Whaler - Whalers in Wartime

Whalers in Wartime

The crews of whaling vessels fought small skirmishes for the control of the Spitsbergen whale fishery between 1613 and 1638.

In the late 18th and early 19th century whalers were frequently armed with cannons to protect themselves against pirates, and in wartime, privateers. At the outbreak of the French Revolutionary Wars in 1793, British privateers captured several French whalers, among them the Necker and Deux Amis, and Anne. Dutch privateers captured the Port de Paix and the Penn. At the time, many French whalers transferred to the American flag, the United States being neutral in the Anglo-French war.

Some whalers also carried letters of marque, which authorized them to take enemy vessels should the opportunity arise. In July 1793 the British armed whaler Liverpool, of 20 guns, captured the French whaler Chardon. However, Chardon's crew succeeded in retaking their vessel.

In 1793, an armed British whaler captured the French whaler Hébé in Walvis Bay.

During the War of 1812, two notable whalers served as American warships: the Essex Junior and the Seringapatam.