Richard Saunders Dundas Vice - Admiral The Hon . Sir Richard Saunders Dundas , KCB ( 11 April 1802 – 3 June 1861 ) was a Royal Navy officer . As a captain he took part in the capture of the Bogue Forts in January 1841 during the First Opium War . He was appointed to the command of the Fleet in the Baltic Sea , in succession to Sir Charles Napier , in February 1855 and led the naval support during the latter stages of the Crimean War enforcing a strict blockade and carrying out the bombardment of Sveaborg in August 1855 . He was appointed First Naval Lord in the First Palmerston ministry in November 1857 and then , after stepping down to be Second Naval Lord during the Second Derby ministry , he stepped up again to become First Naval Lord in the Second Palmerston Ministry in June 1859 remaining in office until his death . The Prime - Minister ( Viscount Palmerston ) described Dundas as " a most distinguished officer " . Early life . Born the son of Robert Dundas , 2nd Viscount Melville and Anne Dundas ( née Huck - Saunders ) and educated at Harrow School , Dundas joined the Royal Navy in 1817 . After initial training at the Royal Navy College at Portsmouth he joined the frigate HMS " Ganymede " in the Mediterranean Fleet . Promoted to lieutenant on 16 June 1821 and to commander on 23 June 1823 , he was given command of the sloop HMS " Sparrowhawk " on the North America and West Indies Station in June 1823 . Promoted to captain on 17 July 1824 , Dundas took command of the sixth - rate HMS " Volage " on the North America and West Indies Station in September 1825 and then of the third - rate HMS " Warspite " on the East Indies Station in March 1827 . He became secretary to his father , who was serving a second term as First Lord of the Admiralty , in 1828 . He went on to take command of the fifth - rate HMS " Belvidera " in the Mediterranean Fleet in November 1830 and the third - rate HMS " Melville " , Flagship of the East Indies Station , in September 1837 . In HMS " Melville " he took part in the capture of the Bogue Forts in January 1841 during the First Opium War . He was appointed a Companion of the Order of the Bath on 29 June 1841 . Dundas returned to the Admiralty as Secretary to Lord Haddington , First Lord of the Admiralty , in January 1845 and became Captain of the second - rate HMS " Powerful " in the Mediterranean Fleet in January 1848 . Naval Lord . Promoted to rear - admiral on 4 July 1853 , Dundas was appointed Third Naval Lord in the Aberdeen ministry in January 1853 and then Second Naval Lord in the same ministry in June 1854 . He was appointed to the command of the Fleet in the Baltic Sea , hoisting his flag in the first - rate HMS " Duke of Wellington " , in succession to Sir Charles Napier in February 1855 . Dundas led the naval support during the latter stages of the Crimean War enforcing a strict blockade and carrying out the bombardment of Sveaborg in August 1855 . Dundas was advanced to Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath on 5 February 1856 and became Second - in - command of the Mediterranean Fleet , hoisting his flag in HMS " Duke of Wellington " , in April 1856 . He was also appointed a Grand Officer of the French Legion of Honour on 2 August 1856 . Dundas was appointed Second Naval Lord in the First Palmerston ministry in April 1857 and then First Naval Lord in the same ministry in November 1857 . Promoted to vice - admiral on 24 February 1858 , Dundas stepped down to be Second Naval Lord in the Second Derby ministry in March 1858 . He stepped up again to become First Naval Lord in the Second Palmerston Ministry in June 1859 remaining in office until his death . He died , unmarried , of a heart attack at Spring Gardens in London on 3 June 1861 . Later that day , the Prime - Minister ( Viscount Palmerston ) described Vice Admiral Dundas as :