HMS Vigilant: A Charles Mullins Novel (Sea Command Book 5) Read online

  HMS Vigilant

  Richard Testrake

  081616

  Copyright ©2016

  All rights reserved

  Richard Testrake

  This book dedicated to my wife Peggy, my daughter Lisa and my son Charles.

  Table of contents:

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Additional works available

  Chapter One

  It could have been a disaster. Captain Charles Mullins had been called to the flag to explain some entries in his previous ship’s log. He had no difficulty, since the answer to the clerk’s question was clearly scripted on the ship’s log’s next page, as had been pointed out by the clerk’s supervisor only moments before Mullin’s arrival. The two hours spent on this had been wasted, but he reasoned he would now be able to take the opportunity to stop by the naval outfitters to pick up some last-minute items.

  Just a few weeks before, he had brought his previous ship Athena, to her mooring. Athena was destined to go into the dockyard for a complete re-fit and Mullins would go on the beach with his officers.

  Rescued from that fate by a conscientious official of the Admiralty, he was offered command of HMS Juno, a frigate recently sent in from duty with the Channel Fleet. There had been discord between the ship’s former captain and first officer and the Channel Fleet commander had had his fill of their public disputes and recriminations.

  Both officers were sent ashore, and Juno was given replacements who were immediately available. Mullins would assume command and an elderly lieutenant, Mister Heyward, almost too old for the position, would second him as first officer. Freed of her former duty on the Brest blockade, Juno would undertake a reconnaissance mission to the eastern Mediterranean.

  Making his farewells to the supervisor, who was already glowering at the clerk whose misreading of the document had caused this delay, Mullins stepped up on deck to see if his boat was within hail.

  Glad it was not himself who would be making the explanations to that senior captain, Mullins began to extricate himself from the crowd of supplicants on board to see the admiral. At that moment, someone announced that a frigate was on fire out in the harbor.

  Mullins finally made it to the rail, where he could look out over the anchorage. His eyes went automatically to his ship, where he saw smoke and a little flame boiling off the forecastle. It had taken some time for him to reach this vantage point, and by then, the fire was nearly knocked down.

  Officers around him were commandeering the few available boats in order to get out to their own ships. His own boat, he saw, had been appropriated by a more senior captain. He scrambled, unasked, into a well-appointed captain’s gig setting out. The senior post captain to whom the craft belonged glared at him, but said nothing. As they approached this captain’s proud third-rate, Mullins gathered his nerve and asked if he could beg a ride to his own ship.

  The fire had been nearly extinguished by the time the boat had been pulled across the harbor, with only a few tendrils of smoke arising from the now warped and blackened deck. The entire foredeck seemed to be a ruined display, but surprisingly little important damage had been done. The furled main course had caught some embers and was still smoldering. Some of the rigging, both standing and running, had been scorched, and would need to be replaced before any strain might be placed on it. Much of the deck planking would have to be replaced, but Mullins thought she might not be delayed very long awaiting repair.

  Mister Hammond, the third officer, was awaiting him at the starboard accommodation port, hatless and blackened with soot. The Marines were all up forward, intent on extinguishing the last evidence of fire. Looking out over the harbor, two launches were seen coming out to them. Both filled with men, the sight of gold braid was very evident.

  Pointing to them, Mullins said, “Mister Hammond, we are about to be visited by our betters. I will need to explain exactly what happened and why. Have you made any inquiries?”

  “Sir, the master’s mate of the watch, Mister Glover, had the deck, and I was below. From my preliminary investigation, I believe the fire started when some lambs for the wardroom were penned up forward by the saluting gun. John Draper was the hand in charge of the animal’s care and he brought a supply of hay to them.”

  “Two of our midshipmen were charged with the responsibility for the saluting gun. Apparently, Mister Larson, one of the mids, wanted to be prepared in case a salute might be fired. The slow match in the linstock for the gun was left burning over its tub of seawater. Somehow, the linstock became dislodged and the burning ember of the match came into contact with the hay, which caught fire. This in turn, set off a saluting charge that had been left beside the gun.”

  All of this activity had occurred while Captain Mullins was away, on board the flag.. Mister Heyward was also absent, disputing the quality of some recently received provisions. Nevertheless, as captain, Captain Mullins was ultimately responsible for the disaster. He could well lose his commission over the matter if a court martial was convened. The loss of his command was most likely.

  Mullins grimaced. “Mister Hammond, I suspect we are all of us in more trouble than we might wish to be. I will be glad if you will gather up all of these miscreants and have them standing by when those approaching boats hook on. In the end, this will be my own responsibility, but I am sure enough will be left over for all to share.”

  There was indeed enough to share. Captain Mullins received a very cool greeting by the senior officers boarding his damaged ship. Only the fact that he himself had been ashore at an official meeting when the incident occurred prevented his appearance before a court.

  The resulting inquiry placed much of the responsibility for the fire at the feet of the two midshipmen. The standing orders for their station prohibited the presence of burning match except when the ship was at action stations or when a salute was to be fired. The two mids would be stripped of their petty officer ratings and be placed on the books as ordinary seamen.

  Mister Glover, as master’s mate of the watch, also received his share of blame. It was found he had not improperly supervised his juniors and was reduced to the rating of midshipman. There was talk of sending John Draper to Captain’s Mast to face charges of negligence for placing hay near the burning match. Draper was a former farm laborer of limited intelligence. Unable to perform other shipboard tasks satisfactorily, he was put to caring for the ship’s livestock.

  Captain Mullins had to use some of the very minimal influence he had remaining by assuring the officer of the board that Draper had very limited intelligence. Taking care of the animals was about the only duty aboard ship he could do. Flogging the man would not only ruin him, but would upset the seamen, who regarded this fire as being caused by careless officers.

  Captain Welles, one of the officers on the board, commented. “Would you not agree that some of this blame must fall on your own shoes, Captain?”

  Mullins replied, “Captain, in
the end, all of the blame must fall on myself. There is no doubt that I did not exercise proper supervision of my people.”

  Welles nodded in approval. “Yet, you were not on board when this happened, Captain.”

  Because of his absence from the ship, Mullins was exonerated in the inquiry, but the ship was sent to the dockyard and Mullins went back on the beach. When the ship was released, it would have a new captain. Later, one of the captains on that court advised him he should never again expect to go to sea commanding a King’s ship.

  Back at the house, matters were tense that evening, with his wife, Doris, sure that her disapproving views of naval service had been proven. With so many captains and commanders on the beach, it was difficult for any unfortunate commander who had lost a ship to escape a taint of wrongdoing. Mullins himself was as sure as he could be, that he had gone as far as he could go as a ship’s captain. He doubted he would ever be employed again.

  Chapter Two

  A thundering at the front door, of the London house, barely past cock-crow, woke many of the residents. Mrs. Rodgers, the housekeeper, answered the door with an old horse pistol clutched in her hand.

  It was a sergeant of Marines, with a message pouch. Sergeant McCoy wished her to sign for the enclosed message, which she would not do, nor would the sergeant leave the pouch without a signature. Presently Captain Mullins solved the impasse when he came down the stairs and put aside his own weapon to sign the required document. The message asked him to visit the Admiralty for a meeting with Lord Mulgrave. Mullins, of course, recognized the name. Lord Mulgrave was the new First Sea Lord, a former army general and diplomat who had the ear of the Prime Minister.

  Something was clearly afoot here. Surely he was not being summoned on little notice only to be savaged by further discussion of the fire on Juno.

  While he was occupied with scraping his face clean, the housekeeper sent her maid-of-all-work out to the stable to alert the boy he must ready the chaise for a trip to the Admiralty.

  On the drive to the large headquarters building Mullins tried to think of the reason for his summons. Before arriving, he had decided it was probably an error on the part of one of the junior clerks there, someone had probably not gained word of his dismissal from the command and wished to see some document of interest to said clerk.

  As early as it was, the waiting room was already half full, but when Mullins handed his summons to the warder, he was shown immediately to another waiting room, this one with more comfortable chairs. After a wait of only a few moments, he was shown to the office of the First Sea Lord. Clearly, this might not be the result of a missing document. Greeted with utmost cordiality, he was offered coffee and pastry, in case he had missed breakfast. Lord Mulgrove got right to the point. “Captain Mullins, what is your opinion of the punishment you received for the loss of your command?”

  Nonplussed by the question, Mullins had to think quickly before answering. “Lord Mulgrove, I have not viewed the results of this misfortune as any kind of undeserved punishment. Clearly, as ship’s captain, I was responsible for the preservation of my ship and just as clearly, I failed. I happened not to be present when the fire started so was cleared of any responsibility. I was informed though; I should not anticipate receiving another command in the future. I have nothing to complain of.”

  Lord Mulgrove steepled his fingers and stared intently at Mullins. “While I am not a naval officer, I have commanded troops for many a year. It is always refreshing to meet a man who takes responsibility for his actions. As it happens, I know your father, who is a welcome supporter of this government in Lords. I believe he has taught you well.”

  “There seem to be two opinions of yourself in the Royal Navy. One party is of the opinion that you have received undue advancement because of your father. The other group insists you have performed superbly at every task set before you.”

  “I do believe that you have proved to be a most able officer in the past. It is my intent to hopefully save your career so that you may continue your efforts for your country. I have been up half the night studying the various options and think I have come across something.”

  “Nothing can be done about the loss of command of your previous ship. Captain Reynolds was removed from command of HMS Vigilant to oversee the repair of Juno and will probably take her to sea afterwards.”

  “Captain Reynolds left his old command without a commander. That frigate, a 32 gun, 12-pounder, is presently moored in the Pool. In addition to her rated armament, she also has six 18-pounder carronades, two on the foc’s’le and another four on the quarterdeck. Unfortunately, Captain Reynolds has removed most of Vigilant’s crew and taken them to Juno with him. Of course, he was precipitous in this action, but it may cause more difficulty to return the men than it would solve. It is my intention to order you to take command of Vigilant and proceed on the duty originally planned when you commanded Juno. Your old crew was earlier taken to a receiving ship. Would you be willing to accept them aboard the Vigilant?”

  As he left the building, Mullins felt amazingly uplifted by the news. Granted, there would be much confusion while sorting the two crews out. It would have been simpler had Captain Reynolds simply left his old crew behind in Vigilant and accepted Juno’s crew as his own. He probably did not wish to go to sea with a crew that might set his ship on fire.

  Outside the Admiralty entrance, Mullins began looking about for a vehicle to take him home where he must collect his sea chest and other belongings. Not knowing how long he might be, he had dismissed his employee upon arrival at the Admiralty.

  His eye caught that of another gentleman also leaving the building. This was a neighbor, Captain Broadhurst, a post captain very near the top of the captain’s list. When the inevitable deaths and resignations did bring him to the top of that list, Broadhurst would then become a rear admiral, vastly superior to Mullin’s own position. At the moment though, they were nominally equal in rank. Both were post captains and Mullins knew that Broadhurst was well thought of in the Admiralty.

  Captain Broadhurst’s coach arrived just then and Mullins was invited to accompany the senior captain to his club for a drink.

  Several drinks later, Mullins was trying to select an excuse to leave, when Broadhurst began talking of his family. His oldest boy was coming on twelve years of age, time to be thinking of what he might be doing for the remainder of his days. Broadhurst said he hoped to have the lad appointed midshipman to a respected captain that could be trusted to bring the boy along properly.

  Turning acquaintances down who wished their youngsters go aboard his ships was no pleasure for Mullins. This always was a good opportunity for ill-feeling to be generated by his refusal, which almost always occurred.

  Mullins regarded these youngsters of such a tender age as useless aboard a warship, always liable to be killed or badly wounded in an action. The circumstances here though, were not quite the same. Captain Broadhurst would be well aware of the dangers his son would encounter aboard Vigilant. The meeting in Broadhurst’s club lasted well after Mullins had expected to arrive home, but before they parted, it had been arranged that young Broadhurst would accompany the Vigilant on her next voyage.

  Armed with his new commission, and his sea chest, Mullins first visit was to Vigilant. His driver took him to the quay, where he engaged a shore boat to take him out to his new command. The cook was standing harbor watch on the quarterdeck, comfortably ensconced in a folding chair and smoking his pipe. He paid no attention to the approaching shore boat, perhaps thinking she was passing by to another ship.

  The boat’s cox’n, with an evil smile on his face in the absence of the expected challenge, announced ‘Vigilant’ to the startled warrant. While the cook goggled, Mullins grabbed the manropes and pulled himself up the sides of the frigate, before any form of welcoming ceremony could be prepared.

  The cook was able to explain to Mullins that at this moment, he was the only warrant on board, the other standing officers had thought fit to g
o ashore for the day. A corporal of Marines was on the ship with a file of men to maintain security until a proper crew came aboard.

  When Mullins instructed the cook to have the Marines report to the quarterdeck. Mister Holmes had to do this service himself, leaving Mullins to watch the deck in his absence. In due course, the Marines reported on deck, some with traces of shaving soap on their faces. Pulling out his commission, he read it to the tiny Marine formation and the single warrant officer.

  With the reading of the commission, he was now the ship’s commanding officer and responsible for everything done aboard her. The first business of the day must be the acquisition of more hands. He had several hundreds of them in one of the old hulks lining the shore, but needed to locate them and get them aboard.

  His first thoughts were to order some of the Marines into the jolly boat and have them pull him over to the line of hulks serving as receiving ships. The corporal discretely informed him there were all too few Marines on board and they might be needed in case someone took it in mind to loot this almost unpopulated ship. Corporal Davis offered to try to hire a shore boat for him.

  A pair of privates took post in the bow, hailing passing boats. Eventually one turned to approach the ship and Mullins engaged the boatmen to pull him about as needed for the remainder of the day.

  It was money well spent, as the boatmen knew exactly where the Juno men were housed and took him there forthwith. Climbing the sides of the ancient three-decker was difficult, but he was greeted by proper naval courtesy.

  The commanding officer of this receiving ship was an elderly captain, but he was seldom aboard. Already old when he received his post captaincy, he was given command of this ancient hulk as a sinecure for his advanced age. It would probably be a disaster if the deteriorating ship was ever required to go to sea, but moored here, she served a useful purpose, housing men the Navy could not find space for elsewhere. The real commander was Lieutenant Roberts, in the employ of the Impress Service. Presenting his orders, Mullins informed Mister Roberts he had come for the men removed from Juno recently, for transfer to Vigilant.