The Crocus-class brig-sloops were a class of sloop-of-war built for the Royal Navy, and were the only Royal Navy brig-sloops ever designed rated for 14 guns. The class was designed by the Surveyors of the Navy (Sir William Rule and Sir John Henslow) jointly, and approved on 28 March 1807. Unlike the vast majority of other British brig-sloops built for the Royal Navy in this wartime period, which were built by contractors, construction of the Crocus class was confined to the Admiralty's own dockyards. One vessel was ordered from each of the Royal Dockyards (except Sheerness) on 30 March 1807; four more were ordered during 1808 and a final unit in 1810. All the ships of the class survived the Napoleonic Wars and were broken up between 1815 and 1833.
| Class overview | |
|---|---|
| Name | Crocus-class brig-sloop |
| Operators |  Royal Navy |
| In service | 1808 - 1825 |
| Completed | 10 |
| General characteristics | |
| Type | Brig-sloop |
| Tons burthen | 251 41⁄94 bm |
| Length |
|
| Beam | 25 ft 6 in (7.8 m) |
| Depth of hold | 12 ft 8 in (3.9 m) |
| Sail plan | Brig rigged |
| Complement | 86 |
| Armament |
|
Vessels edit
In the following table, the Crocus-class brig-sloops are listed in the order in which they were ordered.
| Name | Builder | Ordered | Laid down | Launched | Fate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Podargus | Portsmouth Dockyard | 30 March 1807 | November 1807 | 26 May 1808 | Sold for breaking 7 August 1833[1] |
| Crocus | Plymouth Dockyard | 30 March 1807 | November 1807 | 10 June 1808 | Sold for breaking 31 August 1815[1] |
| Merope | Chatham Dockyard | 30 March 1807 | November 1807 | 25 June 1808 | Sold for breaking 23 November 1815[1] |
| Apelles | Woolwich Dockyard | 30 March 1807 | February 1808 | 10 August 1808 | Sold for breaking 15 February 1816[1] |
| Portia | Deptford Dockyard | 30 March 1807 | December 1809 | 30 August 1810 | Sold for breaking 6 March 1817[1] |
| Prospero | Woolwich Dockyard | 23 March 1808 | August 1808 | 9 November 1809 | Sold for breaking 30 May 1816[1] |
| Muros | Chatham Dockyard | 3 May 1808 | June 1808 | 23 October 1809 | Sold for breaking 18 April 1822[1] |
| Zephyr | Portsmouth Dockyard | 9 June 1808 | October 1808 | 29 April 1809 | Sold for breaking 29 January 1818[1] |
| Banterer | Woolwich Dockyard | 19 September 1808 | December 1809 | 2 June 1810 | Sold for breaking 6 March 1817[1] |
| Wolf | Woolwich Dockyard | 8 August 1810 | August 1812 | 16 September 1814 | Sold 27 January 1825.[1] Worked as a whaler in the Pacific Ocean, hit Wolf Rock and sank on 6 August 1837 off Lord Howe Island.[2] |
Citations edit
References edit
- Winfield, Rif (2008). British Warships in the Age of Sail 1793–1817: Design, Construction, Careers and Fates. Seaforth Publishing. ISBN 978-1-86176-246-7.