Hired armed cutter Hero
Encyclopedia
Two vessels served the Royal Navy
as the Hired armed
cutter Hero. Under the command of Lieutenant John Reynolds, the second hired armed cutter Hero captured some 30 merchantmen during the Gunboat War
before the Royal Navy returned her to her owners. She was so successful that the Norwegian merchants offered a considerable reward for Hero's capture.
There was also an hired armed lugger Hero, and a number of British letters of marque
that carried the name Hero, and that were cutters. None of the letter of marque cutters match the description of either Hired armed cutter Hero, and nor do they match the description of the "British cutter Hero" that unsuccessfully attacked the American privateer Falcon in 1812.
s and of 77 90/94 tons burthen (bm
). She served the Royal Navy from 20 August 1804 to 3 February 1805.
Under the command of Lieutenant John Reynolds, Hero commenced cruising in The Sleeve (Kattegat
) in 1809. Some of her first captures included:
In 1810 Reynolds discovered that Sälö Fjord, then little known to the British, was a good place of refuge during gales on the Swedish coast. He surveyed it and reported that it was busy.
In April Hero captured:
On 21 October Hero captured the Carl Frederick. One month later, on 21 November 1810 Hero captured the Catharina Christiana.
In early 1811 Hero met with more success in her prize-taking as she captured:
However, on 25 April 1811 Hero, while in the company of the Hired armed cutter Swan
, encountered three Danish gunboats in The Sleeve.Anderson gives the day as 23 April, Winfield gives it as 24 April, and Gossett gives it as 25 April. Swan was forced to surrender but sank off Uddevalla
, on the Swedish coast north of Gothenburg
, almost immediately after the Danes boarded her. The battle apparently also resulted in damage to Hero.Gossett has Hero being sunk, but does not report any court martial date. A frigate helped her into Vingo where she was repaired enough to sail to England for more complete repairs. She arrived at Dover on 7 May.
Still, on 14 July she captured the Margaretta, Ebenetzer, and Sophie. On 13 October she captured the Fortuna. On 22 July Hero was in company when the gun-brig captured the Trajen and the Freden. Lastly, on 19 October she captured the Danish galliot Haabet. She returned to Dover on 17 November from the Baltic having again been much damaged in an engagement with Danish gun boats.
Reynolds removed to the Nimble-class cutter early in 1812. Nimble was wrecked in the Kattegat in October, near the Sälö Beacon, but with no loss of life.
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...
as the Hired armed
Hired armed vessels
right|thumb|250px|Armed cutter, etching in the [[National Maritime Museum]], [[Greenwich]]During the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries the Royal Navy made use of a considerable number of hired armed vessels...
cutter Hero. Under the command of Lieutenant John Reynolds, the second hired armed cutter Hero captured some 30 merchantmen during the Gunboat War
Gunboat War
The Gunboat War was the naval conflict between Denmark–Norway and the British Navy during the Napoleonic Wars. The war's name is derived from the Danish tactic of employing small gunboats against the conventional Royal Navy...
before the Royal Navy returned her to her owners. She was so successful that the Norwegian merchants offered a considerable reward for Hero's capture.
There was also an hired armed lugger Hero, and a number of British letters of marque
Letter of marque
In the days of fighting sail, a Letter of Marque and Reprisal was a government licence authorizing a person to attack and capture enemy vessels, and bring them before admiralty courts for condemnation and sale...
that carried the name Hero, and that were cutters. None of the letter of marque cutters match the description of either Hired armed cutter Hero, and nor do they match the description of the "British cutter Hero" that unsuccessfully attacked the American privateer Falcon in 1812.
The first Hired armed cutter Hero
The first Hired armed cutter Hero was armed with nine 12-pounder carronadeCarronade
The carronade was a short smoothbore, cast iron cannon, developed for the Royal Navy by the Carron Company, an ironworks in Falkirk, Scotland, UK. It was used from the 1770s to the 1850s. Its main function was to serve as a powerful, short-range anti-ship and anti-crew weapon...
s and of 77 90/94 tons burthen (bm
Builder's Old Measurement
Builder's Old Measurement is the method of calculating the size or cargo capacity of a ship used in England from approximately 1720 to 1849. It estimated the tonnage of a ship based on length and maximum beam...
). She served the Royal Navy from 20 August 1804 to 3 February 1805.
The second Hired armed cutter Hero
The second Hired armed cutter Hero was a cutter of ten 12-pounder carronades and 119 27/94 tons burthen (bm) that served the Royal Navy from 4 May 1809 to 11 November 1811.Under the command of Lieutenant John Reynolds, Hero commenced cruising in The Sleeve (Kattegat
Kattegat
The Kattegat , or Kattegatt is a sea area bounded by the Jutland peninsula and the Straits islands of Denmark on the west and south, and the provinces of Västergötland, Scania, Halland and Bohuslän in Sweden on the east. The Baltic Sea drains into the Kattegat through the Øresund and the Danish...
) in 1809. Some of her first captures included:
- Danish schooner No. 100 (2 November), in company with ;
- Fortuna (4 November);Part of the money that accrued to Hero from this capture was from an abatement of duties on a cargo of deals (planks) from Fortuna.-
- Four Sisters (9 November), captured by the hired armed cutter IdasHired armed cutter IdasDuring the period of the Napoleonic Wars, two vessels have served the Royal Navy as the Hired armed cutter Idas. The name Idas comes from Idas, a figure from Greek mythology.-The first Idas:...
with Hero in company; - Emanuel (11 November);
- Charlotta Maria (21 November);
- Haabet (23 November);
- Catharina Christiana (29 November); and
- Jonge Frau Maria (9 January 1810).
In 1810 Reynolds discovered that Sälö Fjord, then little known to the British, was a good place of refuge during gales on the Swedish coast. He surveyed it and reported that it was busy.
In April Hero captured:
- Mercurious (9 April);
- Mette Catharine and Speculation (14 April);
- Pedre Oxe (21 April).
On 21 October Hero captured the Carl Frederick. One month later, on 21 November 1810 Hero captured the Catharina Christiana.
In early 1811 Hero met with more success in her prize-taking as she captured:
- Klitloben (10 January);
- Siri (10 March);
- Sloop No. 98 (14 March);
- Haas Fagar and the Emanuel (15 March);
- Three Brothers (13 April);
- Haabet;
- Schroeder, Providentia, Anna Maria Cecilia, Maria Kirstina, and Concordia (15 April);
However, on 25 April 1811 Hero, while in the company of the Hired armed cutter Swan
Hired armed cutter Swan
During the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars the Admiralty also made use of hired armed vessels, one of which was the Hired armed cutter Swan. Actually there were two such cutters, but the descriptions of these vessels and the dates of their service are such that they may well represent one...
, encountered three Danish gunboats in The Sleeve.Anderson gives the day as 23 April, Winfield gives it as 24 April, and Gossett gives it as 25 April. Swan was forced to surrender but sank off Uddevalla
Uddevalla
Uddevalla is a city and the seat of Uddevalla Municipality, Västra Götaland County, Sweden with 30,513 inhabitants in 2005.It is located at the bay Byfjorden, of the south-eastern part of the sea known as Skagerrak...
, on the Swedish coast north of Gothenburg
Gothenburg
Gothenburg is the second-largest city in Sweden and the fifth-largest in the Nordic countries. Situated on the west coast of Sweden, the city proper has a population of 519,399, with 549,839 in the urban area and total of 937,015 inhabitants in the metropolitan area...
, almost immediately after the Danes boarded her. The battle apparently also resulted in damage to Hero.Gossett has Hero being sunk, but does not report any court martial date. A frigate helped her into Vingo where she was repaired enough to sail to England for more complete repairs. She arrived at Dover on 7 May.
Still, on 14 July she captured the Margaretta, Ebenetzer, and Sophie. On 13 October she captured the Fortuna. On 22 July Hero was in company when the gun-brig captured the Trajen and the Freden. Lastly, on 19 October she captured the Danish galliot Haabet. She returned to Dover on 17 November from the Baltic having again been much damaged in an engagement with Danish gun boats.
Reynolds removed to the Nimble-class cutter early in 1812. Nimble was wrecked in the Kattegat in October, near the Sälö Beacon, but with no loss of life.