Omani Navy

Anything and everything about sailing vessels, be they warships, merchantmen or something completely different
AvM
Rear-Admiral
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Re: Omani Navy

Post by AvM »

JohnH wrote: Sun Mar 01, 2020 7:22 am Not strictly on the topic,
John!

I think that we should expand the subject to complete era of sailing navy of Oman/Muscat/Zanzibar, ie ca 1650-1872,
as there aare really no any comprehensive works on the subject. Omany Navy was from the begining very important
naval power in Indian Ocean. In 1880s there were still 2 armed dhaws served as a navy.

Omani Navy was negleced at the begining of XVIII century and in 1756 owned only
two ships and couple of gallivats

By the 1770s compised 4 ships of 40 guns , 25 locally built ketches and gallivats of eight to fourteen guns each and
a larhge nunspecivied number of dhows and trankies

In 1786 it was reported that the Imam owned 3 large ships
- Rahmani (She was a frigate already extant 1775)
- Ka'ba-Ras
- Nasiri
one small ship
8 man-of -war
8 dhows

In 1804 merchant fleet (probably warships also included) was composed of 15 ships of 400-700t , 3 brigs and 50 large dingies
Last edited by AvM on Wed Mar 04, 2020 1:36 pm, edited 2 times in total.
JohnH
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Re: Omani Navy

Post by JohnH »

When the Omani fleet was divided in 1856 between the new Sultans of Masqat and Zanzibar three large ships remained at Masqat, as Andreas has said above, including the frigate Caroline and corvette Rahmani. The third ship was the brig Curlew. See John Barrett Kelly, Britain and the Persian Gulf: 1795-1880 (Oxford, Clarendon Press, 1968) p. 535.

The source reverses the classifications of Rahmani and Curlew but appears to do so in error. All other accounts of the Omani fleet for the 1830s, 1840s and 1850s refer to Rahmani of 24 guns as a corvette and Curlew of 12 guns as a brig.
AvM
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Re: Omani Navy

Post by AvM »

RAHMANI was a corvette of 725bm tons and 24 guns built in Cochin in 1833. One of the best ships of the Sultan of Muscat

CURLEW was a brig built at Muscat c 1830. Pierced for 12 guns, mainly carried only 3-9 guns.
AvM
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Re: Omani Navy

Post by AvM »

Omani Ships 1810-1872

SOL

LIVERPOOL (Bombay 1826) 1776bm 74 guns 590 men. . Presented to William IV 9.03.1836

Frigates

CAROLINE (Bombay 1814) 575bm 36 guns ?? men. 1856 Muscat Navy. Still operated 1861.

HAMMAYUN SHAH ()Damaun 1817) 604 tons 36 guns. 1850s lost in Gulf of Bengel

SHAH ALLUM (Bombay 1819) 1111bm 66 guns ?? men. 1856 Zanzibar. 15.04.1872 wrecked during hurricane at Zanzibar.

LIVERPOOl (UK 1814)1239bm 40 guns 340 men. Purchased 1822. BU Bomay 1825 (?)

PRINCE OF WALES (Rangoon 1824) 600bm 36 guns Sold as useless at Calcutta c1844

PIEDMONTAISE (Cochin 1829) 761bm 36 guns . 1856 Zanzibar. . 1859 still operated

VICTORIA (Bombay 1844) ??? tons. 36 guns. 1856 Zanzibar. . 1858-59 extant as guard ship for the Port of Zanzibar

Corvettes

MUSTAPHA (Mattrah 1825) 450bm 26 guns-. Abonded at Calcutta in 1840s

RAHMANI (Cochin 1833) 725bm 24 guns . 1856 Muscat navy. Extant 1859.

MANTEICH (Cochin 1840s) 24 guns. Still listed 1854.

FAZA ALLEUM (Zanzibar 1840s) 24 guns. Extant 1847 and early 1850s. Fates ???

ARTEMISE (Bombay 1849) 500t 18 guns 45 men. 1856 Zanzibar Navy. extant 1861.

ISHKENDAR SHAH (Bombay 1859) 600t 22 guns Built for Zanzibar Navy 15.04.1872 wrecked during hurricane at Zanzibar.

Sloop

SULTANA (Bombay 1833) 312t 12 guns 40 men. Wrecked near Wasin when returning from India c. 1853

Brigs & Schooners

RAHMANY (???) 10 guns Mentioned in 1817-1819. Later sold to Arab or Persian owners.

WOOTMANY (???) Extant 1820-1822.

SALIHI (USA 1840s) 300 tons Barque rigged. 1840, condemned and repaired in Bombay.
very probebyl US barque Star, master Brown arrived Feb 1841 at Zanzibar md sld for Mocha

SALHEE (???) 15 guns Mentioned in 1821. Lost in Persian Gulf.

ANTELOOPE (Bombay ??) 6-8 guns Extant 1822.

NAUSERY (Bombay 1822) 164 bm 10 guns Brig rigged. Off service by 1834. Also Nusri

FULKE (Demaun ???) 18 guns. Mentioned 1823-1824. Aka FULK.

SULTANEY (???) nil guns Reported in 1824.

PSYCHE (Bombay 1810 ) 180 bm 12 guns Acquired c. 1825. Wrecked on Providence Island 1835.

SYED BIN GALFAUN (Bombay 1809 ) 159 bm 12 guns Built for Indian Navy as Vestal. Acquired c. 1826 and renamed c. 1835. Off service in 1840s.

ELPHINSTONE (Bombay 1820) 6 guns .1840s sold Built for East India Co. as Vigilant. Acquired in 1828. Sold in 1840s.

TAGE (Cochin 1829 125 bm 10 guns Intended as a yacht. Lost or renamed by 1834.

CURLEW (Muscat c. 1830) 12 guns. 1856 Muscat navy. Brig rig, extant 1858.

SOLIMAN SHAH Class (Surate1830) 10 to 18 guns Built for commerce. Lost in the Gulf of Bengal in 1840s.

TAGE (ii) (Bombay1834) 205 bm 6 to 8 guns. 1856 Zanzibar Navy.

NAUSERY (Bombay 1835) 179 bm 10 guns Brig rigged. Still extant 1853 with 2 guns.

PRINCE REGENT (Bombay 1820) 282 bm Built as British Admiralty yacht. Given to Sultan Sayyid 1836. Passed by him over to Governor General of India 1840 and finally sold in Calcutta. Served as a transport.

ENGLAND (Bombay1841) 16 guns Still extant 1843.

GAZELA (Cochin 1840s) 10 guns Listed 1845.1856 Zanzibar Navy Mentioned 1860, Not mentioned in 1861.

SHATT AL FURAT (???) Mentioned in 1840s as acquired in Muscat.

QUEEN VICTORIA (???) 2 guns . Mentioned 1853-1854.

CITY OF POONA (???) 4 guns. Zanzibar Navy Brig rigged. Reported in 1861.

AFRICA (???) 4 guns Zanzibar Navy Brig rigged. Mentioned in 1861.


I will be very grateful for any correcrtions and additions
AvM
Rear-Admiral
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Re: Omani Navy

Post by AvM »

"The Countries And Tribes Of The Persian Gulf Volume 2"
Colonel S.B.Miles

RAHMANI - frigate mentioned 1775

SALIH -. frigate of 50 guns mentioned 1780

Imam’s frigate Salih, of 50 guns, laden
with goods from a British Indian port to Busra. With a prize crew
on board the Salih was sent to Severndroog, and there sold to
the Mahrattas.

He represented the case fully to the French Government at Paris, who eventually
expressed regret at the occurrence and purchased a ship, called the
Courier de I’Isle de France, to be sent out to Muscat to replace
the Salih. This was accordingly done, but the promised vessel
was taken on the way by an English cruiser,

1790 that a second small vessel, called the Escurial, but
re-named the Salih, was convoyed to Muscat by the La Thetis,
frigate, commanded by Captain Macnamara and delivered to the
Imam Saeed.

In year 1799 Sultan sailed in the Gunjava frigate, with three square
rigged ships and sixty bughlas to attack Al-Bahrain, and in a sea-
fight that took place shortly after, captured three of the Attoobee
vessels.

In January, 1803, Seyyid Sultan resolved on performing a
pilgrimage to Mecca, and embarked on board one of his frigates with
Shaikh Muhenna al-Yaarebi and others,

Since the futile mission of M. Cavaignac in the Atalanta
frigate in 1803, the only intercourse had been the occasional purchase
by Sultan and Bedr of English prizes, captured and sold at Mauritius
by the French.
Grammont
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Re: Omani Navy

Post by Grammont »

From The Asiatic Annual Register for the Year 1804

The Ship Tazbux.

On the 1st ult. [March 1804] in latitude 10 44 N. Point Palmiraa, N. N. E. 22 leagues, the Tazbux, under Arab colours, was fired at, at nine P. M. and taken possession of by the French privateer La Fortune, commanded by Citizen Le Memej - Captain Mercer, his officers, crew and passenger, were sent on board the privateer; but, after an examination of the papers of the Tazbux and her officers, she was delivered back to captain Mercer, on the 2d inst. at one P. M.

Captain Mercer was informed by the captain of the privateer, that three days before he had been chased by an English frigate; it falling a calm, the frigate could not come up with him, but got out her boats, on which the privateer fired, sunk two of them and sheared off.

Captain Mercer was likewise informed, on board the privateer, that she had taken three vessels, called the Sarah, Eliza, and Active.

-----------------------------------------------------------

The Tazbux, a ship of 737 tons was buiit at Bombay in 1802 for the Emuam [sic] of Muscat.
AvM
Rear-Admiral
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Re: Omani Navy

Post by AvM »

Grammont wrote: Thu Mar 05, 2020 6:07 pm From The Asiatic Annual Register for the Year 1804
Grammont!
many thanks for that, and to mention AAR

In 1807 I have found:

7 Oct
"Other accounts say that the French government have presented the Imaum of Muscat With a ship, and a pecuniary indemnifaction ,
but of very inconsiderable value"
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