HMS Staunch (1804)

{{For|other ships with the same name|HMS Staunch}} '''HMS ''Staunch''''' was a [[Royal Navy]] 14-gun {{sclass|Archer|gun-brig}}, built by Benjamin Tanner and launched in 1804 at [[Dartmouth, Devon]]. She served in the Indian Ocean and participated in the [[Action of 18 September 1810]] before she foundered with the loss of all hands in 1811. ==Service== The ''Staunch'' was commissioned in September 1804 under Lieutenant Benjamin Street and was attached to the [[Channel Fleet]]. On 30 August 1806, ''Staunch'' sailed for the [[Cape of Good Hope]], with orders to assist in the invasions of [[Buenos Aires]] and [[Montevideo]]. ''Staunch''{{'}}s crew landed and participated in the attack on the Montevideo, suffering losses in the battle (one killed and four wounded). Earlier, ''Staunch'' had captured a sloop and destroyed two others of a convoy going to the south shore for troops. When the British force was defeated, ''Staunch'' retired to the Cape of Good Hope. In 1810, ''Staunch'' was attached to Commodore [[Josias Rowley]]'s squadron on [[Île Bourbon]] and from there was part of the blockading force under [[Samuel Pym]] that was almost totally destroyed at the [[Battle of Grand Port]] (20-27 August 1810). ''Staunch'' had been sent back to Rowley for reinforcements and so was not with the squadron at its destruction. Earlier, ''Staunch'' participated in the 10-17 August expeditions to capture of the [[Île de la Passe]]. On 28 August ''Staunch'', {{HMS|Boadicea|1797|2}} and {{HMS|Otter|1805|2}} shared in the capture of the ''Garronne''. On 4 September the same three vessels shared in the capture of the ''Ranger''.{{#tag:ref|The prize money for a first-class share, such as a captain would receive, was [[pound sterling|£]]55 14[[shilling|s]] 11[[pence|d]]; an ordinary seaman received 10s 7½d.|group=Note}} ''Staunch'' was later part of Rowley's squadron at the [[Action of 13 September 1810]] and helped drive off a French squadron under [[Pierre Bouvet]] at the [[Action of 18 September 1810]]. In this action ''Staunch'' assisted in the recapture of {{HMS|Ceylon|1808|2}} and the capture of [[French frigate Vénus (1808)|''Vénus'']]. Nearly four decades later the Admiralty recognized ''Staunch{{'}}''s role in the battle by the clasp "Staunch 18 Sept. 1810" attached to the [[Naval General Service Medal (1847)|Naval General Service Medal]], awarded upon application to all of her crew still living in 1847. In November 1810, command passed to Lieutenant Hector Craig (acting), Street having removed to the government ship ''Emma'' as captain (acting). Craig then commanded ''Staunch'' in support of the successful [[Invasion of Île de France]] (29 November to 3 December). On 5 January 1811 {{HMS|Sir Francis Drake|1805|2}}, {{HMS|Nisus|1810|2}}, {{HMS|Iphigenia|1808|2}}, and {{HMS|Hesper|1809|2}}, participated in the capture of the French schooner ''Mouche''. ''Staunch'' apparently was also entitled to share in the prize money. ==Fate== In June 1811, while sailing off [[Madagascar]], ''Staunch'' disappeared with the loss of her entire crew of 76. She is believed to have foundered. ==External links== *Phillips, Michael: ''Ships of the Old Navy'' [http://www.ageofnelson.org/MichaelPhillips/info.php?ref=2118] {{coord missing|Indian Ocean}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Staunch (1804)}}