HMS Asia (1811)

For other ships of the same name, see HMS Asia.
Watercolor by an unidentified artist, depicting the ship at Malta.
History
UK
Name: HMS Asia
Ordered: 13 July 1807
Builder: Brindley, Frindsbury
Laid down: February 1808
Launched: 2 December 1811
Fate: Broken up, 1865
General characteristics [1]
Class & type: Vengeur-class ship of the line
Tons burthen: 1763 (bm)
Length: 176 ft (54 m) (gundeck)
Beam: 47 ft 6 in (14.48 m)
Depth of hold: 21 ft (6.4 m)
Propulsion: Sails
Sail plan: Full-rigged ship
Armament:
  • Gundeck: 28 × 32-pounder guns
  • Upper gundeck: 28 × 18-pounder guns
  • QD: 4 × 12-pounder guns + 10 × 32-pounder carronades
  • Fc: 2 × 12-pounder guns + 2 × 32-pounder carronades
  • Poop deck: 6 × 18-pounder carronades

HMS Asia was a 74-gun third-rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy, launched on 2 December 1811 at Frindsbury.[1]

War of 1812

Asia was off Chesapeake Bay in July 1814.[2][3] The Royal Marine Artillery company of the 3rd Battalion, Royal Marines were ferried from Bermuda to the Chesapeake aboard Asia, via HMS Tonnant.[4] During the bombardment of Fort McHenry, Asia was moored off Baltimore, along with Seahorse, Severn and Surprise.[5] Asia was among Admiral Alexander Cochrane's fleet moored off New Orleans at the start of 1815.[6] In support of the attack on New Orleans, 107 Royal Marines from Asia were disembarked.[7]

In 1828 Asia was reduced to a 50-gun ship, and was eventually broken up in 1865.[1]

Notes

  1. 1 2 3 Lavery, Ships of the Line, vol. 1, p. 188.
  2. ↑ Crawford, pp129, quoting a letter from Alexander Cochrane to George Cockburn dated 1 July 1814: 'I send you HMS Asia & Aetna Bomb with the 3 Troop Ships named in the margin (HMS Regulus, HMS Melpomene and HMS Brune) having on board the 3rd Battalion of Marines [and its Artillery Company] '
  3. ↑ Crawford, pp146-7, quoting the postscript of a letter from Joshua Barney dated 13 July 1814, mentions that HMS Asia and 'two frigates (en flûte) with several small vessels have passed by point look out'
  4. ↑ Crawford (ed), p152, quoting a Letter from George Cockburn to Robert Barrie
  5. ↑ Crawford (ed), p273, quoting a Letter from Cockburn to Ross dated 12 September 1814
  6. ↑ "Battles fought in Alabama/Old Southwest, Units Participating and Casualties". Retrieved 1 February 2013.
  7. ↑ Ship muster for HMS Asia June 1814 - Feb 1815. UK National Archives reference ADM 37/5010

References

  • Crawford, Michael J. (Ed) (2002). The Naval War of 1812: A Documentary History, Vol. 3. Washington: United States Department of Defense. ISBN 9780160512247
  • Lavery, Brian (2003) The Ship of the Line - Volume 1: The development of the battlefleet 1650-1850. Conway Maritime Press. ISBN 0-85177-252-8.


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