HMS Volcano ( 1804 ) HMS " Heron was originally the merchant vessel " Jason " , which the Admiralty purchased in 1804 for the Royal Navy for use as 16 - gun ship - sloop under the name HMS " Heron " . During the Napoleonic Wars she served as a convoy escort on the Leeward Islands station . Then in 1810 the Admiralty had her converted into a bomb vessel and renamed her HMS " Volcano . As " Volcano " she served during the War of 1812 , and in particular participated in the Battle of Baltimore . The Admiralty sold her in 1816 . Career . As " Heron " . The Admiralty purchased " Jason " when the Napoleonic Wars broke out . After the Treaty of Amiens , Britain had disarmed while France rearmed so on the resumption of war the Admiralty found itself short of vessels for convoy escort . Because of the urgency of the situation , the Admiralty purchased twenty such ( three - masted ) mercantile vessels ; among them they took " Jason " into service with her original masts and yards even though she was under - canvassed and therefore slow , and without a cargo in her hold tended to roll ; she became HMS " Heron " . She was commissioned in June 1804 under Commander John Edgecombe . At the end of the year he escorted a convoy of merchantmen from England to Barbados . Once in Barbados Edgecombe faced a dilemma . On the one hand there were reports of an enemy fleet in the Windward Isles that could threaten Barbados . On the other hand , a fleet of 28 merchantmen and two transports had gathered in Carlisle Bay , awaiting a warship to escort them to Halifax or Britain . Edgecombe decided to escort the convoy , risking court martial for leaving his duty station without orders . Five of the ships parted company for Halifax . , off Cape Clear , met six others that were going up the St . Georges Channel . " Heron " accompanied the remainder to the Downs , where the convoy arrived on 2 August 1805 . The captains of the 19 vessels that Edgecombe had convoyed signed a letter , interceding with the Admiralty on his behalf . The letter proved moot as the Admiralty had already approved Edgecombe ' s actions . Edgecombe realized that " Heron " was too slow to catch enemy cruisers ; instead he decided to use guile . While she was sailing to Antigua with a convoy he noticed a schooner approaching . He hoisted American colours and dressed a midshipman as a woman . The schooner showed French colours and approached . Unfortunately , the French vessel was too low for " Heron " s guns to bear and rolled too much for her crew to secure grapnels . All that the British could do was raise the British ensign and discharge a volley of musketry before the French vessel escaped . later captured the schooner , which turned out to be the " Matilde " , of 16 guns . Thereafter , " Heron " escorted convoys to Halifax , Newfoundland and Bermuda until December 1806 when Edgecombe , whose health had been impaired , left . " Heron " then remained in ordinary until 1810 when the Admiralty had her converted into a bomb vessel and renamed her " Volcano " . As " Volcano " . Commander David Price assumed command of " Volcano " on 6 December 1813 . In the summer of 1814 he sailed her to North America to join Sir Alexander Cochrane ' s fleet off the entrance to Baltimore harbour where he joined in the bombardment of Fort McHenry . Along with her were other bomb vessels and a Congreve rocket vessel , . The entire fleet consisted of 19 vessels , and launched over 1 , 500 bombs during the attack , but killed only four Americans and wounding 24 before giving up the attack . Later , " Volcano " served in the Potomac under Rear Admiral Pulteney Malcolm . On 31 October 1814 , while escorting a merchantman to Jamaica , " Volcano " nearly succeeded in capturing the 7 - gun American privateer schooner " Saucy Jack " . The two vessels exchange fire before the American took advantage of her greater speed and escaped . The British lost three men killed ; the Americans lost seven killed and 14 wounded . Fate . After end of the war with America , " Volcano " sailed left for home on 5 April 1815 and arrived at Portsmouth on 31 May . The Admiralty sold " Volcano " on 28 August 1816 .