HMS Falcon (1854)
Encyclopedia
HMS Falcon was a 17-gun Royal Navy
Cruizer-class
sloop
launched in 1854. She served in the Baltic during the Crimean War and then in North America, West Africa and Australia. She was sold for breaking in 1869.
during the Crimean War
and participated in the blockade off the coast of Courland
.
in 1858, then served as part of the West Africa Squadron
off Africa
from 1859 to 1862. Her ships company participated in the attack on the king of Baddiboo on the Gambia River
, and the ship bombarded Saba and captured the town on 21 February 1862. The ships crew suffered 6 killed and 15 wounded.
. During this period she took part in the New Zealand land wars
. On 28 April 1864 she participated in the bombarrdment of Tai Rawhiti. The next day some of her crew took part in the attack on Gate Pā
as part of the Naval Brigade
. She left the Australia Station in November 1867 for England.
on 3 October 1868 and was sold on 27 September 1869 to C. Marshall for £2046 for breaking at Plymouth.
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
Cruizer-class
Cruizer class sloop
The Cruizer class was a class of 17-gun wooden screw sloops built for the Royal Navy between 1852 and 1856, comprising six vessels.-Design:...
sloop
Sloop-of-war
In the 18th and most of the 19th centuries, a sloop-of-war was a warship with a single gun deck that carried up to eighteen guns. As the rating system covered all vessels with 20 guns and above, this meant that the term sloop-of-war actually encompassed all the unrated combat vessels including the...
launched in 1854. She served in the Baltic during the Crimean War and then in North America, West Africa and Australia. She was sold for breaking in 1869.
Construction
Ordered on 2 April 1853, she was laid down in November the same year and launched on 10 August 1854 at Plymouth Dockyard.Crimean War
She served in the Baltic SeaBaltic Sea
The Baltic Sea is a brackish mediterranean sea located in Northern Europe, from 53°N to 66°N latitude and from 20°E to 26°E longitude. It is bounded by the Scandinavian Peninsula, the mainland of Europe, and the Danish islands. It drains into the Kattegat by way of the Øresund, the Great Belt and...
during the Crimean War
Crimean War
The Crimean War was a conflict fought between the Russian Empire and an alliance of the French Empire, the British Empire, the Ottoman Empire, and the Kingdom of Sardinia. The war was part of a long-running contest between the major European powers for influence over territories of the declining...
and participated in the blockade off the coast of Courland
Courland
Courland is one of the historical and cultural regions of Latvia. The regions of Semigallia and Selonia are sometimes considered as part of Courland.- Geography and climate :...
.
North America station
She was then transferred to the North America and West Indies Station, where she served until 1857.West Africa
She was refitted in PortsmouthPortsmouth
Portsmouth is the second largest city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire on the south coast of England. Portsmouth is notable for being the United Kingdom's only island city; it is located mainly on Portsea Island...
in 1858, then served as part of the West Africa Squadron
West Africa Squadron
The Royal Navy established the West Africa Squadron at substantial expense in 1808 after Parliament passed the Slave Trade Act of 1807. The squadron's task was to suppress the Atlantic slave trade by patrolling the coast of West Africa...
off Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
from 1859 to 1862. Her ships company participated in the attack on the king of Baddiboo on the Gambia River
Gambia River
The Gambia River is a major river in West Africa, running from the Fouta Djallon plateau in north Guinea westward through Senegal and The Gambia to the Atlantic Ocean at the city of Banjul...
, and the ship bombarded Saba and captured the town on 21 February 1862. The ships crew suffered 6 killed and 15 wounded.
Australia station
Refitted again in Portsmouth during 1863 before spending the rest of her active life on the Australia StationAustralia Station
The Australia Station was the British—and later Australian—naval command responsible for the waters around the Australian continent.-History:In the early years following the establishment of the colony of New South Wales, ships based in Australian waters came under the control of the East Indies...
. During this period she took part in the New Zealand land wars
New Zealand land wars
The New Zealand Wars, sometimes called the Land Wars and also once called the Māori Wars, were a series of armed conflicts that took place in New Zealand between 1845 and 1872...
. On 28 April 1864 she participated in the bombarrdment of Tai Rawhiti. The next day some of her crew took part in the attack on Gate Pā
Gate Pa
Gate Pā was the name of a Māori Pā or fortress built in 1864 only from the main British base of Camp Te Papa at Tauranga, during the Tauranga Campaign of the New Zealand Land Wars...
as part of the Naval Brigade
Naval Brigade
A Naval Brigade is a body of sailors serving in a ground combat role to augment land forces.-Royal Navy:Within the Royal Navy, a Naval Brigade is a large temporary detachment of Royal Marines and of seamen from the Royal Navy formed to undertake operations on shore, particularly during the mid- to...
. She left the Australia Station in November 1867 for England.
Fate
She paid off at WoolwichWoolwich
Woolwich is a district in south London, England, located in the London Borough of Greenwich. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London.Woolwich formed part of Kent until 1889 when the County of London was created...
on 3 October 1868 and was sold on 27 September 1869 to C. Marshall for £2046 for breaking at Plymouth.