and Green at Blackwall Yard and launched in 1804. Although she embodied some interesting innovations tailored for service in the area of the Straits of Gibraltar, she was wrecked before she got on station and never tested them. Her captain, the innovator, was the subject of a miscarriage of justice at his court martial for the loss of the ship from which his career never recovered.

Service

She was commissioned under Commander William Layman in August.Шаблон:Sfnp Based on his experience in the Straits of Gibraltar with Weazel he suggested some modifications to existing vessels that would make them more successful in that area. Weazel, with Layman in command, had been wrecked on 1 March 1804 when a gale drove her near Cabritta Point in Gibraltar Bay and smashed to pieces, with the loss of one man killed. Layman was a protégé of Lord Nelson, with whom he had served in three ships, and with Nelson’s support he was allowed to implement some of his ideas.Шаблон:Sfnp

Layman only had time to make changes to RavenШаблон:'s armament. He closed the two foremost ports and replaced their guns with a single 68-pounder carronade that he mounted on a traverse carriage (i.e., pivot-mounted) immediately before the foremast in a way that it could fire over the gunwales.Шаблон:Sfnp Similarly, a second 68-pounder, also mounted on a traverse, replaced the two stern chasers.Шаблон:Sfnp Should gunboats threaten a becalmed Raven, she could present a powerful response on any azimuth.Шаблон:Efn

Loss

On 21 January 1805 Raven sailed to join Lord Nelson's squadron with dispatches for him and for Sir John Orde off Cadiz.Шаблон:Sfnp She arrived at the rendezvous on 29 January, some two to ten leagues off Cadiz, however Orde's squadron was not there.Шаблон:Sfnp

Layman reduced sail and hove to for the night.Шаблон:Sfnp A leadline sounding was taken, which showed that there was no bottom at Шаблон:Convert.Шаблон:Sfnp He assumed that Raven was well offshore and retired, leaving instructions that the watch should throw the lead every half hour.Шаблон:Sfnp

At about midnight the officer of the watch called with the news that he had sighted the lights of the squadron.Шаблон:Sfnp Before he could get on deck the officer of the watch came down the ladder, apparently agitated, and reported that the lights were those of Cadiz, not the squadron. Layman immediately went on deck and ordered a sounding be taken. It showed Шаблон:Convert, rapidly shoaling to Шаблон:Convert as he turned Raven about.Шаблон:Sfnp

At daylight Layman discovered that Raven was close inshore with Spanish warships at anchor off Cadiz on the one side and batteries in a fort at Santa Catalina on the other.Шаблон:Sfnp Unwilling to surrender, and in spite of a strong wind from the west, he managed to clear the shoals. However, the main yard broke "in the slings" and Layman was forced to anchor Raven off Rota.Шаблон:Sfnp The wind increased to gale strength and eventually the heavy seas caused the anchor cables to part.Шаблон:Sfnp The gale then threw Raven onto the beach at Santa Catalina. Layman threw the despatches he was carrying overboard, weighted with 32-pounder shot.Шаблон:Sfnp He lost only two men; they had disobeyed his orders and drowned while trying to reach shore at the height of the gale during the high tide. Once the tide receded it was easy for the crew to land on the beach.Шаблон:Sfnp

Raven herself was unsalvageable, though the Spaniards were able to recover her carronades. The Spanish took the crew prisoner but permitted the officers to move freely within a radius of Шаблон:Convert. Shortly thereafter the officers were exchanged.

Court-martial

While in Spanish custody, Layman made inquiries amongst the crew.Шаблон:Sfnp He discovered that the watch had neglected his instructions to use the leadline every half-hour. Furthermore, the officer of the watch had been below, drunk, when the lookouts first spotted the lights.Шаблон:Sfnp

When Layman was back in Gibraltar, he shared his findings with Nelson, but Nelson advised Layman not to blame his boatswain, master, and officer of the watch.Шаблон:Sfnp Nelson feared that the officer of the watch would receive a death sentence for his conduct. Nelson assured Layman that "You will not be censured."

However, Nelson had misjudged the situation. The court-martial on 9 March 1805 ordered Layman to be reprimanded severely and sentenced him to loss of seniority.Шаблон:SfnpШаблон:Sfnp The court-martial minutes include a note by an Admiralty official that, "Their Lordships are of the opinion that Captain Layman is not a fit person to be entrusted with the command of one of H.M.'s ships."Шаблон:Sfnp

There was one member of the court-martial who was particularly adamant that Layman be censured.Шаблон:Sfnp Layman may have annoyed some senior officers with his outspoken suggestions for improvements to the Navy and its ships.

Layman appealed his sentence, with support from Nelson, but the Admiralty was not willing to overturn the court-martial verdict. Nelson was killed at Trafalgar in October 1805 and so could not plead further Layman's case.Шаблон:Efn

Subsequent courts-martial dealt with Layman's officers. The court-martial board judged that the master, John Edwards, had been negligent in not taking regular soundings and in not monitoring RavenШаблон:'s movements. He was barred for two years from being able to sit for the examination for promotion to lieutenant.Шаблон:Sfnp The court-martial of RavenШаблон:'s second lieutenant, who had been the officer of the watch, resulted in his being dismissed from the service.

References

• "Biographical Memoir of Captain William Layman, of the Royal Navy". Naval Chronicle (1817), vol. 38, pp. 1–18 & 89–113.
• Шаблон:Cite book
• Шаблон:Cite book
• Шаблон:Cite RNB1823
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