HMS Juno (1780) facts for kids
Juno
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Quick facts for kids History |
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 Great Britain |
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| Name | HMS Juno |
| Ordered | 21 October 1778 |
| Builder | Robert Batson & Co, Limehouse |
| Laid down | December 1778 |
| Launched | 30 September 1780 |
| Completed | 14 December 1780 |
| Honours and awards |
Naval General Service Medal with clasp "Schiermonnikoog 12 Augt. 1799" |
| Fate | Broken up in July 1811 |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type | 32-gun Amazon-class fifth-rate frigate |
| Tons burthen | 68929⁄94 (bm) |
| Length |
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| Beam | 35 ft 2+1⁄4 in (10.7 m) |
| Draught | 8 ft (2.4 m) |
| Depth of hold | 12 ft 1+1⁄2 in (3.7 m) |
| Sail plan | Full-rigged ship |
| Complement | 220 |
| Armament |
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HMS Juno was a 32-gun frigate of the Royal Navy, a powerful warship that sailed the seas long ago. She was part of the Amazon-class and was known as a "fifth-rate" ship. This means she was a medium-sized warship with a good number of guns. Juno served during important conflicts like the American War of Independence, and the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars.
Contents
Building and Getting Ready for Sea
Juno was ordered on 21 October 1778. Her construction began in December of that year at the Robert Batson & Co shipyard in Limehouse. She was officially launched into the water on 30 September 1780.
The ship was fully completed and ready for duty by 14 December 1780 at Deptford Dockyard. Building the ship cost about £8,500. Getting her ready for sea, including adding a special copper coating to her hull to protect against worms and barnacles, cost another £8,184.
Early Adventures
Juno began her active service in September 1780. Her first captain was James Montagu. He commanded her for five years, first in British waters and then in the Atlantic Ocean.
In February 1781, Juno and the smaller warship Zebra captured an American privateer called Revanche (or Revenge). A privateer was a private ship allowed by a government to attack enemy ships.
In early 1782, Captain Montagu sailed Juno to the East Indies to join a squadron led by Richard Bickerton. She was involved in the Battle of Cuddalore on 20 June 1783. After this, Juno returned to Britain and was taken out of active service in March 1785. She remained "in ordinary" (meaning she was kept in reserve) for five years, except for a small repair in 1788.
French Revolutionary Wars
Juno returned to active duty in May 1790 under Captain Samuel Hood. Hood sailed her to Jamaica but returned to Britain and took her out of service in September 1791. However, he remained her captain.
Juno was refitted and recommissioned in January 1793. After the French Revolutionary Wars began, Hood first patrolled the English Channel. There, she captured several French privateers: Entreprenant in February, Palme in March, and Laborieux in April, working with HMS Aimable.
Captain Hood then moved Juno to the Mediterranean Sea in May 1793.
Escape from Toulon
Juno was at Toulon, France, when it was under British control. Captain Hood did not know that French forces had recaptured Toulon. On 11 January 1794, he sailed into the port at night, planning to deliver soldiers to Lord Hood's forces.
After Juno anchored, 13 armed Frenchmen boarded the ship. They told Captain Hood that the British had left and that he and his crew were now prisoners. Thinking quickly, Captain Hood ordered the ship's anchor cables to be cut. Juno immediately set sail, taking the 13 French officials as prisoners. French batteries on shore and a nearby brig fired at Juno, but she managed to escape with only minor damage.
Attacks in Corsica
On 7 February 1794, Juno and the 74-gun ship HMS Fortitude attacked a tower at Mortella Point on the coast of Corsica. The tower was very strong and held out against the British for several days. This event later inspired the design of the famous Martello Towers built in Britain and other British territories.
Captain Lord Amelius Beauclerk took command of Juno after Captain Hood returned to Britain in October 1795. Juno was then taken out of service in January 1796.
Return to Service
Juno underwent major repairs and refitting at Deptford, costing £20,442. She was recommissioned in August 1798 under Captain George Dundas. She joined a British squadron during the Anglo-Russian invasion of Holland in August 1799. This led to the surrender of a Dutch squadron without a fight on 13 August.
The Battle of Schiermonnikoog
On 11 August 1799, several British ships, including the sloop Pylades and the brig-sloop Espiegle, attacked a Dutch ship called Crash. Crash was moored between the island of Schiermonnikoog and Groningen.
Pylades and Espiegle fought Crash, which eventually surrendered. Pylades lost one sailor killed and three wounded. Juno lost one sailor when her boats attacked a Dutch gun-schooner.
The next day, the British captured one small Dutch boat and burned another. On 13 August, the British attacked the Dutch schooner Vengeance and a shore battery on Schiermonnikoog. They managed to burn Vengeance and disable the battery's guns. They also captured a rowboat with 30 men. This battle earned the surviving British sailors a special medal, the Naval General Service Medal, with a clasp for "Schiermonnikoog 12 Augt. 1799".
In February 1800, Juno and Busy sailed to Jamaica, protecting a convoy of 150 merchant ships. Later that year, Juno helped capture several enemy ships, including Volante and Aquila.
Napoleonic Wars
Captain Isaac Manley took command of Juno in 1802. After another refit, Captain Henry Richardson became her commander. Richardson took Juno to the Mediterranean Sea in April 1803.
In August 1803, Juno and Morgiana captured three enemy vessels: Santissima Trinita, Parthenope, and Famosa. Later that month, they captured San Giorgio.
On 8 September, Juno captured the French privateer Quatre Fils off Cape Sparivento. This privateer was armed with four guns and had a crew of 78 men.
In 1805, Juno and other frigates arrived at Gibraltar. There, Admiral Nelson used them to attack coastal shipping that was supplying the French and Spanish fleets at Cadiz.
In 1806, Juno was active in the Bay of Naples, supporting operations led by Sidney Smith. When Smith arrived in Palermo, he found that the city of Gaeta was still holding out against the French. Smith sent supplies and ammunition to Gaeta and stationed Juno there with other ships.
The French built a battery of four guns at La Madona della Catena. On the night of 12 May, Captain Richardson led 60 men from Gaeta's garrison and boats from Juno and the Neapolitan frigate Minerva to attack the battery. The French abandoned the battery as the boats landed, and the landing party destroyed the guns without any losses.
On 15 May, the garrison at Gaeta made another successful attack. Juno’s boats, led by Lieutenant Thomas Wells, helped in this operation. Juno’s boats suffered the only losses for the allies, with four sailors killed and five wounded.
On 18 July 1806, the French, led by André Masséna, finally captured Gaeta after a brave defense.
End of Service
Captain Charles Schomberg took command of Juno in February 1807. Captain Granville Proby replaced him in July that year, with orders to sail Juno back to Britain. After arriving, she was placed "in ordinary" (in reserve) at Woolwich. Juno was finally broken up, meaning taken apart, in July 1811.
