Elephant HMS

[john sefton]

ELEPHANT,third rate 74. Built in 1786 at Bursledon
On 12 March 1801 Sir Hyde Parker's squadron sailed from Yarmouth for The Battle of Copenhagen with NELSON with his Flag in ELEPHANT.
On the 30th they passed the fortress of Cronenburg mounting 270 pieces of cannon. Not one shot struck a British ship, and ELEPHANT did not reply.
The 12 ships under NELSON's command anchored on the night of the 1 April.The following morning the ships weighed and moved up to the attack, EDGAR leading the line. Sir Hyde Parker made his recall signal when Nelson was left with nine ships against the Danish eighteen but the weight of British metal gradually altered the situation and a message sent ashore by Nelson led to a truce.
The bombs took up station alongside ELEPHANT and threw shells into the Arsenal but the current was too strong for them go forward. To Nelson's fury all the prizes taken, save one, were destroyed on Sir Hyde Parker's orders. ELEPHANT lost eight killed, and eleven wounded, including a midshipman.
After the battle Nelson moved to the ST. GEORGE but on 17 April he shifted back to ELEPHANT for a few days because the Swedish fleet was reported to be at sea and ST. GEORGE could not be got over the shallows.
1805 she was on station off the Texel.
In 1806 Captain George Morris, Jamaica station.
By the end of 1807 she was out of commission at Portsmouth.
On the morning of 28 December 1812, well to the westwards of the Azores, ELEPHANT and HERMES captured the American privateer schooner SWORDFISH of Gloucester, John Evans, master.
From the spring of 1814 she was out of commission at Portsmouth.
She was reduced to 58 guns in 1818 Broken up in 1830.
Details fro Ted Evans, Liverpool.
Liberia SG?

[john sefton]

The MS issued by Ghana in 2005 for the 200th Anniversary of the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805, is designed after a painting made by Nicholas Pocock in 1807, which showing five warships in which Nelson served as a captain and flag officer.The stamp is a reverse design of the painting, which shows five ships, the MS gives only four ships, according the inscription on the stamp the HMS AGAMEMNON, VANGUARD, ELEPHANT and CAPTAIN, but that is a mistake, the ship in the foreground on the left side of the stamp is the HMS VICTORY, the AGAMEMNON is not depicted. On the right of the MS in the foreground is show the HMS ELEPHANT, behind her with a broadside view is the VANGUARD, on the right in the foreground the VICTORY and behind her the CAPTAIN.The ships are depicted when drying sails in a calm at Spithead, Portsmouth.
Information supplied by Auke Palmhof.

[aukepalmhof]

The 35c Anguilla stamp was designed after a painting made in 1807 by Nicholas Pocock, which shows five warships on which Nelson served.
HMS AGAMEMNON on the far left.
HMS VANGUARD a broadside view.
HMS ELEPHANT in front of her, a stern view.
HMS CAPTAIN in the middle distance.
HMS VICTORY in the foreground.