HMS Bombay was a 38-gun fifth-rate frigate of the Royal Navy, originally built as HCS Bombay at the Bombay Dockyard in 1793. Constructed through Indian carpentry skills and fitted out by public subscription, she was notable for her robust build and participation in early maritime operations in the Indian Ocean region. She was initially a vessel for the Bombay Marine, patrolling off Ceylon by April 1794, and engaged in various military and reconnaissance missions in Southeast Asia. Throughout her career, she underwent several notable service episodes. In 1797, under Captain Charles Pickett and later Captain William Selby, she captured key locations such as Manado and Gorontalo in Celebes, and delivered rice to Banda. In 1803, the East India Company appointed John Hayes as captain, and she played a role in protecting trade routes in the Bay of Bengal. Under Hayes’s command, Bombay, along with Castlereagh, captured the fort at Muckie, Sumatra, from the Malays, dismantling it and seizing guns and stores. Admiral Sir Edward Pellew purchased her in April 1805, integrating her into the Royal Navy, initially under Hayes’s command. She was renamed HMS Ceylon in July 1808. During her service, she captured the French brig Jaseur in 1807 after a nine-hour chase. In September 1808, Ceylon’s boats recaptured Ganges after a three-day chase. She was briefly captured by French forces in September 1810 but was recaptured the next day by a British squadron, with Vénus captured in the process. From 1811 onward, Ceylon transitioned from active combat to auxiliary roles. She was fitted as a troopship, serving notably during Napoleon’s exile in 1815, and later as a receiving ship at Malta. She was commanded by several notable officers, including William Robert Mends and Sir Lucius Curtis, serving as flagship at Malta. Sold in 1857 and broken up in 1861, HMS Bombay/Ceylon's career reflects her importance in British naval operations and maritime presence in the Indian Ocean and Mediterranean during the late 18th and early 19th centuries.

This description has been generated using GPT-4.1-NANO based on the Vessel's wikidata information and then modified by ShipIndex.org staff.