HMS Jaseur (1857) facts for kids
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Leven, sister-ship to Jaseur
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Quick facts for kids History |
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 United Kingdom |
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| Name | HMS Jaseur |
| Ordered | 22 September 1856 |
| Builder | R & H Green, Blackwall Yard |
| Cost | Hull £5,668, machinery £4,350 (Jaseur) |
| Launched | 7 March 1857 |
| Commissioned | 5 September 1857 |
| Fate | Wrecked, 26 February 1859 |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type | Algerine-class gunboat |
| Displacement | 370 tons |
| Tons burthen | 300 88/94 bm |
| Length |
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| Beam | 23 ft 0 in (7.0 m) |
| Depth of hold | 9 ft 3 in (2.8 m) |
| Installed power |
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| Propulsion |
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| Sail plan | Schooner (or "gunboat") rig |
| Speed | 9 kn (17 km/h; 10 mph) |
| Armament |
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HMS Jaseur was a small but important warship called a Algerine-class gunboat, launched in 1857. She was part of the Royal Navy and served for less than two years in the waters around North America and the West Indies. Sadly, she was wrecked on a hidden sandbank in the Caribbean Sea in 1859.
Contents
Meet the Algerine Class Gunboats
These ships, like HMS Jaseur, were part of a group called the Algerine class. They were designed during the Crimean War (a big conflict in the 1850s) to be larger and more capable than earlier gunboats. While gunboats were usually for coastal areas, the Algerines were built to sail in deeper waters too. Their bigger size meant they had much better living spaces for the crew. Overall, they were very useful ships for the Royal Navy.
Ship's Weapons: Armament
HMS Jaseur was armed with powerful guns for her size.
- She had one large 8-inch (203 mm) 68-pounder gun. This was a smoothbore gun, meaning the inside of its barrel was smooth.
- She also carried two smaller 24-pounder howitzers. These guns were good for firing shells at a high angle.
How the Ship Moved: Propulsion
Jaseur used both steam power and sails to move.
- She had a special 2-cylinder steam engine built by Maudslay, Sons & Field. This engine turned a single propeller.
- For the first time in a gunboat, her propeller could be lifted out of the water. This helped the ship sail much better when the engine wasn't being used.
- Her engine could produce 80 nominal horsepower, which meant she could reach a speed of about 9 knots (17 km/h) using steam.
Sails and Rigging: Rig
At first, Jaseur had a simple schooner rig, which was common for gunboats. This meant she had two masts with sails that ran along the length of the ship. However, because these ships often sailed far from home, their commanders sometimes added more sails, like topmasts and yards, to make them faster under wind power. This changed them into what's called a barquentine.
Building and Commissioning HMS Jaseur
The order to build HMS Jaseur was placed on 22 September 1856. She was built at the Blackwall Yard by a company called R & H Green.
- She was officially launched into the water on 7 March 1857.
- Her first and only commanding officer, Lieutenant John Binney Scott, joined the ship on 28 July 1857.
- Jaseur was officially ready for duty on 5 September 1857. She was sent to the North America and West Indies station.
Life at Sea: Operational Service
Serving in the North America and West Indies area in the late 1850s meant helping to stop the illegal slave trade. British warships like Jaseur would patrol the seas, looking for ships that might be carrying enslaved people.
- It was often hard to find a ship that could be legally stopped, even if it looked suspicious.
- In March 1858, Jaseur had already checked three vessels.
- The Commodore (a senior naval officer) in Jamaica ordered his ships, including Jaseur, to actively patrol around Cuba to stop the slave trade.
- In July 1858, she visited Havana for coal before heading to Tampico.
- In October 1858, Jaseur and another ship, HMS Kite, helped search for an American ship called Parthian that was in trouble near Bermuda. The President of the United States later thanked the officers and crews of both ships for their help.
The Ship's Final Voyage: Fate
HMS Jaseur was lost on 26 February 1859. She hit a hidden sandbank called the Bajo Nuevo Bank, which is about 200 miles (320 km) southeast of Jamaica. At the time, she was sailing from Port Royal to San Juan de Nicaragua under the command of Lieutenant Scott.
- Luckily, everyone on board the ship was saved.
- In April, another ship called Cuba or Zelinda (which was a supply ship for HMS Imaum) managed to recover Jaseur's supplies from the wreck.
