The ''Hermes'' class were a series of four 20-gun ships, launched between 1811 and 1816. Two pairs of ships were produced, to slightly different designs – the first two had 20 guns and were unrated flush-decked ship-sloops, whilst the latter two were converted to 26-gun

sixth-rate In the rating system of the Royal Navy used to categorise sailing warships, a sixth-rate was the designation for small warships mounting between 20 and 28 carriage-mounted guns on a single deck, sometimes with smaller guns on the upper works an ...

s. The design was based on the ex-French 20-gun

corvette A corvette is a small warship. It is traditionally the smallest class of vessel considered to be a proper (or " rated") warship. The warship class above the corvette is that of the frigate, while the class below was historically that of the sloo ...

, which the British had captured in 1796. The first pair was built at Milford Dockyard on the north side of

Milford Haven Milford Haven ( ) is a town and community (Wales), community in Pembrokeshire, Wales. It is on the north side of the Milford Haven Waterway, an estuary forming a natural harbour that has been used as a port since the Middle Ages. The town was ...

. was launched in 1811 and in 1813. Milford Dockyard was closed following their construction, and the second pair were built at the new Pater (later

Pembroke Dock Pembroke Dock () is a town and a community in Pembrokeshire, South West Wales, northwest of Pembroke on the banks of the River Cleddau. Originally Paterchurch, a small fishing village, Pembroke Dock town expanded rapidly following the constr ...

) Dockyard on the south side of Milford Haven. The second pair – and – were launched on the same date in 1816. They were modified at

Plymouth Dockyard His Majesty's Naval Base, Devonport (HMNB Devonport) is one of three operating bases in the United Kingdom for the Royal Navy (the others being HMNB Clyde and HMNB Portsmouth) and is the sole nuclear repair and refuelling facility for the Roya ...

in 1820 and 1821 respectively, before their first commission, by the addition of quarterdecks and forecastle to what had originally been flush-deck vessels, and they were at that time re-classed as 26-gun sixth rate post ships. The ''Cyrus'' class was based on the design of the ''Myrmidon'' of the ''Hermes'' class.

Ships in class

* ** Builder: Milford Dockyard ** Ordered: 18 January 1810 ** Laid down: May 1810 ** Launched: 22 July 1811 ** Completed: 7 September 1811 ** Fate: Grounded and burnt in action at Mobile in 1814. * ** Builder: Milford Dockyard ** Ordered: 2 August 1811 ** Laid down: July 1812 ** Launched: 18 June 1813 ** Completed: 6 February 1814 at

** Fate: Broken up at

Portsmouth Portsmouth ( ) is a port city status in the United Kingdom, city and unitary authority in Hampshire, England. Most of Portsmouth is located on Portsea Island, off the south coast of England in the Solent, making Portsmouth the only city in En ...

in 1823. * ** Builder: Pater Dockyard ** Ordered: 28 November 1812 ** Laid down: April 1815 ** Launched: 10 February 1816 ** Completed: 21 March 1816 ** Fate: Sold to break up at

Alexandria Alexandria ( ; ) is the List of cities and towns in Egypt#Largest cities, second largest city in Egypt and the List of coastal settlements of the Mediterranean Sea, largest city on the Mediterranean coast. It lies at the western edge of the Nile ...

in 1841. * ** Builder: Pater Dockyard ** Ordered: 28 November 1812 ** Laid down: March 1815 ** Launched: 10 February 1816 ** Completed: 26 March 1816 at

** Fate: Broken up at Chatham in 1829.

References

* Rif Winfield, ''British Warships in the Age of Sail, 1793–1817'', Chatham Publishing, London 2005. * Davy Lyon, ''The Sailing Navy List – all the Ships of the Royal Navy 1688-1860'', Conway Maritime Press, London 1993. {{Hermes class post ship Sloop classes