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HMS ''Erebus'' was originally built as a Royal Navy fireship, but served as a sloop and was re-rated as such in March 1808. She served in the Baltic during the Gunboat and Anglo-Russian Wars, where in 1809 she was briefly converted to a fireship, and then served in the War of 1812. In 1814 she was converted to a rocket vessel to fire Congreve rockets.〔 While serving off America, ''Erebus'' participated in the sack of Alexandria, Virginia, and launched the rockets that bombarded Fort McHenry in Baltimore on September 13th, 1814. In March 1815, off Georgia, she fired the second-to-the-last-shot of the war. She was laid up in 1816 and sold for breaking up in 1819. ==Baltic== Commander William Autridge commissioned ''Erebus'' in January 1808, and she sailed for the Baltic in April.〔 In July, Vice-Admiral Sir James Saumarez and his British fleet were blockading Rager Vik (Ragerswik or Rogerswick or Russian: Baltiyskiy) where the Russian fleet was sheltering after the British 74-gun third rates and ''Centaur'' had destroyed the Russian 74-gun ship of the line ''Vsevolod''. Saumarez wanted to attack the fleet and ordered that ''Erebus'' and ''Baltic'' be prepared as fireships. However, when the British discovered that the Russians had stretched a defensive chain across the entrance to the harbour, precluding an attack by fireships, Saumarez abandoned the plan and the two vessels returned to normal duties.〔James (1837), Vol. 5, pp. 16–17.〕 Between 28 October and 9 November, ''Erebus'' captured the Danish sloops ''Debitor'', ''Ellen Maria'' and ''Rengende Jacob''. On 28 October ''Erebus'' captured the Danish galliot ''Emanuel''. On 29 November ''Erebus'' and ''Devastation'' captured the Danish galliots ''Ellen Maria'', ''Gertrude Maria'' and ''Fem Sodskende''. Between 30 November and 6 December, ''Erebus'' captured the Danish vessels ''Neptunus'', ''Neptunus'' and ''Frau Maria''. At some point Commander Henry Withy assumed command.〔 On 4 August 1809, Captain Thomas Byam Martin of ''Implacable'', while off Hogland, assigned ''Erebus'' to patrol between Aspo and Sommars rock. Her mission was to harry Russian shipping and give warning should she spot the Russian fleet exiting Kronstadt. On 24 October ''Erebus'', again under the command of Autridge, captured the ''Courier''. Almost a month later, on 16 November, , with ''Erebus'' in company, captured the ''Concordia''. That day ''Rose'' was in company with ''Erebus'', the cutter and the hired armed cutter ''Mary'' when they captured the ''Catherine Elizabeth''. The next day ''Erebus'' captured four vessels. One was the ''Chriftina'', N. Jorgensen (or Jergensen), master. ''Erebus'' was in company with ''Rose'' when they captured the Danish sloop ''Anna Catherina'', H.P. Larsen, master. ''Rose'', ''Cheerful'' and ''Mary'' were in sight as ''Erebus'' captured the ''Twende Brodre'', H. Holmer, master. ''Rose'' was also in company when she and ''Erebus'' captured the Danish sloop ''Anna Margaretha''. On 29 December ''Erebus'' captured the Crown schooner No. 27. The next day ''Erebus'' captured the ''Elizabeth Christina''.〔 The day after that ''Erebus'' captured the ''Victoria'', Hans Larsen, late master.〔 ''Erebus'' was employed on convoy duties and on 21 June 1810 she and ''Loire'' escorted 100 vessels through the Great Belt into the Baltic. On 6 July 1810, ''Erebus'' captured the ''Vrou Sitske''. On 28 July ''Erebus'' captured the ''Maria'', J. Schumacha, master. Then on 13 August she captured the ''Maria Sophia'', J.C. Guhlstoff, master. ''Erebus'' was at Hull on 2 October, having just detained the ''Hopper'', ''Somanberg'', and ''Maria Sofie Guhlstorff'', from Saint Petersburg. On 17 December 1811, ''Erebus'' captured the Danish sloop ''Fuldmannen'', A. Anderson, master. In 1812 ''Erebus'' was again employed on convoy escort in the Baltic under Saumarez. On 12 May ''Erebus'', under the command of Commander George Brine, the Danish sloop ''Snelvegen''. Then on 25 May ''Erebus'' recaptured the ''Diverdina''. On 15 June ''Erebus'', again under the command of William Autridge, captured the Danish sloop ''Henrietta'', Anders Jergensen, master. On 18 August 1812, Commander Henry Lyford took command and served on her until he was made post-captain on 4 December 1813.〔Marshall (1823–1835), p.173.〕 On 4 October captured the Danish sloop ''Speculation'' and shared the prize money with ''Persian'', ''Erebus'', and by agreement. Then on 17 October ''Persian'' and ''Erebus'' were again in company with ''Podargus'' when ''Podargus'' captured the Danish vessels ''Anna Maria'', ''Twende Brodre'', and two market-boats. Next month, on 11 November ''Podargus'' captured ''Syerstadt'', with ''Persian'' and ''Erebus'' in company.〔 On 16 December ''Persian'' captured the Danish galliot ''Ebenetzer'', with ''Thracian'' in company. ''Erebus'' shared in the prize money by agreement with ''Persian''. On 27 July 1813 ''Sheldrake'', ''Erebus'', ''Thracian'', and ''Woodlark'' captured the ''Forsoget'', ''Stephanus'', and ''Erskine''. Prize money was paid on 15 January 1819. Then on 20 October , ''Erebus'', and captured the ''Venus''. Prize money for this vessel too was paid on 15 January 1819. After Lyford, ''Erebus'' then came under the command of Commander John Forbes.〔 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「HMS Erebus (1807)」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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