HMS Speedwell

HMS Speedwell
Rating: Fifth Rate.

Class: Mercy Class Naval Frigate.

Date of Commission: February 4th, 1722

Current captain: Jack Naseby

Guns: 44.

Crew: 350.

Status: Laid up at dry dock.

Notable action

 *  February 4th, 1722: The HMS Speedwell underwent sea trials and gunnery practice near Maracaibo in the Spanish Main. Deemed ready and able for active combat duty, she was placed under the command of Captain Jack Naseby.


 *  February 4th, 1722: The St. George's Squadron deployed a battle group of six heavy frigates to Maracaibo in order to prepare the way for a British assault on the city. The battle group was composed of three Mercy Class Naval Frigates, commanded by captains Roderick Morrow, Alexander Lias, and Jack Naseby, two Tigre Class Mastercraft Frigates with captains David Cole and Paul Melhuish, and a Hercules Class Sleek Frigate ably commanded by captain Ray Reyman.  The battle group engaged in blockading the port as well as attacking three naval detachments and a resupply convoy from nearby Spanish bases.  Within an hour the group, with help from fellow British captains, had set the stage for a full scale British assault.


 *  February 5th, 1722: The HMS Speedwell took part in a combat patrol off Jaqueme, keeping at bay French naval forces attempting to reinforce their assault on the port. Thereafter, Captain Naseby, along with Captains Ray Reyman, Paul Melhuish, Marcus Gross, and Kyle McAvoy, formed a battle group and headed for the waters off Cayo de Marquis.  While there, captains Naseby, Reyman, and Gross engaged one French national who surrendered after a valiant yet fruitless defense.  Thereafter the battle group engaged two French naval detachments.  Within an hour the group moved on towards Jaqueme.  While there HMS Speedwell, accompanied by ships under the command of Captains Reyman, Gross, and Melhuish, engaged a small French battle group consisting of two "Khan" class flutes and a "Vengeance" class frigate.  The engagement see sawed, with the British group maneuvering to intercept the retreat of the French.  While in battle the two Khans suffered sustained damage but were miraculously able to repair damage faster than we could deal it.  During the course of action, Captain Paul Melhuish received extensive, and unfortunately critical, damage.  At that point the two groups more or less disengaged and preparations were made for the upcoming Battle of Cayo de Marquis.


 *  February 6th, 1722: The HMS Speedwell undertook a combat patrol near Turtling Bay under the command of Captain Jack Naseby accompanied by Mr. M. Southwick in a Khan flute. The patrol sought to engage enemy pirate vessels nearby.  During a short engagement against four pirates, Mr. Southwick was unable to throw guns overboard and was boarded by the pirates.


 *  February 7th, 1722: The HMS Speedwell once again undertook a combat patrol, this time in the vasinity of Port-de-Paix. Commanded by Captain Jack Naseby and accompanied by Captain Sir Roderick Morrow, 1st Baronnet aboard HMS Revenge, the orders were to engage French naval forces in preparation for the upcoming battle.  During the patrol, the frigates engaged a merchant convoy bringing supplies to the assaulting French forces.  During this engagement they were joined by a French privateer aboard a "Discovery" class 5th-rate frigate.  The privateer used his ship's sailing capabilities to great advantage, sailing closed hauled and pulling away from the British frigates after a gunner duel with HMS Speedwell at close range.  It was later learned that the aforementioned privateer was part of a larger group of three, which was in turn attacked by six pirates.


 *  February 8th, 1722: With orders to attack Port of Spain, Captain Jack Naseby aboard HMS Speedwell formed a battle group for the purpose. Among the captains taking part in this action were Sir Roderick Morrow, Paul Melhuish, and Geoffrey Thorpe; each commanding a fifth-rate frigate.  The battle group engaged several Spanish fleets, sinking or claiming 40 enemy warships.  The Spaniards took notice and dispatched a battle group of their own.  While engaging one of the enemy's fleet, the Spaniards joined in the battle.  The SGS group was vastly outgunned by the Spaniard's "Macedon" class 4th-rate, two "Hercules" class 5th-rates (One heavy, one sleek), and an "Intrepid" class 5th-rate, along with 4 remaining Spanish warships.  Cpt. Naseby gave the order for the group to tack S-SW with the aim of missing an island S of their position as well as trying to stay out of range of the Spanish guns long enough to disengage.  Unfortunately, Cpt. Melhuish's "Tigre" class mastercrafter 5th-rate was unable to disengage and was boarded by the Spaniards.  Later thay day, HMS Speedwell joined another group of five British captains sailing 5th-reates in order to clear out the menace.  However, this group too was vastly outgunned, and ended with the loss of two British captains and their vessels.


 *  March 4th, 1722: The HMS Speedwell undertook a combat patrol near Belize under the command of Captain Jack Naseby accompanied by Captain Jeremy Woods aboard a Wenden-class 3rd-rate and Captain Ruari O'Bogaigh in a Tigre-class Mastercrafted 5th-rate. The patrol sought to engage enemy French patrols in the local waters.


 *  March 9th, 1722: The HMS Speedwell was part of a combat patrol group which contested Spanish control over Bluefields and Spanish Town. During this patrol the frigate sent four enemy warships to the bottom.


 *  March 11th, 1722: The HMS Speedwell intercepted and sunk a Pirate Leviathan Bark.


 *  March 26th, 1722: The HMS Speedwell took part in the offensive against the pirate port of Guanica. During this operation the battle-group she was part off was engaged by a far heavier counterpart.  HMS Speedwell suffered critical damage.


 *  March 28th, 1722: As part of black squadron the HMS Speedwell was part of the British fleet at the Battle for Guanica. During the engagement the frigate sank four enemy ships but she suffered critical damage.