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2. The Frigate Captain
- University Press of Florida
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2 The Frigate Captain The appointment as post captain brought Samuel Hood to one of the most active and successful phases of his professional career. His return coincided with the court-martial of Admiral John Byng, about to take place at Portsmouth . Admiral Smith was president of the court-martial. This appointment in itself gave rise to suspicions that the government was determined to get a conviction. Thomas Smith, with his close government ties, was considered unlikely to bring the necessary impartiality to the proceedings. The court-martial may have been an unfortunate time for Byng, but for Hood, freshly arrived in the Grafton, it presented a golden opportunity. He had no desire to be “idle ashore” and wrote to the Admiralty offering to command any of the ships whose captains were involved in the trial. His connections still worked for him. Although Thomas Grenville had been killed in 1747, his brother Lord Temple was First Lord of the Admiralty in 1756–57 and Lord Privy Seal from 1758 to 1761. Alexander Hood was to marry Molly West, a distant relation of William Pitt, who was now secretary of state for war. All would be useful to the brothers in securing commands. The trial of Byng began on 28 December 1756 and lasted a month, the verdict of guilty being given on 27 January 1757. After the trial Smith wrote to the Admiralty, enclosing the verdict of the court and a letter, signed by every member of the court, asking the Admiralty to intercede with the king for clemency. This appeal, like all others, was unsuccessful. Byng was to die, partly for his own professional failings but largely as a public example on whom the government could lay the blame for the loss of Minorca. Byng was executed on 14 March 1757 on the quarterdeck of the Monarch. This thoroughly shabby episode was redeemed only by the loyalty of Byng’s friends and by the courage of Byng himself, who comported himself bravely through the weeks of appeals and met death calmly when it came. Meanwhile, Hood had secured his first temporary command in place of an officer involved in the court-martial. He was appointed to the Torbay (74), Augustus Keppel’s ship, then to the frigate Tartar (28), and finally to 13 The Frigate Captain the Antelope (50) as a temporary replacement for the ship’s permanent captain , Thomas Saumarez.1 Hood’s orders were to cruise in the mouth of the Channel and watch for French ships, either outward or homeward bound. He sailed on the thirtieth of April, the very day he took command. On 14 May three sails were sighted, and again Hood’s vessel took up the chase. As the British closed, they were able to identify the three ships as French men of war, which, with the Antelope approaching, hoisted French colors. Hood had not yet hoisted British colors, but the French can have been in no doubt about the nationality of the warship bearing down on them. At 1:30 p.m. the largest of the French ships hoisted a pennant and ensign and fired a gun to leeward, presumably as a signal to her companions . Shortly after, she fired another gun to leeward. The three French ships came round and bore down on the Antelope. As the French had apparently decided to begin the action, Hood hoisted British colors. Before the French came within gun range they altered course, bearing up before the wind with the Antelope in pursuit. The two smaller vessels then parted company with the larger one and steered to make their escape. The Antelope gained on the larger ship, and by 4:00 p.m. Hood was within point-blank range. The Antelope had been under fire from stern chase guns for the last part of the pursuit. Hood’s opponent was the frigate Aquilon (50), a close match for the Antelope. He ordered the gunners to hold their fire as both ships raced under full sail, with the British slowly closing. The combatants were heading towards the French coast, which would be dangerous if the action should prove of long duration with both ships on a lee shore. At 4:20 p.m. Hood gave the order to fire. The French replied, and the exchange continued for just over an hour. By this time both ships were well into Audierne Bay and advancing deeper with every minute. If they continued on the same course for much...