Naval Database

Impetueux, 1794
Type: 3rd rate ; Armament 74
Taken : 1 June 1794 ; Disposal date or year : 1813
Notes:

1795 Captured as Amerique (America) at the Battle of 1 June 1794, but since there was a vessel already in the Navy List with this name she was renamed Impetueux, thus replacing the Impetueux, captured on the same date, which was accidentally burnt in Aug 1794.

21 Dec 1796 chased a part of French squadron from Toulon.

8 Mar 1797 Impetueux and others captured the French privateer Vautour in the Channel.

11 Jun 1797 Impetueux and others captured the French privateer Zoée on the coast of France.

23 Jul 1797 captured the French privateer Petite Cherie.

25 Apr 1799 cruising off Brest.

7 Jul 1799 joined the Mediterranean fleet off Minorca.

14 Aug 1799 looked into Brest to confirm the arrival of the joint Franco-Spanish fleet.

1 Jun 1800 a part of a squadron detached from Channel fleet to Quiberon bay and the Morbihan to aid the royalists.

25 Aug 1800 operations in support of the Army against the harbour of Ferrol on the coast of Spain.

29-30 Aug 1800 ship's boats of the London, Renown, Impétueux, Courageux, and Captain capture the French ship-privateer Guépe.

May 1805 Cawsand Bay

22 Mar 1808 action between a British squadron and the two French frigates Italienne and Seine, off the port of Lorient.

Portsmouth 10 Jan 1810 Sailed for Plymouth.

Deal 20 Sep 1811 Sailed for off Flushing.

Portsmouth 16 Oct 1811 Arrived from the Downs.

Portsmouth 8 Jan 1812 Sailed for off Cherbourg.

Portsmouth 1 Mar 1812 Sailed for Lisbon.

Lisbon 9 Apr 1813 Sailed with a convoy for England.

Falmouth 4 May 1813 The Duke of Kent spoke yesterday HMS Impetueux, with convoy from Lisbon for England.

Plymouth 7 May 1813 Passed by this port to the eastward with a convoy.

26th July 1800 (Vol iii - page 044)
In the latter end of July, while the 14-gun cutter Viper, commanded by acting Lieutenant Jeremiah Coghlan, and attached to Sir Edward Pellew's squadron, was watching Port-Louis, it occurred to the former young officer, that be might succeed in boarding one of the cutters or gun-vessels, which were constantly moving about the entrance of that harbour. His first step was to request of Sir Edward Pellew a ten-oared cutter, with 12 volunteers. Having obtained the boat and men, Mr. Coghlan, on the night of the 26th, placed in her a midshipman of the Viper, Mr. Silas Hiscutt Paddon, and six seamen, making with himself a total of 20. With this ten-oared cutter, a boat from the Viper, and another from the Amethyst frigate, Mr. Coghlan, set out to board a French gun-brig, mounting three long 24, and four 6 pounders, full of men, moored with springs on her cables, lying in a naval port of difficult access, within pistol-shot of three batteries, surrounded by several armed small-craft, and not a mile from a French 74 and two frigates.

Undismayed by such formidable appearances, regardless of the early discovery of his approach, as evinced by the gun-brig's crew being at quarters, or even of the lost aid of the two other boats, which in spite of all the endeavours of their respective crews, could not keep pace with the cutter-in the very teeth of all these obstacles, Mr. Coghlan and his handful of men boarded the gun-brig on the quarter. Owing to the extreme darkness of the night, the leader of this resolute band jumped into a trawl-net hung up to dry. In this helpless situation Mr. Coghlan was pierced through the left thigh with a pike: several of his men were also hurt; and the whole were forced back into the boat.

Unchecked in ardour, the British hauled their boat farther ahead ; and, again boarding the gun-brig, maintained against 87 men, 16 of whom were soldiers, an obstinate conflict, during which many of the British were knocked overboard, and the which whole, a second time, beat back to their boat. Notwithstanding this, however, the assailants returned to the charge with unabated courage; and, after killing six men, and wounding 20, among whom was every officer belonging to her, Mr. Coghlan and his truly gallant comrades carried the Cerbère. His own loss on this splendid occasion was one man killed and eight wounded, himself in two places, and Mr. Paddon in six. With the aid of the two other boats, the British towed out their prize, under a heavy but ineffectual fire from the batteries.

The language of Sir Edward Pellew, in his letter to Earl St.-Vincent, describing the affair, is so very energetic and appropriate, that we cannot do better than transcribe his words : " I trust I shall stand excused by your lordship for so minute a description, produced by my admiration of that courage, which, hand to hand, gave victory to a handful of brave fellows over four times their number, and of that skill which formed, conducted, and effected so daring an enterprise." The officers and men of Sir Edward's squadron, to mark their sense of such distinguished bravery, gave up the Cerbère as a prize to the conquerors ; and Earl St.-Vincent was so much pleased with Mr. Coghlan's intrepidity, that he presented him with a handsome sword. Moreover, the young man obtained, what his aspiring mind valued above all other gifts, a confirmation of his rank as lieutenant ; and that, although he had not quite served the time, which the regulations of the navy required, and which had never been dispensed with, we believe, previous to this gallant affair.