HMS Athena: A Charles Mullins novel (Sea Command Book 4)
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Authors: Richard Testrake
HMS Athena
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Richard Testrake
This book dedicated to my wife Peggy, my daughter Lisa and my son Charles.
Copyright © 2016 Richard Testrake
All rights reserved
Table of Contents
Commander Charles Mullins had spent the past two days at the Admiralty waiting to speak to someone with whom he could discuss his next assignment Just as soon as he had turned his last command HMS Aurora, over to the dockyard and had delivered the reams of paper documenting the state of the ship, he had posted to London to report his presence at the Admiralty.
His wife Doris, his son Alfred and Doris’ companion and housekeeper. Mrs. Cooper, had gone on ahead, having had enough travel to last them a few years, wishing to enjoy life in a residence that was not forever pitching up and down.
The recent peace with France, signed at Amiens had now evaporated. Neither side trusted the other and the war was now on again. Commander Mullins had been at sea on his way home when this second war was declared and had missed his chance to get a good ship. HMS Aurora was destined for a long refit at the Portsmouth dockyard and would be unavailable for months.
There had been a frenzy getting ships that had been laid up the previous year, back out to sea. Any officer, not completely senile or convicted of a serious crime, could expect to find a berth on a ship.
By the time Mullins had finished preparing his old command for the dockyard and the much-needed repairs, few ships were left in a position to put to sea.
Impatient to see some results, Mullins stopped the porter on his way through the waiting room and pressed an exorbitant bribe into his hand. The porter continued on his mission with no sign of acknowledgement, but an hour later stopped by his seat and whispered, “Mister Reynolds will see you now.”
Reynolds was a small, elfin man tucked into an equally tiny office that might have once been a cloakroom. He sat at a battered desk that could have been left over from the Stuart era. his hands were steepled and on his desk was Commander Mullin’s record.
Looking at his visitor with curiosity, he asked, “Captain Mullins, I believe. I am told you are looking for a ship.
Mullins replied, “Yes sir. I realize all of the good ships have put to sea already, but I would gladly accept anything that will float.”
“Yes, we do indeed have a problem,” stated Reynolds. “If you could have come in even a month ago, we might have found you something. Today, that would be a difficult task.”
Mullins heart sank, as he thought of the ramifications. Without a ship, he would be expected to reside at the London town house with his new wife and son.
This was all very well. Doris was a beautiful woman and he did love her. She had a temper though and a most acid tongue. After spending a year at sea with her in close quarters, he had decided it might be best to spend some time away from her until matters at home calmed down.
While wool gathering, he missed some of what Mister Reynolds was saying. It came to him with a jolt that the official was discussing a ship long in ordinary, but now being fitted out for sea for this emergency.
Reynolds, sensing Mullins had not been listening closely, said, “I do understand an officer of your record might be underwhelmed by a ship like Athena. Perhaps I should look farther afield to find a captain for her.”
Mullins hastily apologized, “I beg your pardon, Mister Reynolds. I have had much on my mind lately, but I assure you I will accept this ship whatever may be wrong with her.”
Mollified, the official continued his discussion, this time with Mullins listening closely. “Again, as I said before, Athena is a French prize taken in the last war. She put up quite a fight, I am told, and was barely afloat when she was brought into port.”
“She received some preliminary repairs, before it was decided it would not be economical to put her back into seaworthy condition. She was placed in ordinary, moored with a dozen like her in a tidal creek, where she has been slowly rotting for the past few years.”
“Given the emergency we have, it has been decided to give some of these relics a hurried repair, a crew and send them to sea, at least until new construction can replace them.”
“With Napoleon building invasion craft at an alarming rate across the Channel, we need to get as many warships to sea as soon as possible and it is hoped these old ships can fend off our enemy until better ships come to hand.”
Even after being told it would likely be a matter of weeks before his new ship would be ready to sail, Mullins still wished to coach down to Portsmouth to view his new command. It might even be wise to read himself in to whatever crew was on board, just to make matters official.
Upon leaving the Admiralty building, it was first necessary to return home to collect his sea chest and those belongings he would take with him. He must also locate his former midshipman, Bob Archer and Hudson his clerk on the last voyage. These men could be very useful in the lengthy task of fitting out the ship.
Archer and Hudson had been valuable on the last mission and he hoped they would come with him again. Two other useful midshipmen, Adolphus and Whitbread he knew would not be returning. Both had been taken aboard other ships before Mullins had found he too, would be returning to the sea.
Reynolds had been unsure what duties the new command would be performing, but did inform the new captain HMS Athena was presently fitting out in Portsmouth.
The requisite orders had not yet been drawn up but he was told if he was to wait in the building a short time, he could collect the orders before leaving the Admiralty. Mullins spent an hour in the building exchanging reminisces with old friends before the packet was handed to him.
He stopped by the George Inn to inquire about the vessel. Even some of the elders at the bar there were unfamiliar with her except for a retired, one-legged commander who recalled his cousin had been on the ship that took her years before. The cousin was now dead, and the commander only remembered the ship as a corvette. He remembered nothing about her armament or sailing qualities.
His wife Doris, was not at all happy when he entered the house and announced he had a ship. She had accepted invitations to various social events for months in the future and assured her husband his presence was absolutely required.
He was able to escape the premises by the offer of a large sum to replenish his wife’s wardrobe. This immediately put her in a more gracious mood as she met with the housekeeper to discuss which shops they must visit on the morrow.
Going out to the stables, he found Bob Archer who was assisting the old hostler with his duties. Mullins informed his former midshipman of the new command and asked if he wished to come along on the cruise.
Archer did, but wondered about the ship and where they might travel. Mullins had to admit he had not been attentive when the Admiralty official was explaining these matters, but they would likely learn the necessary information when he received his orders.
Archer wished to know what kind of ship Athena was. “As to that Mister Archer, I’m afraid I cannot tell you with any certainty. There is a report that she is a former French corvette. I am sure we will find though, that Athena will be another sloop-of-war below the rates.”
“Anything smaller, would require a lieutenant to command. Of course, they surely will not be promoting me to captain to command a larger ship, so a sloop it must be.”
These days the Royal Navy regarded most ships armed with fewer than twenty guns as either sloops-of-war or lesser craft. The sloops-of-war were given commanders rather than post captains to command. There were exceptions. HMS Aurora, Mullins last command, had originally been a twenty-two-gun French corvette before she went into British service. -
Four of her guns were removed and she was then classed as a sloop. After Mullins took command, he found four disused carronades that he installed in her empty ports. Of course the navy still regarded her as a below-the rates sloop-of-war.
Dispatching Archer to locate Hudson, Mullins went inside the stable to locate the hostler. Simmons was an ancient servant who Mullins had known all his life. He was presently able to do little and Mullins found him resting in a nest of hay.
Assuring Mullins, he could drive them to the Admiralty in the cart, he shuffled off to prepare the vehicle. The old cob that had served the family for years had been retired and replaced by a younger gelding.
When Archer returned with Hudson, the cart was outside the stable ready to be loaded. The house staff had been busy packing the sea chest, and all that remained was to receive a rather cold kiss from his wife, and an enthusiastic hug from his son and a plaintive plea to accompany his father.
The cart was crowded with all of their kit, so the men walked alongside as they made their way to the Admiralty.
Mullins’ orders were ready, so now all that was needed was to drive to the posting inn and purchase seats on the Portsmouth coach.
There was only one inside seat left so Hudson and Archer would need to ride up on top. It was a long and tiring ride, but they met with no adventures on the way, and the coach pulled up to the gates of the dockyard early the next morning.
Mullins had read over his orders on the coach and discovered an error. The new ship, HMS Athena, referred to as a sixth-rate post ship, was unlikely to be such. Such a ship would call for a post captain. He would not attain such a rank for years to come, if ever.
Not wanting to be separated from his men, he took them with him when he visited the administration building. Actually, Vice-Admiral Sir John Colpoys flew his flag from a hulked line-of-battleship here in the harbor, but many of the bureaucrats controlling this large naval base worked from this building on shore.
Orders in hand, Mullins entered the building and asked directions. He was directed to a tiny office in the warren and met with a lieutenant, who appeared to be older than his own father.
Lieutenant Fitzhugh stood when he entered and politely asked how he could be of help. Suddenly, Mullins wondered to himself how ridiculous he would appear when he asked if the Navy really wanted to appoint him to a sixth rate post ship.
Losing his courage at the last moment, he merely held out his orders and asked the officer if he knew just where HMS Athena was moored.
Fitzhugh peered at the orders then nodded. Walking over to the window, the officer pointed to a rather ragged-looking ship moored in the harbor. Her masts and standing rigging had been recently set up, but it was obvious she had spent a long time in ordinary.
To Mullins, the most important feature that he noticed was, she was pierced for twenty-four guns. If all those ports were filled and she was really rated as such, she was indeed a post ship and her next commander would be a post captain.
To satisfy himself, Mullins asked the lieutenant, “That is HMS Athena?”
Fitzhugh nodded. “Yes sir, she is that same ship. She was taken halfway through the last war and placed in ordinary when her repair costs were too high. Now, with our re-entry into the war, it has been decided to bring her back into active service.”
Mullins decided to take the bull by the horns and see if he could learn why he, a lowly young commander, was being given this ship.
Fitzhugh apparently already had an idea the question would be asked and blurted out the answer before the question could be aired.
“Sir, it appears you have a friend in high places. I know better than to reveal his name, but I was told you are one of the more promising officers coming up, and everything possible should be done to get you made post-captain.”
“You are being given this ship for that very purpose. As soon as you read yourself in to your crew, you will then be a post captain. I was told, by a different officer, who is not your friend, if you do make a dog’s breakfast out of this ship, it will not reflect badly on any of us, since the ship is considered almost worthless and the navy will be better off with her in the breaker’s yard and you back on the beach.”
Mullins thanked the officer for his advice and went back outside to gather up his men. Pointing out their new home, he asked if any had any advice as to how to get out to her.
Midshipman Archer thought they should proceed to the signal tower and ask them to signal Athena
to send a boat.
Mullins explained Athena probably had very few crew aboard at this time and might find it difficult to send a boat. He thought it better to engage a shore boat.
A passing boat was hailed and the sea chests wrestled aboard. There was little freeboard left after all of them loaded into the boat.
Closing the ship, a blue-coated young master’s mate, hailed them. Answering a nod from the captain, stroke-oar bellowed out, ‘Athena’, before he scrambled forward to hook onto the ship’s starboard main chains.
There was little ceremony offered as Mullins climbed the battens. A young bosun’s mate twittered on his pipe and the welcoming master’s mate welcomed him aboard with an apology.
“Master’s Mate Higgins, sir. I am very sorry for the sad welcome, Captain. We had not expected you for weeks yet and we have no officer on board yet to stir up the shore people to give us what we need.”
“The ship is not really ready yet to receive visitors. With few crew aboard, we have made little progress since the shear-hulk left after putting in our sticks.”
Mullins replied, “I care little about the ceremonial aspects, Mister Higgins. Since you have no officers yet, do you suppose it may be helpful if I would read myself in and begin to make my demands known on shore?”
Higgins agreed that having a captain aboard could be useful, so ‘All hands’ was called, and a paltry dozen or so men gathered on the foredeck.
These hands were called aft, and Mullins himself read his orders to the men. After giving them a short speech, he retired to his great cabin to see where he was to live.
This was the after portion of the ship, immediately under the quarterdeck. Presently, the space was clean enough but evidence of long-standing water damage was evident.
The deck planking overhead was improperly caulked and rainwater and spray had come through the overhead. A similar situation extended throughout the ship. Badly damaged during her capture years before, she was neglected for much of that time. Rot had taken hold, and she would need extensive repair.
Athena had spent her share of time in dry-dock and some hull planking replaced, as well as receiving new copper, but an enormous amount of work needed to be done.
Mullins learned the sad news from the ship’s sole bosun’s mate. There had been a carpenter, who as a standing warrant, had lived aboard the ship while it was in ordinary. Some kindly official had given this sinecure to elderly carpenter years before, as a reward for long and faithful service.
Since no one anticipated the ship would ever put to sea again, the standing officers aboard her regarded service aboard her as a paid retirement. They could live aboard her without charge and receive their pay, without being expected to exert themselves.
This warrant’s duties were to assist the other standing warrants in keeping the ship in repair. Believing she would never sail again, the carpenter neglected his duties and upon finding she was being called back into the active fleet, feared he would be called to account for neglect. Complaining of an old injury, the elderly warrant carpenter, as well as the warrant bosun, had themselves admitted to the Royal Hospital for Seamen at Greenwich.
Deciding it was time to call on the port admiral; Mullins removed his coat and transferred his epaulette from the left shoulder to the right. This simple act demonstrated he was now a post captain, superior in rank to any commander.
