HMS Myrmidon (1813)

Last updated

MYRMIDON 1813 RMG J6929.jpg
Myrmidon
History
Naval Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg United Kingdom
NameMyrmidon
Namesake Myrmidons
Ordered2 August 1811
Builder Milford Dockyard
Laid downJuly 1812
Launched18 June 1813
Completed6 February 1814
CommissionedAugust 1814
Fate Broken up by 10 January 1823
General characteristics
Class and type Hermes-class post ship
Tons burthen509 25/94 bm
Length
  • 119 ft 11 in (36.6 m) (gundeck)
  • 99 ft 10 in (30.4 m) (keel)
Beam31 ft (9.4 m)
Draught10 ft 3 in (3.1 m)
Depth8 ft 8 in (2.6 m)
Sail plan Full-rigged ship
Complement135
Armament

HMS Myrmidon was a 20-gun Hermes-class sixth-rate post ship built for the Royal Navy during the 1810s. She was commissioned in 1813 and was in the Mediterranean four years later. The ship was on the Africa Station in 1819 and was paid off three years later. Myrmidon was broken up in 1823.

Contents

Description and construction

Myrmidon had a length at the gundeck of 119 feet 11 inches (36.6 m) and 99 feet 10 inches (30.4 m) at the keel. She had a beam of 31 feet (9.4 m), a draught of 10 feet 3 inches (3.1 m) and a depth of hold of 8 feet 8 inches (2.6 m). The ship's tonnage was 509 2594 tons burthen. Myrmidon was armed with eighteen 32-pounder carronades and a pair of 9-pounder cannon as chase guns. The ship had a crew of 135 officers and ratings. [1]

Myrmidon, the second ship of her name to serve in the Royal Navy, [2] was ordered on 2 August 1811, laid down on July 1812 in Milford Dockyard, Wales, and launched on 18 June 1813. She was completed at Plymouth Dockyard on 6 February 1814. [1]

Service

The ship's first commission began in August 1813 under the command of Captain Valentine Gardner while she was still fitting out. He was relieved by Captain Henry Bourchier in October and then Captain William Patterson in 1814. Captain Robert Gambier assumed command on 25 April 1815; Myrmidon was paid off in October, but she was recommissioned with Gambier still in command. The ship was reclassified in February 1817 as a 20-gun sloop and was in the Mediterranean that year before paying off on 19 November 1818. She was recommissioned on 26 March 1818, under the command of Commander Henry John Leeke, for service on the Africa Station and was decommissioned at its end in October 1822. Myrmidon's demolition was completed on 10 January 1823 at Portsmouth Dockyard. [3]

Notes

  1. 1 2 Winfield, p. 114
  2. Colledge, p. 237
  3. Winfield 2014, pp. 750–51

Related Research Articles

HMS <i>Gloucester</i> (1812) Vengeur-class ship of the line

HMS Gloucester was a 74-gun, third rate Vengeur-class ship of the line built for the Royal Navy in the 1810s. She played a minor role in the Napoleonic Wars and was cut down into a 50-gun fourth rate frigate in 1831–32. The ship was converted into a receiving ship and broken up in 1884.

English ship <i>Phoenix</i> (1647)

Phoenix was a fourth rate of the Kingdom of England. Her initial commission was in the Parliamentary Naval Force during the English Civil War. During the Anglo-Dutch War she was taken by the Dutch at the Battle of Montecristo. She was recaptured during the Battle of Leghorn by a boat attack. Recommissioned she participated in the Battle of Sheveningen. She went to the Mediterranean in 1658 and remained there until wrecked in December 1664.

HMS Burford was a 70-gun third rate ship of the line built at Woolwich Dockyard in 1677/79 as part of the Thirty Ships Programme of 1677. She fought in the War of the English Succession, including the Battle of Barfleur, before being rebuilt at Deptford in 1699, remaining as a 70-gun third rate. During the War of Spanish Succession she was mostly in the Mediterranean fleet and fought at the capture of Gibraltar and the Battle of Málaga in 1704 before being extensively repaired between 1710 and 1712 at Portsmouth Dockyard. Burford served in the Baltic in 1715 and 1717 before returning to the Mediterranean to fight the Spanish at the Battle of Cape Passaro in 1718. She was wrecked on the Italian coast in a storm on 14 February 1719.

HMS <i>Dauntless</i> (1808) Sloop of the Royal Navy

The second HMS Dauntless was a Cormorant-class ship-sloop of the Royal Navy, launched in 1808. She was sold in 1823.

HMS <i>Suffolk</i> (1680) Ship of the line of the Royal Navy

HMS Suffolk was a 70-gun third-rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy, built by contract of 20 February 1678 by Sir Henry Johnson at Blackwall. She participated in the War of the English Succession 1689 - 1697, in the Battles of Beachy Head and Barfleur. She was rebuilt in 1699. She was actively involved in the War of Spanish Succession 1702 - 1713. Her later career was as guard ship duties, deployments to the Baltic Sea and the West Indies. She was finally broken in 1765 after lying in Ordinary for almost twenty years.

HMS <i>Castor</i> (1785) Frigate of the Royal Navy

HMS Castor was a 32-gun Amazon-class fifth-rate frigate of the Royal Navy. She served during the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars. The French briefly captured her during the Atlantic Campaign of May 1794 but she spent just 20 days in French hands as a British ship retook her before her prize crew could reach a French port. Castor eventually saw service in many of the theatres of the wars, spending time in the waters off the British Isles, in the Mediterranean and Atlantic, as well as the Caribbean.

HMS <i>Ariadne</i> (1816)

HMS Ariadne was a 20-gun Hermes-class sixth-rate post ship built for the Royal Navy during the 1810s. The vessel was completed in 1816, modified in the early 1820s and only entered service in 1823. Ariadne was assigned to the Cape of Good Hope Station, followed by a stint in the Mediterranean Sea. The ship served on the North America and West Indies Station from 1829 to 1835. She was paid off in 1835, turned into a coal hulk the following year and sold for scrap in 1841.

HMS Valorous was a 20-gun Hermes-class post ship sixth-rate post ship built for the Royal Navy during the 1810s. She was placed in commission in 1821 for service abroad in the Caribbean and Newfoundland. Two of her captains were forced to resign their commands during this time and the ship was placed in reserve in 1826 until she was broken up in 1829.

HMS <i>Thetis</i> (1817) 46-gun Leda-class fifth-rate frigate built for the Royal Navy during the 1810s

HMS Thetis was a 46-gun Leda-class fifth-rate frigate built for the Royal Navy during the 1810s. She was first commissioned in 1823 and was assigned to the South America Station three years later. The ship was wrecked in 1830 off Cape Frio, Brazil, with the loss of 22 crewmen; most of her cargo of bullion was successfully salvaged.

HMS Racer was a 6-gun Nightingale-class cutter built for the Royal Navy in 1818. She was broken up in 1830.

HMS Reynard was a 10-gun Cherokee-class brig-sloop built for the Royal Navy during the 1820s. She was sold in 1838.

HMS Rhadamanthus was one of the initial steam powered vessels built for the Royal Navy. On 10 January 1831 the First Sea Lord gave orders that four paddle vessels be built to competitive designs. The vessels were to be powered by Maudslay, Son & Field steam engines, carry a schooner rig and mount one or two 10-inch shell guns. Initially classed simply as a steam vessel (SV), she was re-classed as a second-class steam sloop in 1846. Designed by Thomas Roberts, the Master Shipwright of Plymouth. She was launched and completed in 1832, She was converted into a transport in 1841 then in 1851 she was a troopship and by the 1860s she was a transport again. Her breaking was completed in February 1864.

HMS Seaford was a member of the standardize 20-gun sixth rates built at the end of the 17th Century. After she was commissioned she had a very varied career, starting in the Mediterranean then the Irish Sea, then to Newfoundland, the North Sea followed by a great repair then to the Leeward Islands. She was dismantled in 1722 and rebuilt as a bomb vessel in 1727 than a 20-gun sixth rate in 1728. She served in the West Indies, America and the Mediterranean. She was finally broken in 1740.

HMS Nightingale was a development of the standardize 20-gun sixth rates and were built at the beginning of the 18th Century. After she was captured by French privateer galleys in 1707 then recaptured four months later. She was renamed HMS Fox and continued service until she was rebuilt at Deptford. Her breaking was completed in January 1738.

HMS Squirrel was designed by Richard Stacey, Master Shipwright of Woolwich. Her design was based on the standardize 20-gun sixth rates. After commissioning she was assigned to Home Waters then the Mediterranean. She took a privateer in 1710. She was dismantled at Deptford with her timbers sent to Woolwich Dockyard for rebuilding as a 374-ton (bm). She was finally broken in 1749.

HMS Gibraltar was the name ship of the Gibraltar Group of 24-gun sixth rates. After commissioning she spent her career in Home waters and North America on trade protection duties. She was rebuilt at Deptford between 1725 and 1727. After her rebuild she served in Home Waters, North America, West Indies and the Mediterranean on trade protection. She was sold in 1749.

HMS Bideford was a member of the Gibraltar Group of 24-gun sixth rates. After commissioning she spent her career West Indies, Morocco and Portugal on trade protection duties. She was rebuilt at Chatham in 1727. After her rebuild she served in Home Waters, North America and the Mediterranean on trade protection. She foundered off Flamborough Head in 1736.

HMS Experiment was a fifth rate built under the 1689 programme built at Deptford Dockyard. Her guns were listed under old terms for guns as demi-culverines, sakers and minions. After commissioning she spent her career in Home Waters, North America, Mediterranean and the West Indies. She was reduced to a 20-gun sixth rate in 1717 then rebuilt as a 1719 Establishment sixth rate in 1724. Her breaking was finally completed at Portsmouth in 1738.

<i>Perseverance</i>-class frigate Frigate class of the Royal Navy

The Perseverance-class frigate was a 36-gun, later 42-gun, 18-pounder fifth-rate frigate class of twelve ships of the Royal Navy, constructed in two batches. Designed by Surveyor of the Navy Sir Edward Hunt the first iteration, consisting of four ships, was constructed as a rival to the similar Flora-class frigate. Strongly built ships, the Perseverance class provided favourable gunnery characteristics and was highly manoeuvrable, but bought these traits with a loss of speed. The name ship of the class, Perseverance, was ordered in 1779 and participated in the American Revolutionary War, but her three sister ships were constructed too late to take part. The class continued in service after the war, but soon became outdated.

HMS Bridgewater was a 32-gun fifth rate built at Sheerness Dockyard in 1697/98.

References