HMS Racoon (1795)
HMS Racoon capturing French brig-corvette Lodi, circle of William John Huggins
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| History | |
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 UK
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| Name: | HMS Racoon |
| Namesake: | Raccoon |
| Ordered: | 13 July 1795 |
| Builder: | John Randall, Rotherhithe |
| Laid down: | July 1795 |
| Launched: | 14 October 1795 |
| Fate: | Broken up 1806 |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type: | Diligence-class brig-sloop |
| Type: | 18-gun Brig-sloop |
| Tonnage: | 317 27⁄94 (bm) |
| Length: |
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| Beam: | 22 ft 2 in (6.8 m) |
| Draught: |
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| Depth of hold: | 12 ft 1 in (3.7 m) |
| Propulsion: | Sails |
| Sail plan: | Brig |
| Complement: | 121 |
| Armament: |
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HMS Racoon (or Raccoon) was a brig-sloop built and launched in 1795. She served during the French Revolutionary Wars and in the beginning of the Napoleonic Wars. She had an active career under several captains, working essentially independently while capturing or destroying some 20 enemy privateers and naval vessels. Several of the captures involved engagements that resulted in casualties on Racoon as well as on her opponents. She was broken up early in 1806.
The Diligence-class were built to a design by John Henslow. They were quickly ordered and built, with the last three, including Racoon, being built of fir (pine), which made for quicker construction, but at the price of durability.
The Racoon was commissioned in November 1795 under . In March, Commander Edward Roe replaced Raper.
In April 1796, Racoon, under Captain Edward Roe, captured the French privateer lugger Furet with a crew of 13 men armed with blunderbusses and muskets. The privateer had been out of Dunkirk five days but had captured nothing. On 29 April Racoon recaptured the Sincerity, John Ingham, master, which a rowboat privateer had captured. Racoon sent Sincerity, of Guernsey, into The Downs. Then on 19 July Racoon captured the Aurora.
Roe and Racoon were off Dungeness on 29 September when they captured the French privateer cutter Actif. Actif was armed with six 3-pounder guns and several swivel guns and had a crew of 23 men. Actif was one day out of Boulogne and had taken nothing, but was in the process of boarding a vessel when Racoon arrived.
Racoon also shared in the capture of two more privateers, Furet and Hazard. The sloop Fly captured the French privateer lugger Furet of five swivels and 27 men, on 22 August, seven leagues from the Isle of Portland. The armed cutter Lion captured the French privateer cutter Hazard, of two guns and two swivels, off the Owers on 14 December 1796. Hazard and her crew of 17 men had been out from Fecamp for two days but had captured nothing.
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Wikipedia