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Friday, February 11, 2005

Blake's deployment to the Mediterranean Sea in 1654 (Updated)

On 29 September 1654, Robert Blake sailed for the Mediterranean Sea with a substantial squadron:
  1. George, 60 guns Robert Blake, Admiral, John Stoakes, flag captain
  2. Andrew, 54 guns Richard Badiley, Vice-Admiral
  3. Unicorn, 54 guns Joseph Jordan, Rear-Admiral
  4. Langport, 50 guns Roger Cuttance
  5. Hampshire, 34 guns Robert Blake, the younger
  6. Bridgewater, 50 guns Anthony Earning
  7. Foresight, 36 guns Peter Mootham
  8. Worcester, 46 guns William Hill
  9. Plymouth, 50 guns Richard Stayner
  10. Kentish, 40 guns Edward Witteridge
  11. Diamond, 36 guns John Harman
  12. Taunton, 36 guns Thomas Foules (or Foulis) <--
  13. Ruby, 36 guns Edmund Curtis
  14. Newcastle, 40 guns Nathaniel Cobham
  15. Amity, 30 guns Henry Packe
  16. Mermaid, 22 guns James Abelson
  17. Pearl, 22 guns Benjamin Sacheverell
  18. Maidstone, 32 guns Thomas Adams
  19. Princess Maria, 34 guns John Lloyd
  20. Elias, 32 guns John Symonds
The 6th Rate Merlin also seems to have been on the voyage. The squadron stopped a Cadiz, and then proceeded to Livorno. From there Blake had intended to go to Trapani, but news that there was a fleet at Tunis changed his plans, and they sailed directly for Tunis. They arrived at Porto Farina, where they blockaded the Turkish warships. They were in various states of disrepair, but an attack still looked difficult. They were short of water, so they sailed, leaving the Plymouth, Kentish, Mermaid, Foresight, Newcastle, and Taunton to maintain the blockade. Blake sailed to Cagliari to get water and decide how to proceed. He reached Tunis on March 18th. Blake attacked on April 4th, against 9 ships, backed by forts and shore batteries. Blake sent the smaller ships against the anchored ships (Newcastle, Kentish, Foresight, Amity, Princess Maria, Pearl, Mermaid, and Merlin, along with the Ruby and Diamond, although it is not clear where they were in the line) and fought the forts with his larger ships (apparently the Andrew, Plymouth, George, Worcester, Unicorn, and Bridgewater, in that order). The breeze blew towards the town, and sent the smoke from gunfire that way, keeping the line of fire clear. Boats were launched, commanded by John Stoakes. The English boarded the ships and fired them. Only 25 English were killed in the fight. The source for this was William Laird Clowes' The Royal Navy, A history from the earliest times to the present, Vol.II, pp.210-212 and Michael Baumber's book, General-at-Sea, pp.203-204

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