Dates: 1782 - 1827
In 1801, under the command of Captain John Lawford, Polyphemus was with the fleet that bombarded Copenhagen on 2 April. Polyphemus lost midshipman James Bell, four seamen and one marine. The boatswain (Edward Burr), twenty seamen, and four marines were wounded. The division of the North Sea fleet commanded by Admiral Thomas Graves in Polyphemus returned to Yarmouth from the Baltic Sea on 13 July and then sailed to join Admiral Dickson’s squadron blockading the Dutch fleet in the Texel.
In 1805, Captain Robert Redmill took command of Polyphemus off Cadiz. Later that year, she took part in the Battle of Trafalgar, where she fought in the lee column, with six killed and wounded. She engaged the French ships Neptune and Achille and after the battle captured the Spanish ship Argonauta. She towed HMS Victory, carrying Nelson’s body, back to Gibraltar.
In July 1806, she was with Lord St. Vincent’s squadron off Ushant and on 14 July her boats, together with others of the squadron, were taken by the Iris to Sir Samuel Hood in Indefatigable off Rochefort to attack two French corvettes and a convoy at the entrance to the Garonne. The weather on 15 July appeared suitable for the attempt but after the boats left a strong wind blew up and although they managed to capture the 18-gun brig Caesar they could not prevent the convoy escaping up river. The greater part of the boats were either shot through or so badly stove in that they were swamped, and had to be cut adrift from the brig as she was brought out under fire from the batteries and ex-British Teaser brig. The casualties from Polyphemus were William Anderson, Quarter Master’s Mate, who was cut across the hand, and W. Fleming, Coxswain, who was cut across the eyebrow.
