Ship Name Histories - Database of histories of ship names beginning with letter F.

HMS Forward

The first ?FORWARD? was a 12-gun brig, launched at Berwick in 1804.  She was of 179 tons, and carried a crew of 50 men.  Her length, beam, and draught were 80ft., 22ft., and 7ft.  On April 23^rd, 1808, the ?FORWARD?, commanded by Lieutenant David Shiels, towed in and co-operated with the boats of the ?Daphne? and ?Tartarus? in an attack on a Danish convoy which had taken shelter at Fladstrand.  Several laden vessels of the convoy were successfully captured and carried off from under the guns of a Danish fort, with a loss of only five wounded.  On July 9^th, 1810, the ?Forward? was escorting a convoy in the Skaggerack when they were attacked by five Danish brigs.  Forty-eight of the merchantmen were taken, but the ?Forward? managed to escape.    In October 6^th, 1813, the ?Forward?, commanded by Lieutenant Richard Banks, having the ?Barbara,? schooner, in company, observed an armed Danish vessel standing into an anchorage about four miles south of Wingo sound.  The ?Forward? at once sent in a 5-oared gig with Lieutenant Banks, and the ?Barbara? despatched a 4-oared boat.  At 9.15 p.m. they simultaneously attacked her on the starboard bow and port quarter.  A desperate conflict ensued, which ended in the capture of the Dane.  She turned out to be a cutter mounting one howitzer, and having on board at the commencement of the action twenty-five well armed men, of whom five were killed, and her Captain, a commander in the Danish Navy, badly wounded.  On the British side two men were killed, and three wounded.   In 1815 the ?Forward? was sold. The second ?FORWARD? was a 2-gun screw gunboat, launched at Northfleet in 1856.  She was of 236 tons, carried a crew of 36 men, and was of 60 horse-power.  Her length, beam, and draught were 108ft., 22ft., and 5ft. She was built too late for the Russian War.  In 1869 the ?Forward? was sold at Esquimault for ?110.The third ?FORWARD? was a 4-gun screw gunboat, launched at Barrow in 1877.  She was of 455 tons, 450 horse-power, and 9 knots speed.  Her length, beam, and draught were 125ft., 24ft., and 10ft.   This vessel ended her career as a coal depot at Bermuda, and in 1903 she was sold for ?400.The fourth ?FORWARD? is a twin-screw scout, launched at Govan in 1904.  She is of 2850 tons, 15000 horse-power, and 25 knots speed.  Her length, beam, and draught are 365ft., 39ft., and 15ft. This vessels original name was ?Nore,? but it was changed to ?Forward? before launching.

HMS Foxhound

The first ?FOXHOUND? was an 18-gun brig sloop, launched at Dover in 1806.  She was of 385 tons, and carried a crew of 121 men.  Her length, beam, and draught were 100ft., 31ft., and 11ft. On March 17^th, 1809, the ?Foxhound,? commanded by Commander Pitt Burnaby Greene, was one of a fleet of 6o vessels of various kinds, under Admiral Lord Gambier with his flag in ?Caledonia,? which anchored off Basque Roads to attack the French fleet lying within.  A few days later Captain Lord Cochrane arrived in the ?Imperieuse,? having been despatched by the Admiralty to command an attack by means of fireships and explosion vessels.  On April 11^th 12 fireships, accompanied by explosion vessels and escorted by men-of-war, made sail towards the harbour, and broke the boom under a heavy fire.  The ?Foxhound? made a diversion off the Ile d?Aix at the same time.  The French fell into a great panic, cut their cables, and by midnight all except two had run ashore.  In the morning Captain Lord Cochrane signalled to Lord Gambierthat if half the fleet could be sent in the enemy would be completely destroyed.  Lord Gambier did not comply with the request.  The attack was renewed, and the two remaining French ships ran on shore in endeavouring to escape.  In spite of repeated signals Lord Gambier failed to send adequate support, but by 8 p.m. two French vessels had been captured, and two were blown up.  The attack was continued on the 13^th, and on the following day Lord Cochrane was recalled by Lord Gambier.  Cochrane returned to England, where he intimated that from his seat in Parliament he would oppose the passage of a vote of thanks to the Commander-in-Chief.  Lord Gambier demanded a court-martial, and was considered fortunate in securing an acquittal, and in eventually receiving the thanks from both Houses of Parliament.  Napoleon said that the French admiral was a fool, the English Commander-in-Chief no better, and that Lord Cochrane had not been properly supported.  Captain Lord Cochrane was made a K.B., and several officers were promoted.  The British lost only 8 killed and 24 wounded.    On August 31^st, 1809, the ?Foxhound,? while commanded by Commander James McKenzie, foundered in the Atlantic, and was lost with all hands.The second ?FOXHOUND? was the French 16-gun brig sloop ?Le Basque,? captured in 1809.  She was of 384 tons, and carried a crew of 106 men.  Her length, beam, and draught were 95ft., 29ft., and 8ft.  In 1816 the ?Foxhound? was sold.  The third ?FOXHOUND? was a 4-gun screw gun vessel of 680 tons, launhed at Blackwall in 1856.  She had engines of 200 horse-power, and her length, beam, and draught were 181ft., 28ft., 8ft.    The fourth ?FOXHOUND? was a 4-gun screw gunboat, launched at Barrow in 1877.  She was of 455 tons, 470 horse-power, and 10 knots speed.  Her length, beam, and draught were 125ft., 24ft., and 10ft.  In 1878 the ?Foxhound,? commanded by Lieutenant William Henry Nowell, was one of squadron of seven ships which occupied the island of Cyprus under Vice-Admiral Lord John Hay with his flag in ?Minotaur.?  This vessel was eventually converted to a coal haulabout at Devonport, after many years in the Coastguard service.  The fifth ?FOXHOUND? is a turbine torpedo-boat destroyer, launched at Clydebank in 1910.  She is of 950 tons, 12,500 horse-power, and 27 knots speed.  Her length, beam, and draught are 265., 28^th., and 9ft.  In 1914 the ?Foxhound,? commanded by Commander William G. Howard, was employed in various operations in the Mediterranean against the German and Austrian forces. 

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