HMS Malta was the Spanish 10-gun schoonerMalta, built and launched in the United States of America in 1797. The British captured her in 1800. After the Royal Navy captured the French ship-of-the-line Guillaume Tell and renamed her HMSMalta, the Admiralty renamed the schooner Gozo in December 1800 after the Maltese island of Gozo.[lower-alpha 1]
Malta was one of six British warships in sight on 8 January 1801 when HMSPenelope captured the French bombard St. Roche. She was carrying wine, liqueurs, ironware, Delfth (sic) cloth, and various other merchandise from Marseilles to Alexandria.[3]
Then on 8 March the "Malta schooner", Entreprenante, and the gun-vessel Negresse protected the right flank during the landing of troops in Aboukir Bay.[4]Cruelle protected the left flank, together with the cutter Janissary and the gun-vessel Dangereuse.[4]
Because Gozo served in the fleet under Admiral Lord Keith in the Egyptian campaign between 8 March and 2 September, she is listed amongst the vessels whose crews qualified for the NGSM with clasp "Egypt".[lower-alpha 2]
On 9 June Gozo (misspelled as Gogo) captured the chasse mareeTrompeuse, which was sailing to Ancona.[6]
↑ Winfield awards the capture to HMSThames.[2] Unfortunately, there is no mention in the London Gazette of the capture, or for that matter of the capture of any Spanish schooner with the name Malta.
↑ A first-class share of the prize money awarded in April 1823 was worth £34 2s 4d; a fifth-class share, that of a seaman, was worth 3s 11½d. The amount was small as the total had to be shared between 79 vessels and the entire army contingent.[5]
Winfield, Rif (2008). British Warships in the Age of Sail 1793–1817: Design, Construction, Careers and Fates. Seaforth. ISBN978-1861762467.
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