HMS Meteor was a Hecla-class bomb vessel built for the Royal Navy during the 1820s. In July 1832 she was renamed Beacon and reclassified as a survey ship, and was sold in 1846.

Meteor
History
United Kingdom
NameMeteor
Ordered18 May 1819
BuilderPembroke Dockyard
Laid downMay 1820
Launched25 June 1823
Completed17 June 1824
RenamedAs Beacon, June 1832
ReclassifiedAs survey ship, July 1832
FateSold, 17 August 1846
General characteristics
Class and typeHecla-class bomb vessel
Tons burthen378 bm
Length
  • 106 ft (32.3 m) (gundeck)
  • 87 ft 1 in (26.5 m) (keel)
Beam28 ft 11 in (8.8 m)
Draught10 ft 9 in (3.3 m)
Depth13 ft 10 in (4.2 m)
Complement67
Armament
  • 2 × 6-pdr cannon
  • 8–10 × 24-pdr carronades
  • 1 × 10 in (254 mm) mortar
  • 1 × 13 in (330 mm) mortar

Description edit

Meteor had a length at the gundeck of 106 feet (32.3 m) and 87 feet 1 inch (26.5 m) at the keel. She had a beam of 28 feet 11 inches (8.8 m), a draught of about 10 feet 9 inches (3.3 m) and a depth of hold of 13 feet 10 inches (4.2 m). The ship's tonnage was 378 tons burthen.[1] The Hecla class was armed with two 6-pounder cannon, eight or ten 24-pounder carronades and two mortars, one 10 inches (254 mm) and the other 13 inches (330 mm) in size. The ships had a crew of 67 officers and ratings.[2]

Construction and career edit

Meteor, the third ship of her name to serve in the Royal Navy,[3] was ordered on 18 May 1819, laid down in May 1820 at Pembroke Dockyard, Wales, and launched on 25 June 1823.[2] She was completed for sea on 17 June 1824 at Plymouth Dockyard.[2]

Notes edit

  1. ^ Winfield, p. 1221
  2. ^ a b c Winfield & Lyon, p. 131
  3. ^ Colledge, p. 225

References edit

  • Colledge, J. J.; Warlow, Ben (2006) [1969]. Ships of the Royal Navy: The Complete Record of all Fighting Ships of the Royal Navy (Rev. ed.). London: Chatham Publishing. ISBN 978-1-86176-281-8.
  • Phillips, Lawrie (2014). Pembroke Dockyard and the Old Navy: A Bicentennial History. Stroud, Gloucestershire, UK: The History Press. ISBN 978-0-7509-5214-9.
  • Winfield, Rif (2008). British Warships in the Age of Sail, 1793-1817: Design, Construction, Careers and Fates (epub). Barnsley, UK: Seaforth. ISBN 978-1-84415-700-6.
  • Winfield, R.; Lyon, D. (2004). The Sail and Steam Navy List: All the Ships of the Royal Navy 1815–1889. London: Chatham Publishing. ISBN 978-1-86176-032-6. OCLC 52620555.