HMS Hermes (1811)

HMS ''Hermes'' was a 20-gun ''Hermes''-class sixth-rate flush-decked sloop-of-war built in Milford Dockyard to the lines of the ex-French . She was destroyed in 1814 to prevent her falling into American hands after grounding during her unsuccessful attack on Fort Bowyer on Mobile Point outside Mobile, Alabama.

Napoleonic Wars

Captain Philip Browne (or Brauer) commissioned ''Hermes'' in July 1811. Under Browne, ''Hermes'' first captured an American vessel laden with stores for the Brest fleet and then two vessels from New York and Baltimore. On 24 September 1811, while near Cape La Hève (Le Havre), ''Hermes'' recaptured the Prussian brig ''Anna Maria'' which had been bound for London from Lisbon. A privateer managed to escape because of the nearness of the French coast.''The Gentleman's Magazine, and Historical Chronicle'', From July to December 1811, vol. 110, p. 366.

As the day continued, strong winds drove ''Hermes'' off station when near Beachy Head Browne discovered a large French lugger operating as a privateer in the midst of a number of English vessels. The privateer had already taken one prize and might have taken others had ''Hermes'' not arrived. After a chase of two hours, in which the lugger sustained some damage and had several men wounded, the privateer struck to ''Hermes''. As ''Hermes'' slowed, the strong wind broke her maintop-sail-yard in the slings and her fore-sail split. The privateer immediately tried to escape on the opposite tack. ''Hermes'' managed to turn and by cramming on all sail caught up with the privateer although she had gotten a two-mile lead. Browne decided to run alongside, despite the gale to prevent the French vessel from escaping again. Unfortunately, as the lugger crossed ''Hermes''s hawse a heavy sea caused ''Hermes'' to run over the lugger, sinking her. ''Hermes'' was unable to launch any boats and so was only able to save 12 out of the lugger's 51 men. (Another 10 men had been aboard the lugger's prize, which had escaped to France during the chase, taking with her the prize's crew.) The lugger turned out to be ''Mouche'' of Boulogne, under the command of M. Gageux. She had carried fourteen 12-pounder and 6-pounder guns.

War of 1812

On 11 February 1812 ''Hermes'' captured the American brig ''Flora''. Then on 26 April ''Hermes'' captured the American brig ''Tigress''.

Four days later, ''Hermes'' and captured the American letter of marque schooner ''Gipsy'' (or ''Gipsey''). She was on her way from New York City to Bordeaux with a cargo worth £50,000 when the British vessels captured her in the mid-Atlantic after a three-day chase. ''Gipsey'' surrendered twice to ''Hermes'' and twice got away again before ''Belle Poule'' caught her. ''Gipsey'' was of 300 tons (bm) and was armed with twelve 18-pounder carronades and an 18-pounder gun on a pivot mount.

In late autumn 1812, ''Hermes'' was sailing off the Azores in the company of the 74-gun third rate , under the command of Francis Austen, the brother of the acclaimed novelist Jane Austen, together with the 36-gun fifth-rate frigate . On 27 December ''Elephant'' and ''Hermes'' captured the American privateer schooner ''Sword Fish'' of Gloucester, John Evans, Master, and her crew of 82 men. During the 11-hour chase, which covered more than 100 miles, ''Sword Fish'' had thrown overboard ten of her sixteen 6-pounder guns. ''Sword Fish'' was 16 days out of Boston but had not captured anything.

In April 1814, Captain the Hon. William Percy took command of ''Hermes''. On 5 August he sailed her, with accompanying, from Havana. They arrived at the mouth of the Apalachicola River eight days later.

Fate

In September 1814, Percy led her in an unsuccessful attack on Fort Bowyer. The Louisiana State Museum has a map of the battle.

The attack took place on 15 September at about 4:30pm. Two of the four British vessels could not get close enough to fire. The fort was more strongly armed than expected, the British fire was ineffective, and a parallel ground attack failed. Furthermore, as she tried to withdraw, ''Hermes'' grounded under the guns of the fort. Percy evacuated her crew on boats from and then set fire to ''Hermes'', which blew up after the fire reached her magazine at around 10pm. In all, ''Hermes'' had lost 17 killed in action, five mortally wounded, and 19 wounded. (The medical journal of the ''Hermes'' has survived.Medical Journal of HMS Hermes ADM 101/104/
journal transcript
/ref> )

On 18 January 1815, Percy faced a court martial on board , off Cat Island on the coast of Mississippi. The court acquitted him of all blame, finding that the circumstances justified the attack and that all involved had behaved with great gallantry.''Naval Chronicle'', (Jan-July 1815), Vol. 33, p.429.

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Hermes (1811)
Hermes-class post ships
1811 ships
Ships built in England
War of 1812 ships of the United Kingdom
Maritime incidents in 1811
Maritime incidents in 1814
Shipwrecks of the Alabama coast