Read Online HMS Aurora: A Charles Mullins Novel (Sea Command Book 3) by Richard Testrake - Free Book Online Page B
Book: HMS Aurora: A Charles Mullins Novel (Sea Command Book 3) by Richard Testrake
Read Free Book Online
Authors: Richard Testrake
Ads: Link
Admiral Nelson, aboard the frigate Medusa. Called aboard the flag to report, Mullins ferried over the numerous mail bags meant for the fleet, that had been in the care of the purser.
Invited into the great cabin, Captain Mullins listened to the lengthy explanation of what the French as well as themselves were up to. Nelson had no fear of the French breaking out and overpowering the British defenses. With many of the invasion craft little more than rafts, there would have to be very unusual Channel weather to permit these soldiers to navigate across in good enough order to face the defenses on shore awaiting them. He felt the small craft the French service was depending upon were a joke, and would last only minutes during a good Channel storm.
Nevertheless, the Navy would not shrink from attacking and taking any French vessel afloat. Mullins hesitantly brought up his future mission in the Mediterranean that he was ordered to commence upon after the completion of this present task. Admiral Nelson assured Mullins he would release his ship just as soon as he felt he could. In the meantime, now was the time to begin taking some prizes.
HMS Aurora was not assigned to cooperate with other warships, instead Nelson felt Mullins would be more effective operating by himself, spreading fear and doubt among the French seamen. At first light, Aurora left the fleet and made her way into coastal waters where she was to begin her patrol.
Hardly had she sank the fleet’s tops’ls below the horizon, when a motley fleet of small craft were sighted making their way along the coast. A well-found brig acting as escort, the rest of the little convoy amounted to small, locally built craft. Several were little more than rafts, propelled by gaff rigs and kept more-or-less on course by some strange-looking lee boards. A few more were little more than large rowboats, filled with seasick French troops trying to pull their way to their destination.
Aurora burst upon these craft like a wolf attacking a herd of sheep. There had yet been little time to drill the men in gunnery practice, but still the ship’s guns were able to knock the crudely crafted boats to bits. The rafts, almost as one, surrendered as soon as the guns began firing. The rowboats lasted a little longer, but eventually all of the craft were either sinking or had surrendered.
Mullins felt the vessels were useless and hardly worth sending in, but he had a flock of eager midshipmen who needed practical experience, so he sent a mid aboard each prize with a few seamen and ordered the prizes still serviceable sailed into port.
The escort brig had left its convoy long since and was trying to make its way to a coastal battery. It did find such a battery at the mouth of a little waterway flowing to the ocean, but the guns were covered with weed growth and the harbor mouth silted up. With little activity there, the defenders had become lax and, seemingly left behind by the war, paid little attention to their arms.
Without any prevaricating, Aurora followed the brig right to the harbor mouth, where the chase promptly went aground. Giving the gun battery’s complement no chance to prepare themselves, Aurora launched her boats, which landed opposite the guns and charged the defenses. The guns were taken with no losses except for the bosun’s sprained leg. After the shore battery’s magazine was prepared for destruction, Mullins left a small party ashore to attend to that detail, while he put the rest of his men back into the boats and attacked the stranded brig.
With the tide going out rapidly, there was no hope in freeing the vessel, so after forcing the brig’s crew to flee the ship, the men boarded and fired the craft. She had a substantial amount of ammunition aboard, so the explosion was most impressive when her magazine erupted.
Sailing back to Boulogne to report his actions to Admiral Nelson, the ship-sloop arrived just as a demonstration was being prepared against the purported
Invited into the great cabin, Captain Mullins listened to the lengthy explanation of what the French as well as themselves were up to. Nelson had no fear of the French breaking out and overpowering the British defenses. With many of the invasion craft little more than rafts, there would have to be very unusual Channel weather to permit these soldiers to navigate across in good enough order to face the defenses on shore awaiting them. He felt the small craft the French service was depending upon were a joke, and would last only minutes during a good Channel storm.
Nevertheless, the Navy would not shrink from attacking and taking any French vessel afloat. Mullins hesitantly brought up his future mission in the Mediterranean that he was ordered to commence upon after the completion of this present task. Admiral Nelson assured Mullins he would release his ship just as soon as he felt he could. In the meantime, now was the time to begin taking some prizes.
HMS Aurora was not assigned to cooperate with other warships, instead Nelson felt Mullins would be more effective operating by himself, spreading fear and doubt among the French seamen. At first light, Aurora left the fleet and made her way into coastal waters where she was to begin her patrol.
Hardly had she sank the fleet’s tops’ls below the horizon, when a motley fleet of small craft were sighted making their way along the coast. A well-found brig acting as escort, the rest of the little convoy amounted to small, locally built craft. Several were little more than rafts, propelled by gaff rigs and kept more-or-less on course by some strange-looking lee boards. A few more were little more than large rowboats, filled with seasick French troops trying to pull their way to their destination.
Aurora burst upon these craft like a wolf attacking a herd of sheep. There had yet been little time to drill the men in gunnery practice, but still the ship’s guns were able to knock the crudely crafted boats to bits. The rafts, almost as one, surrendered as soon as the guns began firing. The rowboats lasted a little longer, but eventually all of the craft were either sinking or had surrendered.
Mullins felt the vessels were useless and hardly worth sending in, but he had a flock of eager midshipmen who needed practical experience, so he sent a mid aboard each prize with a few seamen and ordered the prizes still serviceable sailed into port.
The escort brig had left its convoy long since and was trying to make its way to a coastal battery. It did find such a battery at the mouth of a little waterway flowing to the ocean, but the guns were covered with weed growth and the harbor mouth silted up. With little activity there, the defenders had become lax and, seemingly left behind by the war, paid little attention to their arms.
Without any prevaricating, Aurora followed the brig right to the harbor mouth, where the chase promptly went aground. Giving the gun battery’s complement no chance to prepare themselves, Aurora launched her boats, which landed opposite the guns and charged the defenses. The guns were taken with no losses except for the bosun’s sprained leg. After the shore battery’s magazine was prepared for destruction, Mullins left a small party ashore to attend to that detail, while he put the rest of his men back into the boats and attacked the stranded brig.
With the tide going out rapidly, there was no hope in freeing the vessel, so after forcing the brig’s crew to flee the ship, the men boarded and fired the craft. She had a substantial amount of ammunition aboard, so the explosion was most impressive when her magazine erupted.
Sailing back to Boulogne to report his actions to Admiral Nelson, the ship-sloop arrived just as a demonstration was being prepared against the purported
Similar Books
