"HMS Speedy & El Gamo, 6th May 1801" Topic

As a slight detour to my current main project, the Battle of Camperdown in 1:700 scale, whilst working on the small ships for both fleets in that battle I thought I would take the opportunity to add in a few extra models to fill in some gaps to my wider small ship collection whilst also taking my first tentative steps into the world of 3D printed models.

The action fought by Lord Thomas Cochrane and the crew of HMS Speedy in the diminutive little 14-gun British brig against the 32-gun xebec-frigate, 'El Gamo' (Fallow Deer in English) is a classic David & Goliath fight where the odds were definitely defied in the outcome and saw the award of the Naval General Service medal with clasp 'Speedy, 6th May 1801' in 1847 to surviving members who took part.

However due to the lack of suitable models I had put this action on the back-burner, that was until Henry Turner released his 3D prints of HMS Speedy and his Xebec-Frigate which I have, with a few minor additions, that sees them fitted out with Warlord masts, ratlines and boats been able to produce two satisfying representations of these two particular ships.

As always, if you would like to know more then just follow the link to JJ's

link

JJ

Great, as usual.

14 4 pounders?! What a ballsy move.

I read somewhere that Cochrane could carry the broadside in his pocket!

Hi Chaps,
Thanks for your comments and a 28-pound broadside versus one of 190-pounds was certainly worth its own clasp on the Naval GSM.

As for Cochrane's pockets, you are quite correct, and I mentioned it in the post alongside his need to stick his head out of the captain's cabin companion skylight to have a shave.

Perhaps a diminutive brig doesn't really quite do justice to how small Speedy was.

Cochrane was supposed to have been given command of the recently captured French 18-gun corvette 'Bonne Citoyenne' described by him as 'one of the finest sloops in the service', but was superseded by the brother of Lord Keith's secretary who arrived from Gibraltar at about the same time and likely through that connection was given the command in preference to Cochrane.

JJ

very very nice models!!!

Thank you, much appreciated.
JJ