British Navy Age-of-Sail

[beatrice_otter]

I have a British Naval officer commanding a sloop during the Napoleonic wars. Given skill, daring, and luck, what is the largest French-or-Spanish merchant ship he could reasonably take? What would be the most valuable cargo for it to be carrying? (Obviously, his ship is much too small to be going after, like, Spanish treasure galleons carrying silver.)

Comments

[kitarella_imagines]

Hi!

I don't know about this subject but my husband does so I asked him and he said:

In Napoleonic times, sloops were fast so they could cut in and take on any merchant ships, because merchant ships weren't heavily armed.

Especially if the merchant ship was unescorted or had somehow broken away from the escort.

Or, one sloop could take on another sloop and have a battle.

He says if you haven’t read the Horatio Hornblower books, they are really useful for inspiration.

Hope that helps!

[beatrice_otter]

I have not read the Hornblower books (though I have seen the TV movies of them), and alas do not have the time to read them for research on this--it's not a major plot point in my story. But thank you, that is helpful!

[voidampersand]

The inspiration for Hornblower was Thomas Cochrane. With the sloop Speedy, Cochrane took a Spanish frigate that was four times the size and had a crew six times larger, as well as being much more heavily armed. But that was not reasonable. That was Cochrane.

[beatrice_otter]

Yeah, that would be a bit much.

[yhlee]

...intel. Or clandestine distribution of a "new" code/cipher key.

[beatrice_otter]

Intel would not result in prize money, which is what I'm looking for information on.

[kitarella_imagines]

You're welcome 😊

He also said that in the Napoleonic wars, the Spanish were our allies against the French, so English ships would only be attacking French ones. And galleons weren't used anymore, they were more of the Elizabethan era.

I think he's a bit of a military history geek 😋

[beatrice_otter]

By the time of the Peninsular campaign, yes, the Spanish were British allies. But in the earlier portion of the war, Spain was a French ally, and British ships did take Spanish ships as prizes--at least three times during the Napoleonic Wars, English ships captured Spanish treasure ships.

[anne]

Spices?

Eta: if they're coming from South America, cochineal and logwood for dyes

[beatrice_otter]

Oh, interesting, hadn't thought of that. It's a possibility.

[rmc28]

Cochrane is also the inspiration for Jack Aubrey in the Patrick O'Brien books.

[beatrice_otter]

Yeah, he's a bit too much for what I need.

[kitarella_imagines]

Ah I see. That’s the problem of being a go-between isn’t it, I didn’t have much idea of the era, subject or details, so I just passed on a vague message to husband and so got a vague one back 😅

Now you and he have explained the details to me I know better. Hopefully I helped you a bit though, I always try to help, even though I get it wrong sometimes. 😊

[beatrice_otter]

No, you were very helpful, thank you!

[kitarella_imagines]

Oh good 😊🥰