[6] With the outbreak of the Napoleonic Wars, the Admiralty faced a sudden need for vessels to escort convoys in Home waters and protect them from French privateers.

[3] On 10 January 1804, pursuant to orders from Admiral Edward Thornbrough, Wooldridge took Scourge off Vlie, where he encountered a Prussian coming out of Amsterdam.

The Prussian advised Wooldridge that there was a large vessel flying a flag designating her as a prize in the Vlie Roads awaiting for wind to enable her to sail up the passage.

Wooldridge decided that it would be a worthwhile endeavour to deprive the enemy of the vessel and her cargo so after dark he brought Scourge into the State Mille Passage, where he anchored her a musket shot's distance from the quarry.

These succeeded in cutting out the ship without sustaining any casualties though their quarry was armed with eight guns and lay under the protection of shore batteries.

The vessel turned out to be of 400 tons burthen (bm), and to have been carrying lumber from Hull to Memel when on 19 December the Dutch 18-gun privateer brig Union had captured her off Norway.