HMS Laura (1805)
| History | |
|---|---|
 United Kingdom
|
|
| Name: | HMS Laura |
| Owner: | Royal Navy |
| Builder: | Bermuda |
| Launched: | 1806 |
| Commissioned: | 1806 |
| Honours and awards: |
Naval General Service Medal with clasp "Guadaloupe" |
| Captured: | 8 September 1812 |
| Fate: | Captured by France |
| History | |
 United States
|
|
| Name: | Hebe |
| Acquired: | 1812 |
| Captured: | April 1813 |
| Fate: | Recaptured by Royal Navy |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type: | Adonis-class schooner |
| Tons burthen: | 110 93⁄94 (bm) |
| Length: |
|
| Beam: | 20 ft 4 in (6.2 m) |
| Depth of hold: | 10 ft 3 in (3.12 m) |
| Complement: | 35 men and boys |
| Armament: | 10 x 18-pounder carronades |
HMS Laura was an Adonis-class schooner of the Royal Navy, launched in 1806 at Bermuda. Laura served during the Napoleonic Wars before a French privateer captured her at the beginning of the War of 1812. She was briefly an American letter of marque before the British recaptured her in 1813. Despite having recaptured her, the British did not return Laura to service.
Laura was built at Bermuda of the pencil cedar . The Adonis-class schooners were a little larger and much better armed than the Ballahoo- and Cuckoo-class schooners that they followed. The Admiralty's intent was to improve survivability of these dispatch boats.
In March 1806 Laura was commissioned under Lieutenant Joseph R.R. Webb, for the Channel.
In 1807 Lieutenant Robert Yetts took command and on 28 March he sailed Laura for the Leeward Islands. On 4 August 1807, Laura was in company with the schooner Ballahoo, of four guns, when they encountered the French letter of marque brig Rhone some 16 miles north of Tobago. After a running fight of several hours, they captured Rhone after she had suffered two dead and five wounded out of her crew of 26; the British had no casualties.Rhone, under the command of Francis Goureu, was of 90 tons (bm), mounted six long 6-pounder guns, and was 10 days out from Martinique, having captured nothing.
In 1809 Lieutenant Charles Newton Hunter took command in the Leeward Islands. On 6 February 1810 Laura was present at the surrender of Guadeloupe. In 1847 the Admiralty the Naval General Service Medal with clasp "Guadaloupe" to all surviving claimants from the campaign.
In August 1812 Laura was escorting convoys but on 8 September she encountered the French privateer brig Diligent, under Alexis Grassin, off the Delaware River. Laura had just captured three American prizes and was in the process of taking a fourth when Diligent arrived on the scene. Hunter recalled his boat and her men from the prize and sailed to engage, even though he knew from his third prize that Diligent out-manned and outgunned Laura.
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Wikipedia