Richard Goodwin Keats

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Richard Goodwin Keats

Sir Richard Goodwin Keats (born January 16, 1757 in Chalton , Hampshire , † April 5, 1834 in Greenwich ) was a British naval officer at the time of Nelson . He was considered one of the best sailors in the fleet and was referred to as "a jewel of the navy" because of his services in numerous skirmishes by Lord Nelson himself.

Origin and early career

Keats was born on January 16, 1757 in Chalton, Hampshire, to a clergyman and school principal. After breaking off his training as a priest, young Richard moved to the Royal Navy in 1770 ; he served as a candidate officer in the English Channel and in North American waters successively on the ships Bellona (74 guns), Yarmouth (60), Cambridge (80), Captain (74), Halifax, Kingfisher, Mercury (20) and Romney (50), before he was promoted to lieutenant in 1777 .

With this rank he served - the American War of Independence had broken out - on Ramillies (74) and Prince George (98). During this time he met the Duke of Clarence (who later became King William IV ) as a fellow at the fair and took part in the Battle of Ushant and the Moonlight Battle. In 1782 Keats was promoted to commander and commanded the Rhinoceros and the Bonetta (16) off North America . After the Treaty of Versailles, he was busy relocating loyalists for a number of years and spent some time ashore on half pay .

captain

In 1789 Keats was promoted to captain at the instigation of the Duke of Clarence and took over command of the frigate Southampton (32), later the Niger (32). The First Coalition War broke out in 1792 , and Keats briefly became the flag captain of the Duke of Clarence on the liner London (90), but soon took over the Galatea (36) and was involved in operations against the French fleet in the Channel (including hunting the French frigate Andromaque on cliffs) and engaged in landing by royalists .

During the great mutiny in Spithead in 1797 he had to leave his ship and a short time later took over the Boadicea (38), with which he demonstrated his seafaring skills during the blockade of Brest . In 1801 he took command of the ship of the line HMS Superb (74), which remained forever associated with his name, as he took part with her in the Second Naval Battle of Algeciras on July 6, 1801, under the command of Admiral Saumarez decisive part in the pursuit of a French-Spanish squadron and through clever actions of the Superb brought the two powerful Spanish ships of the line Real Carlos (112) and Hermenegildo (112) to shoot each other, whereupon both caught fire and exploded with almost 2,000 men on board.

During the Peace of Amiens (1802) and after the outbreak of the Napoleonic Wars (1803), Keats stayed with the Superb in the Mediterranean and served under Nelson. Under his command, he pursued Admiral Villeneuve's French fleet across the Atlantic and back; Since the Superb was in urgent need of repair afterwards, it had to be docked in Portsmouth . During this stay in England, Keats last spoke to Nelson and learned his battle plan for the Battle of Trafalgar . Since Keats was destined with the Superb as a flagship for Admiral Duckworth and whose extravaganzas delayed the departure, Keats missed participation in the battle. After all, Keats took part with the Superb in Duckworth's victory over a French squadron off Santo Domingo (1806) and was highly decorated for it.

Flag officer

In 1807 Keats served with the Superb in the Canal Fleet, was soon promoted to Commodore and set his flag on the Ganges (74). With this rank he took part in the expedition to Copenhagen (1807). He played a major role in the destruction of the Danish fleet, as he blocked the Great Belt , which was dangerous to navigate . He was promoted to Rear Admiral and flies his flag on his favorite ship, the Superb .

In 1808 he returned to the Baltic Sea, led a British army to Sweden and negotiated with a Spanish contingent of troops, reluctant allies of Napoleon , until he was able to escort them back to their home country to fight Napoleon , who has now become an enemy of Spain.

In 1809 he took part in the failed British expedition to Walcheren (mouth of the Scheldt), briefly served as governor of Malta , but soon took over the blockade squadron off Cádiz with Implacable (74) as the flagship . Here he and the Spanish defended the important port city against a French army.

In 1811, Keats was promoted to Vice-Admiral and became Deputy Commander of the Mediterranean Fleet . Because of poor health he was sent home in 1812, but in 1813 took over the post of Commander-in-Chief of the Newfoundland Station with Bellerophon (74) as the flagship.

In 1816 - after the end of the Napoleonic Wars - he returned to Great Britain, in 1818 he was promoted to major-general of the Royal Marines and in 1825 to admiral . In 1820 he married his wife Mary and was governor of the Veterans Hospital in Greenwich from 1821 until his death in 1834 . Keats Island is named after him.

literature

personal data
SURNAME Keats, Richard Goodwin
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Keats, Sir Richard Goodwin (full name)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION British naval officer at the time of Nelson
DATE OF BIRTH January 16, 1757
PLACE OF BIRTH Chalton , Hampshire
DATE OF DEATH April 5, 1834
Place of death Greenwich