English: The Recruit steam gun-boat. The War in Crimea. Illustration for The Illustrated London News, 15 September 1855.

Read the ILN

"THE RECRUIT" STEAM GUN.BOAT. THE bombardment of Taganrog, in the Sea of Azoff, which was so successfully performed by Lieutenant Day, in the Recruit, on the 3rd June last, has illustrated forcibly the great service which may be derived in the present war from the possession of a large flotilla of such vessels for the general purposes of naval warfare. The Recruit is one of a class of vessels of which, unfortunately, there are at present only two in our service, and possessing all the requisites of that which will be for the future a most important arm of the service. We have engraved the Recruit, so as to show the peculiar nature of the service which such a vessel is calculated to render; and we venture, at the same time, to call public attention to the important part which steam gun-boats may perform in the present war. The three essential qualities which an efficient flotilla of steam gunboats ought to possess are:1st. Very light draught of water, to enable them to approach as near as possible to points to be attacked that would otherwise be inaccessible; and further, to enable them to escape from a more powerful adversary by running into shallow water, where it would be impossible to follow them. 2nd. To carry a heavy armament of the largest class of gun to enable them under all circumstances to cope with the artillery o0 large ships, and heavy fortifications. 3rd. To possess the highest-known rate of speed, to enable them to keep up with and outstrip all other ships, and give them the power to choose their own time and place of attack. These three great points ought of course to be obtained without sacrificing the good qualities which every ship should possess. Now, all these do appear to be combined in the Recruit. In the first place, although she is a ship of 550 tons burden, her deepest draught of water is seven feet, and her light draught only five feet. When in good fighting condition she need not draw more than six feet of water. With this light draught of water she carries-what no other vessel but her sister ship, the Weser, can carry and effectually use-four long 68-pounder guns, and in this condition the speed of the vessel through the water is fifteen statute miles an hour. There is another quality of such vessels, and which is of very considerable importance, namely, that they are ready to act as despatch-vessels in conducting the communications of a fleet, as well as to act as powerful batteries in cases of bombardment; and, moreover, being paddle-vessels of 160-horse power, they can act as tug-boats to sailing transports, while themselves have large decks for the accommodation of troops. The only point which has hitherto been urged against the employment of a large fleet of such vessels is the prejudice which has long existed against the employment of iron ; but that prejudice must rapidly disappear before the practical experience now being acquired of the efficiency of such vessels in all respects for every practical purpose. The Recruit, and her sister vessel the Weser, were originally built on the River Thames for the Prussian Government, and were bought by our Government during the present war. Although they had formerly proved themselves excellent sea-boats, this is the first occasion in which their efficiency in action has been practically proved. Their dimensions are-Length, 189 feet; breadth, 26th feet. Burden 550 tons; 160 horse power. Armament, four 68-pounders. The following is an extract from the official report of the part taken by the Recruit in the bombardment of Taganrog :- I have the honour to inform you that I anchored in eighteen feet water, with the squadron under my orders, in Taganrog inner roads, at about eight miles and a half from the town, on the evening of the 1st inst. (June), without ally accident, although the enemy had removed the beacons. The 2nd was employed in reconnoitring the town, which I was enabled to do satisfactorily in the Recruit-Lieutenant Day, commanding that vessel, having found a passage during the night. I had arranged to proceed at three a.m. the following morning to summon the town, and, in the event of a refusal to surrender, to endeavour to destroy the immense stores of grain and other Government property in that place. Having concerted measures with M. de Sedaiges, commanding the French steamers, I proceeded at three a.m., in the Recruit, with the vessels and boats, and accompanied by the lightest French steamers (M. de Sedaiges being on board one of them) towing their launches. Having anchored the Recruit at fourteen hundred yards from the Mole-head, and collected all the boats astern, I sent Lieutenant-Commander Horton with a flag of truce, accompanied by a French officer with similar orders from M. de Sedaiges, to demand the surrender of all Government property of every description whatsoever, and of all grain, flour, and provisions: one hour to be allowed for a decision, and no modification of the terms to be entertained. At the expiration of the hour Lieutenant Horton and the French officer were informed that the Governor refused the terms, and that, having troops at his disposal, he intended to defend the place. Shortly afterwards the Recruit commenced firing, accompanied by the French boats; and so heavy a fire opened that, although the enemy made repeated attempts to get down to the houses, lining the beach so as to save the long range of storehouses from destruction, they never succeeded in doing so in sufficient numbers. The Recruit, from her light draught of water, was enabled to take an effective position at 1400 yards, and so was the Mouette, French steamer. By three p.m. all the long ranges of stores of grain, plank, tar, and the vessels on the stocks were in a blaze, as well as the Custom-house and other Government buildings, and unfortunately, but unavoidably, the town in many places; and, our purpose being amply effected, the boats returned to the Recruit.