HMS Hornet was a 17-gun wooden screw sloop of the Cruizer class, launched in 1854 and decommissioned and broken up in 1868. Constructed at the Royal Dockyard in Deptford, she was laid down in June 1851, following a re-approval of her design after an initial suspension. Her design was based on the HMS Cruizer, with construction overseen by Sir Baldwin Walker, after the disbandment of Lord John Hay’s "Committee of Reference." Hornet featured a wooden hull and was equipped with a two-cylinder horizontal single-expansion steam engine built by James Watt & Company, costing £5,450. This engine produced 233 indicated horsepower, enabling her to reach a maximum speed of approximately 7.75 knots. Her propulsion system was complemented by a barque rig, allowing for sail-powered navigation over long distances. The armament comprised one 32-pounder long gun on a pivot mount and sixteen 32-pounder carriage guns arranged in broadside configuration. Throughout her service, HMS Hornet participated in significant military and exploratory operations. During the Crimean War, she served in the Baltic in 1854 under Commander Frederick Archibald Campbell Hornet. In 1855, she was part of the expedition that discovered the Liancourt Rocks in the Sea of Japan, along with HMS Sybille and HMS Bittern. Her commanding officer, Charles Codrington Forsyth, documented the discovery, noting the rocks’ extent and terrain. Between 1854 and 1859, Hornet served in the East Indies and China, notably participating in the Second Opium War, including the bombardment and capture of the Bogue and Anunghoy forts in 1856. She spent Christmas 1856 as a Guardship at Canton and was actively involved in the capture of Canton in December 1857 under Rear-Admiral Sir Michael Seymour. After a refit in 1859–1860, she recommissioned for service at the Cape of Good Hope and the East Indies, conducting patrols and supporting British interests in these regions. HMS Hornet was decommissioned in 1859, briefly recommissioned in 1860, and continued service until her decommissioning in 1864. She was ultimately broken up in 1868, marking the end of her relatively short but active career as a naval vessel of the mid-19th century.

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