HMS Doterel (1808)
HMS "Doterel (or Dotterel"), was an 18-gun "Cruizer"-class brig-sloop of the British Royal Navy. Launched on 6 October 1808, she saw action in the Napoleonic Wars and in the War of 1812. In February 1809 she took part in the Battle of Les Sables-d'Olonne, then in April the Battle of Basque Roads. She was laid up in 1827 at Bermuda, but not broken up until 1855. Career. "Doterel" was first commissioned under Commander Anthony Abdy in October 1808. By February 1809 she was in the Basque Roads and had become attached to a squadron  under Robert Stopford when on 27th of that month she took part in the Battle of Les Sables-d'Olonne. Stopford in the 80-gun had been accompanied by the seventy-fours and , and the 36-gun frigates , and , when he had chased a French force comprising eight ships of the line and two frigates, into the Pertuis d'Antioche. Stopford immediately sent "Naiad" to appraise Admiral James Gambier of the situation but "Naiad" had not gone too far when she signalled that there were three other vessels to the north-west. Stoppard ordered "Amethyst" and "Emerald" to remain while he and  the rest of the squadron set off in pursuit. When daylight came, the vessels sighted by "Naiad" were revealed to be the three French frigates, "Calypso", "Italienne" and "Sybille", being chased by "Doterel" and the 36-gun frigate . "Doterel" and "Amelia" had drawn so close to "Sybille", the nearest French ship, that her two companions shortened sail in preparation for battle but on seeing Stopford's approaching squadron, all three French ships took off with "Doterel" and "Amelia" in close pursuit. At 10:00 the French frigates arrived at Sable d'Olonne where they anchored with springs, in the shallow water beneath  the town's batteries. "Caeser", "Donegal", "Defiance" and "Amelia" stood in and engaged. Two of the French frigates were obliged to cut their cables and run ashore in order to escape before the British were forced to withdraw by the falling tide. However, all three French frigates were destroyed in the action. "Doterel" was part of Gambier's fleet when it fought the Battle of the Basque Roads in April 1809. The French ships were anchored under the protection of the powerful batteries on the Isle d'Aix when on 11 April Lord Cochrane led an attacking force of fireships and  explosive vessels. At this time, "Doterel" was employed in a passive role, providing a diversion to the east of the island with the brigs , , and , and the 36-gun frigate "Emerald". The fireships were a partial success; the French, having suspected such an attack, had rigged a boom across the channel but this was breached by one of the explosive vessels. The French cut their cables and drifted on to the shoals. Later on 13 April, "Doterel", "Foxhound", and "Redpole", carrying letters from Gambier, arrived in the Maumossen Passage where Cochrane had retired from attacking the grounded French fleet due  to the falling tide. In October 1810 "Doterel" was commissioned for service in the West Indies, and in December command passed to William Westcott Daniel. Daniel was still in command in early October 1812, when "Doterel" was back in home waters, part of a squadron under Alexander Cochrane. On 25 April 1812 "Dotterell" and "Niobe" encountered two French frigates and a brig, steering NE. "Dotterell" arrived at Lisbon on 3 April and left the next day with "Impeteux" in search of the enemy. On 4 October "Dotterell" arrived at Plymouth with the French privateer "Elconore" of 14 guns and 80  men. "Dotterell" had captured "Elconore" the day before off the Isles of Scilly. "Elconore" had captured the transport , from Lisbon. Official records reported that "Doterel" had been in company with and , that the privateer's name was "Eleonore" (or "Leonore"), and that she had been armed with 10 guns. On 22 March 1813 "Dart", a prize to "Dotterell", arrived at Portsmouth. "Dart" had been sailing from New Hampshire to Bordeaux. On 2 November "Doterel" and drove the letter of marque schooner "Inca" on the shoals at Cape Romain. "Inca" was armed with six 12-pounder carronades and carried a crew  of 35 men. In 1814 "Dotterel" served on the North American Station in the war against the United States, capturing the 14-gun American privateer "Dominica" on 22 May. On 14 November 1814 the American privateer "Saucy Jack" captured "Hasard", Dunford, master, as "Hasard" was sailing from Matanzas to Bermuda. "Dotterell" recaptured "Hasard" and sent her into Bermuda. On 24 August 1814, "Dotterell" chased the privateer "Pike", of Baltimore, on shore and destroyed her. In January 1815, "Doterel" was part of an invasion force under George Cockburn, which looted St Simons and its neighbouring islands in Georgia, carrying away cotton  and freeing slaves who were later resettled on Bermuda. In August 1815 she returned to England, where she was laid up at Chatham. Commander John Gore was appointed to "Doterel" on 13 February 1818, which he commissioned and which and served out of Cork. On 16 November 1820, "Doterel" seized the American schooner "Volunteer". Gore received promotion to post captain on 19 July 1821. William Hendry assumed command in July 1821 and sailed for Halifax on the North American Station. In July 1822, Richard Hoare took command. Hoare spent just over three years in charge before he was superseded by  Henry Edwards in August 1825. "Doterel's" last commander was William Hamilton, who arrived on board in August 1826. Fate. The Admiralty found "Doterel" to be in such a defective state, she was ordered to be laid up in Bermuda on 4 April 1827, where she was used as a residence for workmen there. On 28 August 1848, "Doterel" was ordered to be broken up, but the order was not carried out until some seven years later.