April 2023
Battling the curse of the Riff Pirates 1848-51
Fighting the Riff Pirates 1848-51 The Barbary pirates of North Africa were a scourge to maritime trade for many centuries. It was only in the nineteenth [...]
March 2023
1779 – Frigate Action HMS Quebec vs. Surveillante
HMS Quebec vs. Surveillante – 1779 Perhaps the most ferocious frigate action ever? Single ship actions, usually between frigates, are remembered as some of the most [...]
How do you make a monster gun disappear?
How do you make a monster gun disappear? In the second half of the 19th Century advances in metallurgy allowed an unprecedented increase in the size and [...]
Surviving HMS Namur’s sinking, 1749
A survivor’s account – the loss of HMS Namur, 1749 Two conflicts – the War of Jenkin’s Ear and the War of Austrian Succession – merged into one [...]
Agony by ice: HMS Proserpine, 1799 Part 2
Agony by ice: HMS Proserpine, 1799 Part 2 (Click here to read Part 1 if you missed it previously) With a major portion of his crew and [...]
January 2023
HMS Proserpine’s agony by ice, 1799
Agony by ice: HMS Proserpine, 1799 Part 1 HMS Proserpine was a 28-gun Enterprise-class frigate that entered Royal Navy service in 1777. Her career up to 1799 was worthy but [...]