HMS Acheron (1803)

Action of HMS Arrow and Acheron against the French frigates Hortense and Incorruptible: Beginning of the action, 4 February 1805, by Francis Sartorious Jr., National Maritime Museum, Greenwich. Left to right: Acheron, Hortense, Arrow, and Incorruptible
History
Kingdom of Great Britain
Name	New Grove
Owner	Various
Builder	Whitby
Launched	1799
Fate	Sold 1803
United Kingdom
Name	HMS Acheron
Namesake	Acheron
Acquired	1803 by purchase
Honours and awards	Naval General Service Medal with clasp "Acheron 3 Feby. 1805"[1]
Fate	Captured and burned 4 February 1805
General characteristics [2]
Tons burthen	388 (bm)
Length	108 ft 3 in (33.0 m) (overall) 85 ft 9 in (26.1 m) (keel)
Beam	29 ft 2 in (8.9 m)
Depth of hold	12 ft 9 in (3.9 m)
Complement	67
Armament	8 × 24-pounder carronades + 1 × 10" + 1 × 13" mortar

HMS Acheron was the mercantile New Grove, launched at Whitby in 1799, that the Admiralty purchased in 1803 and fitted as a bomb-vessel. She served in the Mediterranean for about a year. On 3 February 1805 she and Arrow were escorting a convoy from Malta to England when they encountered two French frigates. Arrow and Acheron were able to save the majority of the vessels of the convoy by their resistance before they were compelled to strike. Arrow sank almost immediately after surrendering, and Acheron was so badly damaged that the French burnt her. However, the British vessels' self- sacrifice enabled almost all the vessels of the convoy to escape.