Saturday 7th January 2023
Difficulty: Very easy
Thomas Cochrane (Quiz #50)
Portrait of Lord Cochrane in 1807 by Peter Edward Stroehling (Public domain)
Thomas Cochrane (1775-1860), also known as Lord Cochrane, was a British officer of the Royal Navy, a mercenary and a politician. He was successful in virtually all of his naval actions, and is regarded as one of Britain's great naval commanders.
1. Cochrane's first command was the Speedy, a tiny vessel with 14 guns and 54 men. She had two masts, with square rig on both. What type of vessel was she?
2. One of Cochrane's most notable exploits was the capture of a Spanish frigate which carried 32 guns and 319 men, compared with Speedy's 14 guns and 54 men. What was his key tactic in overcoming the apparent disadvantage?
3. At the Battle of Basque Roads, Cochrane attacked the French fleet with "bomb vessels" - ships loaded with explosives. He himself was aboard the leading bomb vessel, and after lighting the fuse he and his crew got into the ship's gig (small boat) to escape. But what delayed them from getting away?
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