HMS Brunswick was a 74-gun third rate ship-of-the-line of the Royal Navy, launched on 30 April 1790 at Deptford. She was first commissioned in the following month under Sir Hyde Parker for the Spanish Armament but was not called into action. When the Russian Armament was resolved without conflict in August 1791, Brunswick took up service as a guardship in Portsmouth Harbour. She joined Richard Howe's Channel Fleet at the outbreak of the French Revolutionary War and was present at the battle on Glorious First of June where she fought a hard action against the French 74-gun Vengeur du Peuple. Brunswick was in a small squadron under William Cornwallis that encountered a large French fleet in June 1795. The British ships successfully retreated into the Atlantic through a combination of good seamanship, good fortune and deceiving the enemy.
After a five-year spell in the West Indies, Brunswick returned home and was refitted at Portsmouth. In 1807, when Denmark was under threat from a French invasion, Brunswick was part of a task force, under overall command of James Gambier, sent to demand the surrender of the Danish fleet. When the Danes refused to comply, Brunswick joined in with an attack on the capital, Copenhagen. She returned to the Baltic some months later, following the Treaty of Tilsit and, while attached to Richard Goodwin Keats' squadron, she helped with the evacuation of 10,000 Spanish troops from the region. From 1812 Brunswick was on harbour service, and in 1826 she was broken up.
Construction and armament Brunswick was a 74-gun, third-rate ship-of-the-line ordered on 7 January 1785. She was the first of her type built following the American Revolutionary war and was significantly larger than previous 74s. The Admiralty approved the design on 10 January 1785 and work began in May 1786 when her keel, of was laid down at Deptford. When finished, she was along the gun deck, had a beam of and a depth in the hold of . She was 1,828 tons burthen and drew between and .Winfield (2007) p. 89
The ship was initially designed to carry a main battery of twenty-eight guns on the lower deck and thirty on the upper deck, with a secondary armament of twelve guns on the quarterdeck and four on the forecastle. She was launched on 30 April 1790 and taken down the Thames to Woolwich where she was fitted-out between 17 May and 18 June. Her build and first fitting cost the Admiralty £47,781.0.0d.
In December 1806, Brunswick's armament was changed so that all her guns fired a shot. This meant that the guns on the lower deck were downgraded while those on the upperdeck were upgraded. The guns on the forecastle were replaced with two 24-pounder long guns and four 24-pounder carronades, and on the quarterdeck, the twelve 9-pounders were removed to make way for two long guns and ten carronades, all 24-pounders. The great guns on the upper decks were mounted on Gover carriages which enabled them to be handled by fewer men.James (1802) p. 357
Career Brunswicks first captain, Sir Hyde Parker, was appointed in May 1790 during the Spanish Armament. At the end of that year he was superseded by Sir Roger Curtis, under whom Brunswick spent most of 1791 at Spithead until the settlement of the Russian Armament, without hostility, in late August. She then paid off, but was immediately recommissioned to serve as a guardship in Portsmouth Harbour, and continued in that role through 1792, except for a brief period spent in the "Evolution Squadron". On 29 October 1792, three condemned mutineers of the Mutiny on the Bounty were hanged from her yardarms.Barrow p. 271
Following the outbreak of the French Revolutionary War, Captain John Harvey took command of Brunswick, and saw service in the Channel Fleet under the overall command of Admiral Earl Howe. As part of this fleet, on 2May 1794, she accompanied the East and West India and Newfoundland convoys along the Channel as far as Lizard Point. Howe then divided his force, sending eight ships-of-the-line and four or five frigates to escort the convoys further while the remaining 26 ships-of-the-line, including Brunswick, set off to search for a large Franco-American grain convoy known to be heading for France.James (Vol. I), pp. 125–126
Howe realised that the French fleet at Brest would be detailed to escort the grain convoy through hostile waters. Having had two frigates confirm that the French fleet was still in port, Howe attempted to intercept the convoy in advance by placing his ships where he thought an encounter most likely. After thirteen days of searching however, the British fleet returned on 19May, to find the fleet in Brest gone. It had in fact passed close by the British ships, in thick fog, two days previously on 17 May.James (Vol. I), p. 126 On the evening of 19 May, Howe's fleet fell in with the fifth-rate , which had been attached to Rear-Admiral Sir George Montagu's squadron. Also searching for the convoy, Montagu had been cruising between Cape Ortugal and Belle-Isle, but knowing he would be hopelessly outnumbered, he had sent Venus to locate Howe and ask for reinforcements.James (Vol. I), p. 128 At 04:00 the next morning, Howe ordered all sail in an attempt to reach Montagu before the French. However, part of a Dutch convoy, which had been captured by the French on 19 May, was recaptured by the Howe's fleet on 21 May, and the former prisoners were able to provide information regarding the whereabouts of the French fleet. In light of this new information, Howe realised that Montagu was no longer in danger and altered course to pursue the French.James (Vol. I), p. 129
First of June
On 25 May a French ship was seen and followed, which after three days led the British to the main French fleet.James (Vol. I), p. 130 Howe gave the order to prepare for battle at 09:45 on 28May and at 10:35 to form into two columns. In an attempt to force an action, some of the fastest ships were sent to attack the French rear, which they did throughout the day, both causing and receiving some damage.James (Vol. I), pp. 130–131 The two fleets came together on 29May, and a limited engagement took place that petered out and became a general chase after an attempt to cut the French line was mistimed.James (Vol. I), pp. 136–137 Thick fog prevented any further action for the next two days.James (Vol. I), pp. 144–145
The weather cleared on the morning of 1 June, and both fleets were drawn up line ahead, sailing in the same direction, Brunswick in the centre, immediately behind Hood's flagship, the first-rate and in front of . At around 08:15 the order was given for each ship to bear down upon and engage her opposite number.James (Vol. I), pp. 146–147 Brunswick was one of three ships Howe signalled to put on more sail.James (Vol. I), p. 148 The tardiness of Brunswick and the 74-gun , on the other side of Queen Charlotte, meant that Howe found himself battling one 120-gun and two 80-gun ships simultaneously.James (Vol.I) pp. 148 - 150 Gibraltar was, however, able to stop a fourth enemy ship, the first-rate Républicain, from joining in, by bringing down her main and mizzen masts from a distance, while Brunswick, having made all sail as directed, was close enough to draw the fire of the Vengeur du Peuple.James (Vol. I), p. 150 Unable to pass astern, Harvey had his ship come hard alongside and the two became locked together; the Brunswick's anchors fouling on Vengeur's fore-shrouds and channels.Clowes (Vol.IV) p. 232 When asked whether they should attempt to cut Brunswick free, Harvey replied, "No, we have got her and we will keep her". The British, prevented from opening their lower gun ports by the pressure exerted by the hull of Vengeur du Peuple, simply shot through them and the two ships drifted out of the line as they exchanged broadsides.Clowes (Vol.IV) pp. 232 - 233
A while later, at 11:00, a second French ship, Achille, attempted to join the action but Brunswick shot away her only remaining mast, which fell over the side and obstructed her guns. Unable to return fire or manoeuvre, she was forced to strike. When it became apparent that she could not be taken possession of, Achille spread her spritsail, rehoisted her colours and tried to make her escape.Clowes (Vol.IV) p. 233 Henry Harvey in then sailed to his brother's aid; raking Vengeur du Peuple twice and forcing the two ships apart, before turning to secure Achille.Clowes (Vol.IV) pp. 233-235
By the end of the action, Vengeur had sunk from the damage inflicted by Brunswick and six other French ships had been captured. The remainder escaped.James (Vol. I), p. 152 In the three engagements, it was estimated that French casualties were between 3,000 and 7,000 dead and wounded, while British losses were recorded as 290 dead and 858 wounded.James (Vol. I), pp. 152–153 Brunswick had been badly damaged; she had lost her mizzen mast completely, her yards were shattered and her sails and rigging had been shot away, 23 guns had been dismounted, she had been on fire three times and her starboard quarter gallery was missing. She drifted away to leeward of the retreating enemy fleet, but made all available sail to head northward for the safety of a home port.Clowes (Vol.IV) p. 234 Having had 45 killed and 114 wounded, including Captain Harvey who died of the wounds later, Brunswick had suffered the highest casualty toll of any Royal Navy ship present at the battle. After Harvey had been carried below, Lieutenant William Edward Cracraft was made acting captain. Despite his own ship's condition, when the dismasted French ship Jemmapes was encountered, at 15:00, Cracraft had Brunswick hove to with the intention of engaging. Jemmapes however indicated that she had already struck.Clowes (Vol.IV) p. 234
Operations off Belle Ile
In 1795, Brunswick, under Captain Lord Charles Fitzgerald, was attached to William Cornwallis's squadron in the Channel. On the morning of 8 June, Cornwallis' force comprising five ships-of-the-line, two frigates and a small brig-sloop, was cruising southwards along the Breton coast and past the Penmarck Rocks, when at 10:30, HMS Triumph signalled the presence of six sails to the north-east. Cornwallis turned his squadron to investigate and discovered the ships were part of a large merchant convoy, escorted by three ships-of-the-line and six or seven frigates under the overall command of Contre-Amiral Jean Gaspard Vence.Clowes (Vol.IV) p. 255 At first, the convoy sailed towards Cornwallis's squadron, believing it to be French. When the mistake was realised, at 12:00, Vence ordered his ships towards Belle Île, where they could shelter beneath the gun batteries. Cornwallis sent his fastest ships ahead, to engage the trailing ships of the convoy and try to force an action but, despite taking eight prizes, they were not able to do so.Clowes (Vol.IV) p. 256
Prevented from pressing their attack by the shoal waters and batteries, the British anchored in the Palais Road, close to the island, where they remained until the following evening. On 9 June, they sailed into the Bay of Biscay and around Ushant headland, reaching the Scilly Isles on 11 June. The eight brigs taken off Belle Ile and two American vessels captured after, were at that point, sent into Spithead under escort off the 18-gun . The remaining ships turned back towards Belle Île, in the hope that by then, Vence's squadron would be in open water.James (Vol.I) p. 237