HMS Bermuda was a schooner originally serving as a pilot boat on the Delaware River before being acquired by the Royal Navy in 1813. The vessel was officially registered by the Royal Navy on 28 April 1814. As a schooner, her design would have featured a fore-and-aft rig typical of pilot boats, optimized for maneuverability and speed in coastal waters. Her service history during the War of 1812 was marked by a notable episode involving her capture and subsequent recapture. In 1814, American prisoners of war seized Bermuda at Bermuda harbor. These prisoners, who were held aboard HMS Goree, managed to overpower their guards and the bosun during a water-gathering operation. They then seized Bermuda, a vessel previously a pilot boat, and set sail for the United States, reaching Cape May, New Jersey, on 28 April 1814. During their escape, British warships pursued them, but the prisoners ran Bermuda ashore at Cape May and successfully evaded capture. Following her escape, the Royal Navy recaptured Bermuda, and she was recommissioned in November 1814 under Commander John Sykes on the Jamaica station. Her service in the Royal Navy was relatively brief, as she was broken up in February 1817. The vessel’s history highlights her role as a small, maneuverable schooner involved in the naval operations and irregular engagements of the early 19th century, especially during the turbulent period of the War of 1812. Her capture and escape story exemplifies the daring and fluid nature of maritime conflicts during this era, underscoring her maritime significance as both a pilot vessel and a participant in wartime events.

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