HMS Alarm (1758)

HMS "Alarm" was a 32-gun fifth rate "Niger" class frigate of the Royal Navy, and was the first Royal Navy ship to bear this name. Copper-sheathed in 1761, she was the first ship in the Royal Navy to have a fully copper-sheathed hull. [ [http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/systems/ship/copper-sheathing.htm Copper sheathing] , Global Security.] [ [http://www.oldcopper.org/victory%20copper.htm Oldcopper.com] ]

History

Experiments with copper sheathing

"Alarm" initially saw deployment in the West Indies, where she experimentally had her hull sheathed in a thin layer of copper. Firstly it was intended to reduce the considerable damage caused by the teredo woodworm, and secondly the well-established toxic property of copper was expected to lessen the speed-killing barnacle growth which always occurred on ships' hulls. [ [http://www.corrosion-doctors.org/Corrosion-History/Lessons.htm Historic corrosion lessons] ] "Alarm"’s hull was first covered with Soft stuff, which was hair, yarn and brown paper, and then covered with a layer of copper plates.

After a two-year deployment to the West Indies, "Alarm" was beached in order to examine the effects of the experiment. The copper had performed very well in protecting the hull from invasion by worm, and in preventing the growth of weed, for when in contact with water, the copper produced a poisonous film, composed mainly of oxychloride, that deterred these marine creatures. Furthermore, as this film was slightly soluble it gradually washed away, leaving no way in which marine life could attach itself to the ship. Satisfied that the copper had had the desired effect, the Admiralty introduced copper sheathing on a number of frigates.

In 1776 however, "Alarm" was resurveyed. It was soon discovered that the sheathing had become detached from the hull in many places because the iron nails which had been used to fasten the copper to the timbers had been ‘much rotted’. Closer inspection revealed that some nails, which were less corroded, were insulated from the copper by brown paper which was trapped under the nail head. The copper had been delivered to the dockyard wrapped in the paper which was not removed before the sheets were nailed to the hull. The obvious conclusion therefore, and the one which was contained in a report to the Admiralty of 1763, was that iron should not be allowed direct contact with copper in a sea water environment if severe corrosion of the iron was to be avoided. Later ships were designed with this in mind. [ [http://www.bruzelius.info/nautica/shipbuilding/Peacock(1874)_p5.html On the Preservation of the Bottom of Iron Ships] ] The copper sheathing was removed from "Alarm", and several other test vessels, and the Admiralty did not show any further interest in developing effective copper sheathing until 1775. [ [http://www.abc.se/~pa/publ/pallas.pdf History of HMS Pallas and her class] ]

Later in her career she was commanded by a young John Jervis, from 1769 onwards. He sailed for the Mediterranean in May and arrived in Genoa on 7 September. Aboard HMS "Alarm" at this time was Samuel Hood, son of Alexander Hood, and one of the many members of the Hood family to serve at sea. Samuel Hood served aboard "Alarm" from November 1765 to July 1772, in the post of purser. [ [http://www.hmshood.com/history/family.htm History of the Hood family] ]

Near loss

On the return voyage to England, on 1 May 1770 she was saved by Georges René Le Peley de Pléville from being wrecked off Marseilles. The "Alarm" had been battered by a storm in the evening and ran aground on the coast of Provence amongst boulders, and was in imminent danger of breaking up. Pléville quickly mustered the harbour pilots and rushed to the relief of the English. By the time he was able to board her, the "Alarm" had already almost heeled over many times, and began to run aground. Pléville ordered a manœuvre that got her afloat again and brought her into harbour at Marseilles. In gratitude for Pléville's actions, the admiralty sent Jervis and "Alarm" back to Marseilles in December to deliver a letter which read

The present was a piece of silverware in the form of an urn, on which were engraved dolphins and other maritime attributes, with a model of the "Alarm", and a richly engraved lid surmounted by a triton. Remarkable in its elegance of form and high level of finish and workmanship, this vase bore the English Coat of Arms, and had the following inscription, intended to preserve the memory of the event which had merited the present:

Thinking that he could not receive a gift from a foreign sovereign, de Pléville only accepted the urn after having been duly authorised to do so by the king of France. Jervis was also extremely grateful to de Pléville, and eager for the chance to reward him. He wrote to his sister from HMS "Alarm", anchored at Mahon on 27 December 1770:

Ten years later, de Pléville's devotion to the safety of the "Alarm" gained another reward, when his son — a young naval officer — was captured on board a frigate at the end of a battle in 1780 and taken to England. There, the British Admiralty sent him back to France without requiring a prisoner-exchange, after having authorised him to choose three other French naval officers to go with him.

The Admiralty were also greatly pleased by Jervis’ actions in this matter, allowing his further promotion. From 1771 to May 1772, the ship became the “home” of the Duke of Gloucester, who was spending time in the Mediterranean because of ill health. "Alarm" then returned to England for paying off.

Off America

On 9 March 1783, "Alarm" was involved in one of the last naval battles of the American Revolutionary War, when two American frigates, the USS "Alliance" and the USS "Duc de Lauzun" were intercepted by HMS "Alarm", HMS "Sibyl" and the sloop of war, HMS "Tobago". The American ships were transporting bullion to the Continental forces, and both sides were unaware that peace had been ratified over a month before. After a short battle between HMS "Sibyl" and the American ships, the Americans escaped. "Alarm" did not actively participate in the battle herself.

In 1796, HMS "Alarm" violated Trinidad’s neutrality, so contributing to Spain’s declaration of war on the side of revolutionary France. [ [http://pantrinbago.com/Histdic2.htm Trinidad history] ]

HMS "Alarm" continued in service for a number of years, finally being broken up in September 1812 at Portsmouth having spent 34 years in service.

References

*Colledge
*Lavery, Brian (2003) "The Ship of the Line — Volume 1: The development of the battlefleet 1650–1850." Conway Maritime Press. ISBN 0-85177-252-8.
*http://www.royalnavalmuseum.org/info_sheets_john_jervis.htm
*http://openlearn.open.ac.uk/file.php/3258/formats/T357_1_rss.xml