Come and ask, answer or inform.
| Fleet Commander | Home Riggs PophamBritish Naval Sailor Service 1783-1820 | |
| Fleet Formed | 14.5.1798 | |
| Fleet Disbanded | 20.5.1798 |
| Ship | Joined | Left | Commander | Notes | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Expedition (24)
1784-1817 British 24 Gun 5th Rate Ship | 14.5.1798 | 20.5.1798 | John StilesBritish Naval Sailor Service 1780-1807 | Fleet disbanded | ||
Blazer (14)
1797-1803 British 14 Gun Unrated Gunboat 1797 Renamed "Blazer" | 14.5.1798 | 20.5.1798 | Daniel BurgessBritish Naval Sailor Service 1780-1798 | Fleet disbanded | ||
Terrier (14)
1798-1800 British 14 Gun Hired Brig | 14.5.1798 | 20.5.1798 | Thomas LowenBritish Naval Sailor Service 1796-1798 | Fleet disbanded | ||
Vesuve (3)
1795-1802 British 3 Gun Unrated Gun-brig | 14.5.1798 | 20.5.1798 | William ElliotBritish Naval Sailor Service 1782-1801 | Fleet disbanded | ||
Crash (14)
1797-1798 British 14 Gun Unrated Gunboat 1797 Renamed "Crash" | 14.5.1798 | 20.5.1798 | James AndersonBritish , Naval Sailor Service 1797-1815 Bulkley Macworth PraedBritish Naval Sailor Service 1793-1802 | Fleet disbanded | ||
Boxer (14)
1797-1809 British 14 Gun Unrated Gunboat 1797 Renamed "Boxer" | 14.5.1798 | 20.5.1798 | Thomas GilbertBritish Naval Sailor Service 1790-1800 | Fleet disbanded | ||
Acute (14)
1797-1802 British 14 Gun Unrated Gunboat 1797 Renamed "Acute" | 14.5.1798 | 20.5.1798 | Jeremiah SeaverBritish Naval Sailor Service 1794-1802 | Fleet disbanded | ||
| 14.5.1798 | 20.5.1798 | Joseph EdmondsBritish , Naval Sailor Service 1757-1807 Isaac FerrieresBritish Naval Sailor Service 1793-1810 | Fleet disbanded | |||
Furnace (12)
1797-1802 British 12 Gun Unrated Gunboat 1797 Renamed "Furnace" | 14.5.1798 | 20.5.1798 | Maurice William SucklingBritish Naval Sailor Service 1793-1801 | Fleet disbanded | ||
Vigilant (6)
1793-1801 British 6 Gun Hired Cutter | 14.5.1798 | 20.5.1798 | Fleet disbanded | |||
Biter (14)
1797-1802 British 14 Gun Unrated Gunboat 1797 Renamed "Biter" | 14.5.1798 | 20.5.1798 | John Denis de VitreBritish Naval Sailor Service 1781-1798 | Fleet disbanded | ||
Wolverine (14)
1798-1804 British 14 Gun Unrated Gun-brig | 14.5.1798 | 20.5.1798 | Donald M'DougallBritish Naval Sailor Service 1798-1802 | Fleet disbanded | ||
Hecla (10)
1797-1813 British 10 Gun Unrated Bomb Vessel | 14.5.1798 | 20.5.1798 | James OughtonBritish Naval Sailor Service 1783-1825 | Fleet disbanded | ||
Tartarus (10)
1797-1804 British 10 Gun Unrated Bomb Vessel | 14.5.1798 | 20.5.1798 | Thomas HandBritish Naval Sailor Service 1778-1803 | Fleet disbanded | ||
Circe (28)
1785-1803 British 28 Gun 6th Rate Frigate | 14.5.1798 | 20.5.1798 | Robert WinthropBritish Naval Sailor Service 1790-1807 | Fleet disbanded | ||
Vestal (28)
1779-1816 British 28 Gun 6th Rate Frigate | 14.5.1798 | 20.5.1798 | Charles WhiteBritish Naval Sailor Service 1782-1799 | Fleet disbanded | ||
Ariadne (24)
1776-1814 British 24 Gun 6th Rate Ship | 14.5.1798 | 20.5.1798 | James BradbyBritish Naval Sailor Service 1782-1801 | Fleet disbanded | ||
Champion (24)
1779-1816 British 24 Gun 6th Rate Post Ship | 14.5.1798 | 20.5.1798 | Henry RaperBritish Naval Sailor Service 1780-1841 | Fleet disbanded | ||
| 14.5.1798 | 20.5.1798 | William BirchallBritish Naval Sailor Service 1793-1802 | Fleet disbanded | |||
Minerve (38)
1795-1803 British 38 Gun 5th Rate Frigate | 14.5.1798 | 20.5.1798 | George CockburnBritish Naval Sailor Service 1783-1851 | Fleet disbanded | ||
Druid (16)
1783-1813 British 16 Gun 5th Rate Frigate | 14.5.1798 | 20.5.1798 | Charles ApthorpeBritish Naval Sailor Service 1781-1802 | Fleet disbanded | ||
Harpy (16)
1796-1817 British 16 Gun Unrated Sloop | 14.5.1798 | 20.5.1798 | Henry BazelyBritish Naval Sailor Service 1790-1816 | Fleet disbanded | ||
Savage (14)
1778-1815 British 14 Gun Unrated Sloop | 14.5.1798 | 20.5.1798 | Norborn ThompsonBritish Naval Sailor Service 1790-1814 | Fleet disbanded | ||
| 14.5.1798 | 20.5.1798 | Fleet disbanded | ||||
| 14.5.1798 | 20.5.1798 | William BrownBritish , Naval Sailor Service 1793-1798 Charles LydiardBritish Naval Sailor Service 1793-1807 | Fleet disbanded |
| Date | Event | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 1798/05 | Assembled at Margate | |
| 1798/05/14 | Sailed from Margate | |
| 1798/05/19 | Anchored off Ostend at 1:00 AM | |
| 1798/05/19 | The expedition assembled off Margate, sailed for the opposite coast on May 14th, and anchored off Ostend at 1 A.M. on May 19th. Although the weather was most unfavourable, all the troops, with the exception of those on board the Minerve, which had parted company and had not yet rejoined, were at once landed to the north-east of the town without opposition. At about 4.15 A.M., the Ostend batteries, having been alarmed, opened fire upon the nearest British vessels, the Wolverine, Asp, and Biter, and, by about 8.30, had so severely damaged the two former, that Popham signalled to them to weigh and move further out. The Hecla and Tartarus had already begun to shell the town and harbour; and, upon the withdrawal of the Wolverine and Asp, the Dart, Kite, and Harpy took their places as nearly as the fact of its then being low tide would admit. | |
| 1798/05/19 | At 9.30 A.M. the Minerve rejoined; and her Commander went ashore by Popham's order to report her arrival to the general. Lieut.-Colonel Ward, with part of the First Regiment of Guards, would also have hastened on shore from the Minerve, had he not been stopped and dissuaded while on his way by the prudent counsels of Captain James Bradby, of the Ariadne. | |
| 1798/05/19 | The lock gates and sluices, together with several gunboats, are said to have been destroyed by the troops at 10.20 A.M.; but at noon, when it was sought to re-embark, the weather was found to render the attempt perfectly hopeless. The British had, in consequence, to remain; and, being attacked on the 20th by the French in force, they were obliged, after they had lost 65 killed and wounded, to capitulate. Among those who surrendered was Commander Mackellar, of the Minerve. It is doubtful whether the objects to be attained justified the risks involved in this unfortunate expedition; it is still more doubtful whether those objects were attained, for the French deny the fact; and it is certain that, whether the objects were attained or not, the troops ought never to have been landed at a time when every indication went to show that it would be difficult, if not impossible, to re-embark them until after the lapse of some days. |