HMS  “Amphion”  The Story of a Frigate Built at Mistley in 1798

Amphions first mission was to Jamaica in 1798, but by 1799 she was off Southern Spain under Captain Bennett. That year she captured  a Spanish letter of marque Nuestra Senora del corvodorvya (alias Asturiana) on 25 November 1799.

Asturiana was armed with eighteen 8-pounder and two 12 pounder, and four 36-pounder howitzer. She and her crew of 180 men were sailing from Cadiz to La Vera Cruz with a valuable cargo. She had been part of a convoy of five vessels. Amphion shared with Alarm in the head-money that was finally paid in March 1829.

Amphion remained in the Mediterranean until the Peace of Amiens. In 1802 Amphion was employed in attacking British smugglers in the English Channel and later conveyed the ambassador to Portugal to Lisbon.

In 1803 Amphion was paid off but later recommissioned and transported Horatio Nelson to the Mediterranean to take command. The remained in the Mediterranean under Captain Samuel Sutton, and was part of the fleet blockading Toulon. Amphion was one of the ships selected to hunt and capture the Spanish treasure fleet destroyed at the Action of 5 October 1804. In  October 1805 the captaincy was given to William Hoste at Lisbon, and he sailed to Gibraltar and subsequently  Algiers before operating off Cadiz and Sicily.

 After the battle of Trafalgar on 21 October 1805 Amphion was at the blockade of Cadiz. On the 25  November Thundere detained the Ragusan ship Nemesis which was sailing from Isle de France to Leghom, Italy, with a cargo of spice, indigo dye and other goods. Amphion shared the prize money with ten other British warships. On the 28th July 1806 the 3rd battalion of the Polish-Italian Legion 500 strong surrendered to Captain Hoste in the Amphion and the 78th Foot at Crotone.

In May 1808 Hoste was ordered to attack the French frigate Baleine off Rosas