List of vessels lost on the Haak Sand on 24 December 1811

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On 24 December 1811, a storm resulted in the wrecking of six vessels on the Haak Sand north of Texel and the loss of over 600 lives.

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Grasshopper, The 74-gun HMS Hero, the ship-sloop Egeria, the brig-sloop Grasshopper and the hired armed ship Prince William left Göteborg on 18 December 1811 as escorts to a convoy of 15 transports and a fleet of merchantmen, some 120 sail or more. [1] Four or five days later Egeria and Prince William separated, together with the vessels going to the Humber and Scotland, including most of the merchant vessels. The transports and a handful of the merchantmen proceeded with Hero and Grasshopper. [1]

On 24–25 December Hero and Grasshopper and the vessels they were escorting encountered a storm that result in the loss of most of them. [2]

VesselDeath tollNotes
HeroLoss of all but 12 of her 600 crewShe grounded and within 15 minutes the distress signals ceased; by next morning she was completely wrecked
GrasshopperOnly the pilot drownedShe crossed the sandbank but then was trapped and had to surrender to the Dutch the next day

Transport vessels and merchantmen

VesselDeath tollNotes
Archimedes [3] 20 of the crew saved
BeckmanMaster and 13 crew lost [4] Of Baltimore; in ballast [4]
CenturionCrew lost [3] Eight carronades [4]
FloraPart of the crew saved [3] Of 359 tons, sunk; 1500 barrels of powder & 250 chests of arms; a great number of chests are expected to be recovered [4]
RosinaMaster and 17 crew lost [3] Of 350 tons; in ballast [4]

See also

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Archimedes was launched at Sunderland in 1796 or 1797. She traded between England and the Baltic until the British government chartered her as a transport c. 1809. She was lost in December 1811 while coming back from the Baltic.

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References

  1. 1 2 Gentleman's Magazine (1812), p. 174.
  2. Marshall, John (1829). "Reynolds, Barrington"  . Royal Naval Biography . Vol. supp part 3. London: Longman and company. pp. 13, 14.
  3. 1 2 3 4 LL 21 January 1812, №4632.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 "SHIP NEWS", Hull Packet and Original Weekly Commercial, Literary and General Advertiser (Hull, England), Tuesday, January 28, 1812; Issue 1307.