HMS Hydra (1838)

Hydra's sister-ship, Hecate, aground near Cape Flattery in 1861
History
United Kingdom
Name	HMS Hydra
Namesake	Hydra
Ordered	18 September 1837
Builder	Chatham Dockyard
Cost	£37,239
Laid down	January 1838
Launched	13 June 1838
Out of service	13 May 1870
Fate	Sold for breaking up
General characteristics [1]
Class and type	Hydra-class sloop
Displacement	1,096 long tons (1,114 t)
Tons burthen	814 91⁄94 bm
Length	165 ft (50 m) (gundeck) 143 ft 7+1⁄4 in (43.77 m) (keel)
Beam	32 ft 10 in (10.01 m)
Draught	13 ft (4.0 m)
Depth of hold	20 ft 4 in (6.20 m)
Installed power	220 nhp
Propulsion	Boulton and Watt 2-cylinder side lever steam engine Iron tubular boilers Paddles
Sail plan	Brig rig
Speed	9 knots (17 km/h; 10 mph) (under steam)
Complement	135
Armament	2 × 32-pounder (50 cwt) guns 2 × 8 in (200 mm) (65 cwt) guns
Service record
Commanders:	Cdr. Anthony W. Milward (1839-40) Cdr. Robert S. Robinson (1840) Cdr. Alexander Murray (1840-42) Cdr. Horatio B. Young (1843-46) Cdr. Arthur F. Morrell (1846-47) Cdr. Grey Skipwith (1847-49) Cdr. Thomas Belgrave (1852) Act.-Cdr. Wm. E. A. Gordon (1852-53) Cdr. Henry G. Morris (1853-56) Cdr. Richard V. Hamilton (1858-62) Cdr. Arthur L. Mansell (1865-66) Capt. Peter F. Shortland (1866-68)
Operations:	Syrian War (1840) Blockade of Africa (1843-49)

HMS Hydra was the lead ship of her class of wooden steam paddle sloops of the British Royal Navy, launched in 1838 at Chatham Dockyard. After taking part in operations during the Syrian War in 1840, she then served on anti-slavery operations and also as a survey vessel. She was scrapped in 1870.