HMS Blossom (1806)
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His Majesty's ship Blossom off the Sandwich Islands
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| History | |
|---|---|
 United Kingdom |
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| Name: | HMS Blossom |
| Ordered: | 19 November 1805 |
| Builder: | Robert Guillaume, Northam |
| Laid down: | February 1806 |
| Launched: | 10 December 1806 |
| Completed: | 21 April 1807 |
| Reclassified: |
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| Fate: | Broken up in August 1848 |
| General characteristics | |
| Class & type: | 18-gun Cormorant-class sloop-of-war |
| Tons burthen: | 422 bm |
| Length: |
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| Beam: | 29 ft 7 in (9.02 m) |
| Depth of hold: | 9 ft (2.7 m) |
| Sail plan: | Full-rigged ship |
| Complement: | 121 |
| Armament: |
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HMS Blossom was an 18-gun Cormorant-class sloop-of-war. She was built in 1806 and is best known for the 1825–1828 expedition under Captain Beechey to the Pacific Ocean. She explored as far north as Point Barrow, Alaska, the furthest point into the Arctic any non-Inuit had been at the time. She was finally broken up in 1848.
Napoleonic Wars
On 26 February 1808 Blossom was in company with Eclipse when they captured the Sally and Hetty, William Fleming, Master.[1] Blossom was in company with Jamaica when they recaptured the American brig Iris.[2]
In the mid-morning of 23 February 1812, Blossom was five leagues off Cabrera when a strange schooner sailed towards her, mistaking her for a merchantman. When the schooner realized her mistake a five-hour chase followed before Blossom was able to capture the schooner Jean Bart. Jean Bart was of 147.5 tons (bm) and had been launched in Marseilles only five weeks earlier. She was armed with five 12 and two 6-pounder guns, and had a crew of 106 men under the command of Jean Francis Coulome. She had made no captures but within the previous five days her excellent sailing had enabled her to evade two British frigates and a brig.[3]
On 18 August 1812, shortly after the outbreak of war with America, Blossom and Hyacinth were in sight when the letter of marque Sir Alexander Ball captured the American ship Grace Ann Green.[4]
Post-war
Blossom was re-rated as a 24-gun sixth rate in February 1817. She was converted to serve as an exploration ship in 1825, and on her return used as a survey ship from 1829.
In 1917 a copper plate was discovered in the Bonin Islands, inscribed with a message claiming the islands as a British possession:<templatestyles src="Template:Blockquote/styles.css" />
HBM Ship Blossom Capt F. W. Beechey took possession of this Group of Islands in the Name of and on the behalf of His Britannic Majesty George the IV on the 14th June 1827.[5]
Fate
Blossom was hulked as a lazarette at Sheerness in January 1833, and was broken up at Chatham in August 1848.
See also
Sources and references
- Sources
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- Ships of discovery and exploration, by Lincoln P. Paine
- Earliest Records of the Islands Their Discovery by Captain Beechey, H.M.S. "Blossom"
- Mid-Victorian RN vessel HMS Blossom
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This article about a specific naval ship or boat of the United Kingdom is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |
- ↑ The London Gazette: no. 16332. p. 63. 9 January 1810.
- ↑ The London Gazette: no. 16420. p. 1733. 30 October 1810.
- ↑ The London Gazette: no. 16596. p. 756. 21 April 1812.
- ↑ The London Gazette: no. 17106. p. 210. 3 February 1816.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
