HMS Dominica was originally the French privateer schooner Jopo L'Oeil, also known by variants such as Tape à l'Oeil or Tap à l'Oeil. Captured by the British in 1807 in the Leeward Islands, this vessel was a notable example of early 19th-century privateering craft. She was a schooner pierced for 14 guns but typically carried six 18-pounder cannons and an additional gun on a traveling carriage, reflecting her role as a privateer rather than a heavily armed naval vessel. The schooner was approximately 32 days out of Pointe-à-Pitre, Guadeloupe, when encountered by the British brig Superieure. During the engagement on 17 October 1807, the Jopo L'Oeil was involved in a fierce, hour-and-a-quarter-long battle. The action was marked by the instant death of her captain, Captain John Buller, who was shot in the head attempting to board the privateer. Despite this loss, Lieutenant John G. Bird took command and continued the fight, leading to the privateer's surrender. The engagement resulted in significant casualties: the British lost four men killed, including Buller, and eight wounded; the French suffered five killed and 19 wounded. The vessel was described by Lieutenant Bird as "a remarkable fine Vessel." The nearby British ship Hawke was present but could not assist until after the fight concluded. The captured privateer was subsequently commissioned into the Royal Navy as HMS Dominica under Lieutenant Stephen Burke, with a possible later command by Lieutenant J. Deane. In 1808, HMS Dominica engaged the French privateer Victor, an encounter that was inconclusive. The vessel's service was short-lived, as she foundered or capsized during a hurricane off Tortola in August 1809. Reports vary on the fate of her crew: Hepper states all hands were lost, while Marx and Gosset mention three survivors, and the National Maritime Museum reports five survivors. Her brief but active career highlights her role in the naval conflicts of the period and exemplifies the perilous life of privateers and small warships during the Napoleonic era.

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