HMS Penguin was a Royal Navy

Royal Navy

The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...

 Cruizer-class

Cruizer class brig-sloop

The Cruizer class was an 18-gun class of brig-sloops of the Royal Navy. Brig-sloops were the same as ship-sloops except for their rigging...

 brig-sloop launched in 1813. In 1815 the USS Hornet captured Penguin in a battle that took place after the end of the War of 1812

War of 1812

The War of 1812 was a military conflict fought between the forces of the United States of America and those of the British Empire. The Americans declared war in 1812 for several reasons, including trade restrictions because of Britain's ongoing war with France, impressment of American merchant...

. Hornet then scuttled Penguin as she was too damaged to merit keeping.

Service

Penguin was commissioned in November 1813 under Commander Thomas R. Toker. The next month Commander George A. Byron took over command. In June 1814 command transferred to Commander James Dickinson.

On 23 March 1815 Penguin encountered the USS Hornet off Tristan da Cunha

Tristan da Cunha

Tristan da Cunha is a remote volcanic group of islands in the south Atlantic Ocean and the main island of that group. It is the most remote inhabited archipelago in the world, lying from the nearest land, South Africa, and from South America...

. In the ensuing single ship action, Penguin lost 10 men killed, including Dickinson, and had 28 wounded; she struck her colours after 22 minutes of combat. By contrast, the Americans only suffered one man killed and nine wounded, including Hornet's captain, James Biddle. The Americans then scuttled Penguin the next day as she was too damaged to keep.

The two vessels had been relatively evenly matched. Hornet had a slightly heavier armament as she had 20 cannon, two 12-pounder guns as bow chasers and eighteen 32-pounder carronades. She also had a crew of 146 officers and men, including 20 US Marines

United States Marine Corps

The United States Marine Corps is a branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for providing power projection from the sea, using the mobility of the United States Navy to deliver combined-arms task forces rapidly. It is one of seven uniformed services of the United States...

, less a prize crew that she had despatched. Penguin's crew numbered 132 and included 12 extra Royal Marines

Royal Marines

The Corps of Her Majesty's Royal Marines, commonly just referred to as the Royal Marines , are the marine corps and amphibious infantry of the United Kingdom and, along with the Royal Navy and Royal Fleet Auxiliary, form the Naval Service...

.

However, what had proved decisive was the Americans' better gunnery. Penguin's gunnery was abysmal as no cannon shots had hit Hornet; most of Hornet's casualties were due to musketry fire from Penguin, i.e., from the Royal Marines.

Aftermath

Shortly after the fight, Peacock

USS Peacock (1813)

The first USS Peacock was a sloop-of-war in the United States Navy during the War of 1812.Peacock was authorized by Act of Congress 3 March 1813, laid down 9 July 1813 by Adam & Noah Brown at the New York Navy Yard, and launched 19 September 1813. She served in the War of 1812, capturing twenty ships...

 and the Tom Bowline

USS Tom Bowline (1814)

USS Tom Bowline was a schooner in the United States Navy during the War of 1812.Tom Bowline was purchased by the Navy in late 1814 at Portsmouth, New Hampshire, for use as a storeship, Lieutenant B. V. Hoffman in command...

 rendezvoused with Hornet at Tristan da Cunha. Tom Bowline embarked Penguin's crew and took the prisoners to Rio de Janeiro

Rio de Janeiro

Rio de Janeiro , commonly referred to simply as Rio, is the capital city of the State of Rio de Janeiro, the second largest city of Brazil, and the third largest metropolitan area and agglomeration in South America, boasting approximately 6.3 million people within the city proper, making it the 6th...

, Brazil. The war had already ended at the time of the encounter, but none of the vessels had received the news.