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HERO
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(74) |
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Built in 1803, Blackwall.
Wrecked in 1811. |
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- 1805 Capt. Hon. A. H. GARDNER, Channel fleet. She was with Sir Robert CALDER at the capture of the SAN RAFAEL (80) and the FIRME (74) during his action with the combined Franco-Spanish fleet 120 miles N. W. of Finisterre on 22 July.
The weather was so foggy that at times it was difficult to see the ships ahead and astern so the victory was not as complete as Sir Robert could have wished and the enemy fleet was able to reach Ferrol.
HERO lost one man killed and four wounded. - (Sir Robert CALDER faced a court martial on board PRINCE OF WALES at Portsmouth on 23 December.
When the trial finished on the 26th. he was reprimanded for not doing better.) - HERO took part in Sir Richard STRACHAN's action on 4 November, 15 miles S. W. of Cape Ortegal, with Rear Ad. Dumanoir and four French 74's which had escaped from Trafalgar.
Just after noon DUGUAY TROUIN, FORMIDABLE, MONT BLANC and SCIPION formed line ahead on the starboard tack; The British ships CAESAR, HERO and COURAGEUX were on their weather quarter and NAMUR was about 10 miles astern.
CAESAR opened fire on FORMIDABLE with her larboard guns and HERO and COURAGEUX followed with broadsides at SCIPION and MONT BLANC.
In a close action lasting three and a half hours all four enemy ships were captured, DUGUAY TROUIN surrendering to HERO after attempting to escape from the battle.
Sir Richard carried his prizes into Plymouth and they were added to the Royal Navy, although DUGUAY TROUIN, as IMPLACABLE, and SCIPION were the only two which went to sea again.
The captains of the ships received gold medals and, from the Patriotic Fund, swords valued at 100 guineas.
The first lieutenants of the line-of-battle ships were promoted to commander.
HERO lost 10 killed and 51 wounded, had her fore-topsail-yard shot away and suffered considerable damage to her hull and rigging. - 1807 At the end of the year she was under repair at Plymouth.
- 1808 Capt. James Newman NEWMAN, North Sea.
- On 25 February 1809 HERO, THESEUS, REVENGE, TRIUMPH and VALIANT joined Rear Ad. STOPFORD off the Chasseron lighthouse where he was blockading a French fleet in the Basque Roads. She did not take any active part in the attack which started on 11 April.
- In August 1809 her launch was with Capt. COCKBURN's flotilla at the attack on Flushing and had one killed and two wounded.
- On 28 December 1811 she was wrecked on the Haak Sand during a gale and all on board save 12 men were lost.
The GRASSHOPPER brig was in company, but she rode over the bank and finished close in to Texel Is.
where she surrendered to the Dutch Admiral.
The previous day ST. GEORGE and DEFENCE were wrecked on the coast of Jutland by the same gale nearly 2,000 officers and men lost altogether.
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