HMS Daring (1804)

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Career (UK)

Name:	HMS Daring
Builder:	Bailey, Ipswich
Launched:	October 1804
Fate:	Scuttled 27 January 1813
General characteristics
Tons burthen:	178 tons
Length:	80 ft (24 m)
Beam:	23 ft (7.0 m)
Propulsion:	Sails
Armament:	12 x 18-pounder guns

For other ships of the same name, see HMS Daring.

HMS Daring was a 12-gun brig of the Royal Navy.

[edit] History

She was built by Bailey, of Ipswich and launched in October 1804. In August 1809 she served in the West Scheldt, being detached under Sir Home Popham to take soundings. By 1811 she was fitting out at Sheerness before proceeding to the coast of West Africa.

On 27 January 1813 Daring's captain, Lt Pascoe RN was forced to run the gun-brig aground on Tamara (one of the Iles de Los off Guinea) and burn her when he was threatened by two French frigates, Arethuse and Rubis. He arrived in the Sierra Leone River with the greater part of his crew on 28 January and reported to Captain Frederick Paul Irby of HMS Amelia. Lt Pascoe went back in a small schooner to reconnoitre and found that the two frigates were unloading a Portuguese prize before preparing to sail to intercept home-bound trade. He returned on 4 February and found that a cartel had arrived with the master and a boat's crew of Daring. Captain Irby, his crew depleted by sickness but reinforced by the men from Daring, sailed to attack one of the French frigates which was anchored well to the north of the other (Rubis having been disabled by striking a rock). Amelia found herself engaged for four hours against a far more powerful opponent and suffered heavy casualties - 51 killed (including Lt Pascoe) and 95 wounded. Although badly damaged, Amelia made it home to Britain via Madeira. Arethuse returned to the stranded Rubis, which was burnt by the French on 8 February when she could not be refloated.