HMS Asia (1811)

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

For other ships with the same name, see HMS Asia and HMS Alfred.

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 and 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

War of 1812

On 26 July 1813 Asia sailed from Negril as escort to a convoy bound for London.[2]

Asia was off Chesapeake Bay in July 1814.[3][4] The Royal Marine Artillery company of the 3rd Battalion, Royal Marines were ferried from Bermuda to the Chesapeake aboard Asia, via HMS Tonnant.[5] During the bombardment of Fort McHenry, Asia was moored off Baltimore, along with Seahorse, Severn and Surprise.[6] Asia was among Admiral Alexander Cochrane's fleet moored off New Orleans at the start of 1815.[7] In support of the attack on New Orleans, 107 Royal Marines from Asia were disembarked.[8]

Renamed as HMS Alfred in 1819.[9] From 1822 to 1828 Asia was reduced to a 50-gun fourth rate Frigate, and was eventually broken up in 1865.[1]

Alfred leaving Malta Harbour 12 January 1833

Notes
  1. Lavery, Ships of the Line, vol. 1, p. 188.
  2. Lloyd's List №4809, Ship arrivals and departure(SAD) data.
  3. 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] '
  4. 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'
  5. Crawford (ed), p152, quoting a Letter from George Cockburn to Robert Barrie
  6. Crawford (ed), p273, quoting a Letter from Cockburn to Ross dated 12 September 1814
  7. "Battles fought in Alabama/Old Southwest, Units Participating and Casualties". Archived from the original on 19 August 2013. Retrieved 1 February 2013.
  8. Ship muster for HMS Asia June 1814 - Feb 1815. UK National Archives reference ADM 37/5010
  9. Colledge, JJ (2003). Ships of the Royal Navy : the complete record of all fighting ships of the Royal Navy (Rev.. ed.). Greenhill. p. 37. ISBN 1853675660.

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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