Next off the bench is a Langton middling 74-gun ship modeled as HMS Hero. HMS Hero was a Fame-class ship of the line.
1743 Tons (bm); Length on gundeck 175ft (53m); Beam 47ft 6in (14.48m); Depth of hold 20ft 6in (6.25m); Complement 530.
Armament 74 Guns: Gundeck 28 x 32 pounder long guns, Upper gundeck 28 x 18 pounder long guns, Quarterdeck 14 x 9 pounder long guns, Forecastle 4 x 9 pounder long guns.
The following brief history is directly from Rootsweb Naval Database.
HMS Hero
Type: 3rd rate ; Armament 74
Launched : at Messrs Perry's, Blackwall Thurs 18 Aug 1803 ;
Disposal date or year : 24 Dec 1811
Disposal Details : Wrecked, St George & Defence off the coast of Jutland, on passage from Baltic, Hero on the Haak sand, Texel : crew of latter perished, and both crews of former, except about eighteen men. Captain James Newman Newman
Notes:
18 Aug 1803 Hon Capt Gardner apptd in command of the Hero.
Circa 22 Oct 1803 Hon Capt Gardner apptd to the Hero.
27 Nov 1803 the Hero, Hindostan, Bonetta, and Volcano, will drop down from Woolwich to Long Reach, to take in their guns and powder, and wait only a fair wind to proceed to the Nore.
27 Nov 1803 departed Woolwich for Long Reach, to embark guns and powder &c.
Circa 17 Dec 1803 the Hero, Abundance, Zyphyr, and Glatton, have taken on board their powder and guns and only await a fair wind to drop down from Long Reach to the Nore to complete their complements, the latter having been ordered to Leith to receive the flag of R.-Adm Bligh.
10 Jun 1804 the Repulse, Capt Legge, and Hero, Capt Gardner, arrived Spithead from the North Sea Station, to be fitted for Channel Fleet.
20 Jun 1804 departed Spithead, the Hero, Hon Capt Gardner, to join the Channel Fleet.
15 Jul 1805 with the blockading squadron off Ferrol, under Sir Robert Calder : departed 30 to 40 leagues off Finisterre to intercept Franco-Spanish fleet from the West Indies. 22nd sighted each other. Signal made to engage the enemy - the engagement. The damage ; subsequent manoeuvres by the two fleets ; the wash-up ; 26 Jul 1805 movements of the fleet following the battle. (Battle of Cape Finisterre 1805)
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| Admiral Sir Robert Calder's Action off Cape Finisterre, 23 July 1805 |
29 Oct 1805 in search of the Rochefort squadron. 2 Nov Phoenix reported position of the French Squadron : the chase began. 3-4 Nov 4th, the frigates harass the French rear. The action. the French haul down their colours. Casualties. The frigates role in the action. Prizes taken to Plymouth and added to the Service. The honours, awards and promotions. (Battle of Cape Ortegal, under Captain Sir Richard Strachan)
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| Strachan's Action off Ferrol, by Thomas Whitcombe |
3 Jan 1806 Sir J.B. Warren's squadron at St. Helen's, adverse winds preventing him sailing. 12 Jan departed for Madeira to gain intelligence of the French squadron under V.-adm. Leissegues.
4 Jun 1806 having returned from his first cruise departed from Spithead for the West Indies arriving Barbadoes 12 Jul with the Fame in lieu of the Repulse.
24 Feb 1809 later that day Rear-admiral Stopford's squadron returned to his station off the Chasseron lighthouse, and observed the squadron of M. Willaumez at anchor in Basque roads, and was joined on the 25th by Captain Beresford and his three ships, with his force thus augmented to seven sail of the line and five frigates, resumed the blockade of the port, with the Hero joining shortly afterwards.
7 Mar 1809 with Admiral Lord Gambier who relieved Rear-admiral Stopford's in command of the blockade of Basque Roads.
17 Mar 1809 anchored in Basque roads. 11 Apr the use of fire ships, explosion-vessels, and Congreve rockets against the French fleet at Basque roads and the results thereof.
Portsmouth 29 Dec 1809 arrived from the Isle of Walcheren.
21 Jul 1810, departed the homeward-bound Baltic convoy, of about 200 sail, off Rob's Snout, under the protection of the Lynx, Clio, Snake, Rosario, Gluckstadt, and Centinel, with the Tartar, Rose, and Primrose following at some distance astern, [presumably with a view to preventing enemy gun boats sneaking up from astern, and picking off the slower vessels in the convoy, a much favoured practice.]
Hull, 2 Oct 1810 the Mars and Hero are reported to have passed Yarmouth for the Thames with a fleet of 600-700 ships from the Baltic, 40-50 of them being prizes.
Plymouth Dock 6 Mar 1811 arrived from Basque Roads.
Plymouth 30 Mar 1811 Under orders to join the Baltic fleet.
Plymouth 4 Apr 1811 departed for Yarmouth.
Portsmouth 11 Apr 1811 departed for the Baltic.
Harwich 21 Apr 1811 Is reported to have made five captures in the Categut.
Leith 28 Dec 1811 arrived from Wingo Sound (18 Dec) with a convoy.
18-25 Dec 1811 the loss of the Hero, wrecked in a gale on the Haak sand off the Texel, and the Grasshopper, which drove over the bank close in with Texel island, resulting in her surrender to the Dutch.
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| The wreck of HMS Hero in the Texel 25 December, 1811 |
The Model:
