HMS Hermes ( 1811 ) HMS " Hermes " was a 20 - gun " Hermes " - class sixth - rate post ship built in Milford Dockyard . She was destroyed in 1814 to prevent her falling into American hands after grounding during her unsuccessful attack on Fort Bowyer on Mobile Point outside Mobile , Alabama . Napoleonic Wars . Her first commander was Captain Philip Browne . Under Browne , " Hermes " first captured an American vessel laden with stores for the Brest fleet and then two vessels from New York and Baltimore . On 24 September , while near Cape La Hève ( Le Havre ) , " Hermes " recaptured the Prussian brig " Anna Maria " which had been bound for London from Lisbon . A privateer managed to escape because of the nearness of the French coast . Strong winds drove " Hermes " off station when near Beachy Head he discovered a large French lugger in the midst of a number of English vessels . The French privateer had already taken one prize and might have taken others had " Hermes " not arrived . After a chase of two hours , in which the lugger sustained some damage and had several men wounded , the privateer struck to " Hermes " . As " Hermes " slowed , the strong wind broke her maintop - sail - yard in the slings and her fore - sail split . The privateer immediately tried to escape on the opposite tack . " Hermes " managed to turn and by cramming on all sail caught up with the privateer although she had gotten a two - mile lead . Browne decided to run alongside , despite the gale to prevent the French vessel from escaping again . Unfortunately , as the lugger crossed " Hermes " s hawse a heavy sea caused " Hermes " to run over the lugger , sinking her . " Hermes " was unable to launch any boats and so was only able to save 12 out of the lugger ' s 51 men . ( Another 10 men had been aboard the lugger ' s prize , which had escaped to France during the chase , taking with her the prize ' s crew . ) The lugger turned out to be the " Mouche " of Boulogne , under the command of M . Gageux . She had carried fourteen 12 - pounder and 6 - pounder guns . War of 1812 . On 11 February 1812 " Hermes " captured the American brig " Flora " . Then on 26 April " Hermes " captured the American brig " Tigress " . Four days later , " Hermes " and captured the American privateer schooner " Gipsy " ( or " Gipsey " ) . She was on her way from New York to Bordeaux with a cargo worth ₤50 , 000 when the British vessels captured her in the mid - Atlantic after a three - day chase . " Gipsey " surrendered twice to " Hermes " and twice got away again before " Belle Poule " caught her . " Gipsey " was of 300 tons and was armed with twelve 18 - pounder carronades and an 18 - pounder gun on a pivot mount . In late Autumn 1812 , " Hermes " was sailing off the Azores in the company of the 74 - gun third rate HMS " Elephant " , under the command of Francis Austen , the brother of the acclaimed novelist Jane Austen , together with the 36 - gun fifth - rate frigate HMS " Phoebe " . On 27 December " Elephant " and " Hermes " captured the American privateer schooner " Sword Fish " of Gloucester , John Evans , Master , and her crew of 82 men . During the 11 hour chase , which covered more than 100 miles , " Sword Fish " had thrown overboard ten of sixteen 6 - pounder guns . " Sword Fish " was 16 days out of Boston but had not captured anything . In April 1814 , Captain the Hon . William Percy took command of " Hermes " , and on 5 August sailed her , with HMS " Carron " accompanying , from Havana . They arrived at the mouth of the Apalachicola River eight days later . Fate . In September 1814 , Percy led her in an unsuccessful attack on Fort Bowyer . The Louisiana State Museum has a map of the battle . The attack took place on 15 September at about 4 : 30pm . Two of the four British vessels could not get close enough to fire . The fort was more strongly armed than expected , the British fire was ineffective , and a parallel ground attack failed . Furthermore , as she tried to withdraw , " Hermes " grounded under the guns of the fort . Percy evacuated her crew on boats from and then set fire to " Hermes " , which blew up after the fire reached her magazine at around 10pm . In all , " Hermes " lost about 25 men killed and 24 wounded , of whom five died later . On 18 January 1815 , Percy faced a court martial on board , off Cat Island ( Mississippi ) . The court acquitted him of all blame , finding that the circumstances justified the attack and that all involved had behaved with great gallantry .