HMS Starr ( 1805 ) HMS " Starr " was a 16 - gun " Merlin " - class sloop of the Royal Navy . She was built by Tanner , of Dartmouth , to plans by Sir William Rule , and launched in July 1805 . As a sloop she served on convoy duty , though she also participated in the invasion of Martinique in early 1809 . She was rebuilt as a bomb vessel in May 1812 and renamed " Meteor " . As " Meteor " she served in the Baltic and then off the United States , participating in attacks on up the Potomac and on Baltimore and New Orleans . She was sold in October 1816 . Napoleonic Wars . She was commissioned in October 1805 under Commander John Simpson . On 3 January 1806 she recaptured the ships " Argo " and " Adventure " , and shared in the recapture of the " Good Intent " . " Starr " was off Villa de Conde , Portugal , when she intercepted the vessels , which had been taken from a convoy that had been escorting from Newfoundland to Portugal , and both of which had been carrying cargoes of fish . " Starr " sighted " Good Intent " and signaled " Mercury " , which recaptured her too . On 5 February , captured the " Baltidore " , which was the privateer that had captured " Good Intent " . " Starr " escorted a convoy to Newfoundland in August 1807 and another to the Leeward Islands in 1808 . While briefly under Commander Francis Augustus Collier , she participated in the capture of Martinique in February 1809 where she landed in command of a detachment of seamen and marines . In 1847 the Admiralty authorized the award of the Naval General Service Medal with clasp " Martinique " to all surviving claimants from the campaign . Between November 1811 and May 1812 , " Starr " was rebuilt as a bomb vessel . She was then recommissioned , possibly in February 1812 , as " Meteor " under Commander Peter Fisher . Her predecessor under the name , had been a bomb vessel too and had been sold in November . Fisher sailed " Meteor " to the Baltic . There , she participated in operations against Zuid - Beveland , at the siege of Danzic , and at the blockade of the Scheldt . At Danzig , " Meteor " joined Swedish and Russian gunboats in an attack on the French garrison . " Meteor " pressed the attack , coming in close under the shore batteries and the bombardment damaged many houses , both directly and through subsequent fires . The allies succeeded in capturing a point , which would enable them to close the city to resupply by sea even without maintaining a naval blockade . One Russian gunboat was sunk and in all , the allies lost about 200 men . War of 1812 . On 12 August 1812 , and " Meteor " captured the American vessels " Cuba " , " Caliban " , " Cygnet " , " Edward " , " Galen " , and " Halcyon " . In 1814 command of " Meteor " passed to Samuel Roberts . Under Roberts , " Meteor " was one of the bomb vessel s involved in actions off the American coast in the War of 1812 . She participated in the bombardment of Fort Washington , Maryland on the Potomac River in August 1814 and the bombardment of Fort McHenry in the Battle of Baltimore . Thus , " the bombs bursting in air " from " The Star - Spangled Banner " by Francis Scott Key were , at least in part , " Meteor " s . In January 1815 she also took part in the naval expedition that led to the Battle of New Orleans . On 8 December 1814 , two US gunboats fired on , and the sixth - rate frigate while they were passing the chain of small islands that runs parallel to the shore between Mobile and Lake Borgne . Between 12 and 15 December 1814 , Captain Lockyer of " Sophie " led a flotilla of some 50 boats , barges , gigs and launches to attack the US gunboats . Lockyer drew his flotilla from the fleet that was massing against New Orleans , including the 74 - gun Third Rate , " Armide " , " Seahorse " , and " Meteor " . Lockyer deployed the boats in three divisions , of which he led one . Captain Montresor of the gun - brig " Manly " commanded the second , and Captain Roberts of " Meteor " commanded the third . After rowing for 36 hours , the British met the Americans at St . Joseph ' s Island . On 13 December 1814 , the British attacked the one - gun schooner USS " Sea Horse " . On the morning of the 14th , the British engaged the Americans in a short , violent battle . The British captured or destroyed almost the entire American force , including the tender , USS " Alligator " , and five gunboats . The British lost 17 men killed and 77 wounded ; " Meteor " had three men wounded , including one severely . then evacuated the wounded . In 1821 the survivors of the flotilla shared in the distribution of head - money arising from the capture of the American gun - boats and sundry bales of cotton . In 1847 the Admiralty issued a clasp ( or bar ) for the Naval General Service Medal marked " 14 Dec . Boat Service 1814 " to survivors of the battle that wanted to claim it . Fate . On 13 June Captain Samuel Roberts received a promotion to post - captain . That month command passed to Commander Daniel Roberts . On 16 October 1816 " Meteor " was sold at Deptford to Mr Mellish for ₤1 , 450 .