HMS Athenienne
Encyclopedia
HMS Athenienne was a 64-gun third-rate
ship of the line
of the Royal Navy
. She was the former Maltese ship San Giovanni, captured by the French and recommissioned as Athénien, and eventually taken by the Royal Navy after the surrender of Valletta
, on 4 September 1800.
In 1805, under the command of Captain
John Griffard, she sailed to Gibraltar
with stores and supplies for the fleet after the Battle of Trafalgar
.
Athénien was captured when Malta fell to the British at the end of the Siege of Malta
, and brought into British service as HMS Athenienne.
in search of a French squadron under Admiral Ganteaume
east of Sardinia
. The French squadron escaped.
Athenienne then joined the squadron under Lord Keith of Alexandria until she sprang a leak and returned to Malta
for repairs, after which she was sent to cruise the island of Elba
until the Peace of Amiens led to her to being recalled when her officers and crew were paid off at Portsmouth in October 1802.
On 16 October 1806, Athenienne sailed from Gibraltar for Malta under the command of Captain Robert Raynsford, with a crew of 470. In the evening of 20 October, she ran aground on a submerged reef, the Esquirques
(37°47′N 10°46′E), in the Strait of Sicily
.
The ship's masts were cut away to prevent her rolling on her side, but nevertheless she flooded to the lower deck ports within half an hour, then rolled over. Captain Raynsford had had an improvised raft constructed, unfortunately two of the ship's boats were swamped when launching and two others deserted the wreck; after much trouble the ship's launch
was freed and got into the water. Over 100 survivors were crammed into her and she was picked up the following day by a Danish
brig
.
In all, 347 people died, including Captain Raynsford, while 141 men and two women were rescued.
Third-rate
In the British Royal Navy, a third rate was a ship of the line which from the 1720s mounted between 64 and 80 guns, typically built with two gun decks . Years of experience proved that the third rate ships embodied the best compromise between sailing ability , firepower, and cost...
ship of the line
Ship of the line
A ship of the line was a type of naval warship constructed from the 17th through the mid-19th century to take part in the naval tactic known as the line of battle, in which two columns of opposing warships would manoeuvre to bring the greatest weight of broadside guns to bear...
of the Royal Navy
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...
. She was the former Maltese ship San Giovanni, captured by the French and recommissioned as Athénien, and eventually taken by the Royal Navy after the surrender of Valletta
Valletta
Valletta is the capital of Malta, colloquially known as Il-Belt in Maltese. It is located in the central-eastern portion of the island of Malta, and the historical city has a population of 6,098. The name "Valletta" is traditionally reserved for the historic walled citadel that serves as Malta's...
, on 4 September 1800.
In 1805, under the command of Captain
Captain (naval)
Captain is the name most often given in English-speaking navies to the rank corresponding to command of the largest ships. The NATO rank code is OF-5, equivalent to an army full colonel....
John Griffard, she sailed to Gibraltar
Gibraltar
Gibraltar is a British overseas territory located on the southern end of the Iberian Peninsula at the entrance of the Mediterranean. A peninsula with an area of , it has a northern border with Andalusia, Spain. The Rock of Gibraltar is the major landmark of the region...
with stores and supplies for the fleet after the Battle of Trafalgar
Battle of Trafalgar
The Battle of Trafalgar was a sea battle fought between the British Royal Navy and the combined fleets of the French Navy and Spanish Navy, during the War of the Third Coalition of the Napoleonic Wars ....
.
French career
San Giovanni was captured while nearing completion at her building site in La Valette. She was launched four months later, and taken into French service as Athénien. She was appointed to the medical services of the fleet, and carried out research on the diseases affecting the French fleet in the Mediterranean.Athénien was captured when Malta fell to the British at the end of the Siege of Malta
Siege of Malta (1798–1800)
The Siege of Malta was a two-year siege and blockade of the French garrison in Valletta, the largest city and main port on the Mediterranean island of Malta between 1798 and 1800. Valletta had been captured by a French expeditionary force during the Mediterranean campaign of 1798, and garrisoned...
, and brought into British service as HMS Athenienne.
Loss
In December 1800, command of Athenienne was given to Sir Thomas Livingstone, he accompanied Rear Admiral Sir John Borlase Warren to the coast of EgyptEgypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
in search of a French squadron under Admiral Ganteaume
Honoré Joseph Antoine Ganteaume
Count Honoré Joseph Antoine Ganteaume was a French admiral.Ganteaume was born to a family of merchant sailors, and sailed on a dozen commercial cruises in his youth...
east of Sardinia
Sardinia
Sardinia is the second-largest island in the Mediterranean Sea . It is an autonomous region of Italy, and the nearest land masses are the French island of Corsica, the Italian Peninsula, Sicily, Tunisia and the Spanish Balearic Islands.The name Sardinia is from the pre-Roman noun *sard[],...
. The French squadron escaped.
Athenienne then joined the squadron under Lord Keith of Alexandria until she sprang a leak and returned to Malta
Malta
Malta , officially known as the Republic of Malta , is a Southern European country consisting of an archipelago situated in the centre of the Mediterranean, south of Sicily, east of Tunisia and north of Libya, with Gibraltar to the west and Alexandria to the east.Malta covers just over in...
for repairs, after which she was sent to cruise the island of Elba
Elba
Elba is a Mediterranean island in Tuscany, Italy, from the coastal town of Piombino. The largest island of the Tuscan Archipelago, Elba is also part of the National Park of the Tuscan Archipelago and the third largest island in Italy after Sicily and Sardinia...
until the Peace of Amiens led to her to being recalled when her officers and crew were paid off at Portsmouth in October 1802.
On 16 October 1806, Athenienne sailed from Gibraltar for Malta under the command of Captain Robert Raynsford, with a crew of 470. In the evening of 20 October, she ran aground on a submerged reef, the Esquirques
Skerki Banks
The Skerki Banks are an area of relatively shallow open sea, situated in the central Mediterranean in the Strait of Sicily between Sicily and Tunisia, at approximately ....
(37°47′N 10°46′E), in the Strait of Sicily
Strait of Sicily
The Strait of Sicily is the strait between Sicily and Tunisia. It is about wide and divides the Tyrrhenian Sea and the western Mediterranean Sea from the eastern Mediterranean. Its maximum depth is ....
.
The ship's masts were cut away to prevent her rolling on her side, but nevertheless she flooded to the lower deck ports within half an hour, then rolled over. Captain Raynsford had had an improvised raft constructed, unfortunately two of the ship's boats were swamped when launching and two others deserted the wreck; after much trouble the ship's launch
Launch (boat)
A launch in contemporary usage refers to a large motorboat. The name originally referred to the largest boat carried by a warship. The etymology of the word is given as Portuguese lancha "barge", from Malay lancha, lancharan, "boat," from lanchar "velocity without effort," "action of gliding...
was freed and got into the water. Over 100 survivors were crammed into her and she was picked up the following day by a Danish
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
brig
Brig
A brig is a sailing vessel with two square-rigged masts. During the Age of Sail, brigs were seen as fast and manoeuvrable and were used as both naval warships and merchant vessels. They were especially popular in the 18th and early 19th centuries...
.
In all, 347 people died, including Captain Raynsford, while 141 men and two women were rescued.
Sources
- Terence Grocott - Shipwrecks of the Revolutionary & Napoleonic Eras, 1997 (reprinted 2002 ISBN 1-84067-164-5)
- Michael Phillips. Sailing Ships of the Royal Navy, A5. Ships of the Old Navy. Retrieved 20 January 2007.