Hired armed cutter Ann
Encyclopedia
The hired armed
cutter Ann served the Royal Navy
from 9 May 1795 to 19 October 1801 during the French Revolutionary Wars
. She was of 104 91/94 tons burthen
and carried twelve 3-pounder guns.
On 23 May 1799, while engaged in the protection of the fisheries off Folkestone
, at 8pm Ann gave chase to a lugger. After a two-hour running fight she succeeded in capturing the Aimable Therese, a small French privateer lugger of four guns and 27 men. At the time, Ann was in company with sloop and the hired armed cutter Nox.
On 11 October Ann and the hired armed cutter Lion recaptured three small vessels. On the evening of 21 November, after a chase of five hours, Ann captured the French privateer cutter Petit Diable some three to four leagues
south-southwest of Beachy Head. Commanded by Simon Robert Saltitat, Petit Diable was two days out of Dieppe and carried only eight men with small arms. The rest of the crew had been sent back to France in a small sloop the privateer had cut out from Seaford Roads the previous night. On 28 November Ann captured the fishing boats Brune and St Joseph.
Ann captured the vessel Grosser Steir on 27 March 1800. In July 1800, Ann participated in the Raid on Dunkirk
, which resulted in the cutting out of the French frigate Désirée
. During the action on 8 July, Ann, together with the gun-brig Biter and the hired armed cutter Kent
engaged some French gunboats and prevented them from intervening. Biter had three officers and men wounded and each of the cutters suffered one man wounded. In 1847 the Admiralty awarded all surviving claimants from the action the Naval General Service Medal with the clasp "Capture of the Desiree".
Hired armed vessels
right|thumb|250px|Armed cutter, etching in the [[National Maritime Museum]], [[Greenwich]]During the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries the Royal Navy made use of a considerable number of hired armed vessels...
cutter Ann served 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...
from 9 May 1795 to 19 October 1801 during the French Revolutionary Wars
French Revolutionary Wars
The French Revolutionary Wars were a series of major conflicts, from 1792 until 1802, fought between the French Revolutionary government and several European states...
. She was of 104 91/94 tons burthen
Builder's Old Measurement
Builder's Old Measurement is the method of calculating the size or cargo capacity of a ship used in England from approximately 1720 to 1849. It estimated the tonnage of a ship based on length and maximum beam...
and carried twelve 3-pounder guns.
Service
In 1798 Lieutenant Robert (or Richard) Young came to command Ann. On 31 January 1798 she captured the fishing boat Leopold. On 28 March she captured the Greffwen, of Gothland. On 20 July she was in company with when they captured the luggers Mayflower and William. At some point she also captured the luggers Joseph and Edward.On 23 May 1799, while engaged in the protection of the fisheries off Folkestone
Folkestone
Folkestone is the principal town in the Shepway District of Kent, England. Its original site was in a valley in the sea cliffs and it developed through fishing and its closeness to the Continent as a landing place and trading port. The coming of the railways, the building of a ferry port, and its...
, at 8pm Ann gave chase to a lugger. After a two-hour running fight she succeeded in capturing the Aimable Therese, a small French privateer lugger of four guns and 27 men. At the time, Ann was in company with sloop and the hired armed cutter Nox.
On 11 October Ann and the hired armed cutter Lion recaptured three small vessels. On the evening of 21 November, after a chase of five hours, Ann captured the French privateer cutter Petit Diable some three to four leagues
League (unit)
A league is a unit of length . It was long common in Europe and Latin America, but it is no longer an official unit in any nation. The league originally referred to the distance a person or a horse could walk in an hour...
south-southwest of Beachy Head. Commanded by Simon Robert Saltitat, Petit Diable was two days out of Dieppe and carried only eight men with small arms. The rest of the crew had been sent back to France in a small sloop the privateer had cut out from Seaford Roads the previous night. On 28 November Ann captured the fishing boats Brune and St Joseph.
Ann captured the vessel Grosser Steir on 27 March 1800. In July 1800, Ann participated in the Raid on Dunkirk
Raid on Dunkirk (1800)
The Raid on Dunkirk of 7 July 1800 was an attack by a British Royal Navy force on the well defended French anchorage of Dunkirk in the English Channel during the French Revolutionary Wars...
, which resulted in the cutting out of the French frigate Désirée
French frigate Désirée (1796)
The Désirée was a Romaine class frigate of the French Navy.She was captured in a Raid on Dunkirk by HMS Dart, under Patrick Campbell, on 8 July 1800.-References:...
. During the action on 8 July, Ann, together with the gun-brig Biter and the hired armed cutter Kent
Hired armed cutter Kent
The Royal Navy employed two vessels described as the Hired armed cutter Kent.-First Hired armed cutter Kent:The first Kent served the Royal Navy from 22 December 1798 until 19 October 1801 when she was returned to her owners...
engaged some French gunboats and prevented them from intervening. Biter had three officers and men wounded and each of the cutters suffered one man wounded. In 1847 the Admiralty awarded all surviving claimants from the action the Naval General Service Medal with the clasp "Capture of the Desiree".