HMS Asia (1811)

For other ships with the same name, see HMS Asia and HMS Alfred.

HMS Asia was a 74-gun third-rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy, launched on 2 December 1811 at Frindsbury.^[1]

Watercolor by an unidentified artist, depicting the ship at Malta.
History
United Kingdom
Name	HMS Asia
Ordered	13 July 1807
Builder	Brindley, Frindsbury
Laid down	February 1808
Launched	2 December 1811
Fate	Broken up, 1865
General characteristics [1]
Class & type	Vengeur-class ship of the line
Tons burthen	1763 (bm)
Length	176 ft (54 m) (gundeck)
Beam	47 ft 6 in (14.48 m)
Depth of hold	21 ft (6.4 m)
Propulsion	Sails
Sail plan	Full-rigged ship
Armament	Gundeck: 28 × 32-pounder guns Upper gundeck: 28 × 18-pounder guns QD: 4 × 12-pounder guns + 10 × 32-pounder carronades Fc: 2 × 12-pounder guns + 2 × 32-pounder carronades Poop deck: 6 × 18-pounder carronades

War of 1812

On 26 July 1813 Asia sailed from Negril as escort to a convoy bound for London.^[2]

Asia was off Chesapeake Bay in July 1814.^[3][4] The Royal Marine Artillery company of the 3rd Battalion, Royal Marines were ferried from Bermuda to the Chesapeake aboard Asia, via HMS Tonnant.^[5] During the bombardment of Fort McHenry, Asia was moored off Baltimore, along with Seahorse, Severn and Surprise.^[6] Asia was among Admiral Alexander Cochrane's fleet moored off New Orleans at the start of 1815.^[7] In support of the attack on New Orleans, 107 Royal Marines from Asia were disembarked.^[8] Under the rules of prize-money, the Asia shared in the proceeds of the capture of the American vessels in the Battle of Lake Borgne on 14 December 1814.^[a]

Tonnant left the anchorage off Mobile Bay on 18 February and arrived in Havana on 24 February 1815, accompanied by Asia and Vengeur.^[10] The Asia departed Havana on 2 March whilst in the company of HMS Brazen, and arrived at Portsmouth on 5 May 1815.^[11][12] On 23 June 1815, she set sail for Trieste, to embark a cargo of quicksilver for transit to the caribbean.^[13] She was moored at Gibraltar, from 13 to 17 September, arriving at Jamaica on 4 November 1815. She departed on 27 November 1815, returned to Portsmouth on 19 January 1816, and was held in quarantine.^[14][15]

Renamed as HMS Alfred in 1819.^[16] From 1822 to 1828 Asia was reduced to a 50-gun fourth rate Frigate, and was eventually broken up in 1865.^[1]

Alfred leaving Malta Harbour 12 January 1833

Notes

1. 'Notice is hereby given to the officers and companies of His Majesty's ships Aetna, Alceste, Anaconda, Armide, Asia, Bedford, Belle Poule, Borer, Bucephalus, Calliope, Carron, Cydnus, Dictator, Diomede, Dover, Fox, Gorgon, Herald, Hydra, Meteor, Norge, Nymphe, Pigmy, Ramillies, Royal Oak, Seahorse, Shelburne, Sophie, Thames, Thistle, Tonnant, Trave, Volcano, and Weser, that they will be paid their respective proportions of prize money.' ^[9]