HDMS Brev Drageren (also Brevdrageren) was a Danish let brigger (light brig), launched in 1801 for the Royal Danish Navy. She was one of the many vessels the Danes surrendered to the British after the Battle of Copenhagen in 1807. She was subsequently added to the Royal Navy as HMS Brev Drageren, and was involved in two notable actions while in British service. She was sold in 1825.
Construction and design
Brevdrageren was built at Bodenhoffs Plads to a design by F.C.H. Hohlenberg and launched in 1801. She was the name-ship of a two-vessel class, and both she and her sister Fama had distinctive pinched or "pink" sterns, that is, sterns that were rounded rather than the more normal square stern. Another vessel, Fehmern, was built similarly to Brevdrageren and her sister, but was slightly heavier. These vessels were much smaller than the heavy brigs designed for combat and the Danes used them as despatch vessels; Brevdrageren in Danish means "Despatch" or "Letter Carrier".
Her official Danish armament was eight 4-pounder guns and four 12-pounder carronades. Alternatively, she may have carried two 6-pounder guns, and sixteen 12-pounder carronades, since accounts differ.
Danish service
In 1801, together with Søormen, she served as a tender to the naval cadet training ship. In 1802, commanded by Thomas Fasting, she once again served as a tender to the naval cadet training ship and in 1805, under captain F.C. Fisker, was a member of the Danish home squadron.
British service
The Royal Navy surveyed Brev Drageren and refitted her at Chatham. She was commissioned under Lieutenant J. S. A. Dennis. In 1809 the Navy considered renaming her Cockatrice but that plan fell through. Command then passed to a Lieutenant Charles C. Dobson, who was later court martialed for an "unnatural crime" committed in September 1809 while in command.
On 24 August 1809, , was in company with the schooner , the gun-vessel , and two boats detached from Brev Drageren and . Together they captured property at Harlinger Zyl, together with a Danish privateer and a mutt in ballast.
Escape from three Danish Brigs, 1811
Lieutenant Thomas Barker Devon, ex-First Lieutenant of , took command of Brev Drageren on 12 October 1809. On 31 July 1811, Brev Drageren and were cruising together in Long Sound, Norway, when they encountered and engaged three Danish brigs, Lolland, under the command of Captain Hans Peter Holm, and Kiel and Lougen. The Danes had 54 guns and 480 men, against the British 22 guns and 107 men; outnumbered and outgunned, the British vessels took flight.
The next day Brev Drageren unsuccessfully re-engaged first one and then two of the brigs. In the inconclusive engagement each British vessel sustained one man killed, and Brev Drageren also had three wounded. In the second day's fight, Algerine sent a boat and sweeps to Brev Drageren, which helped her escape the Danes, though not until after her crew had rowed for 30 hours. The Danes reported capturing two cargo ships (galleases) that Brev Drageren had been escorting.
Capture of Prizes off the Ems, 1812
During 1812 Brev Drageren was stationed at Heligoland, which the British had captured in 1807. Here she made several minor captures. One capture was of a French privateer lugger and another was an armed customs-house vessel that Brev Drageren cut out from Delfzijl at the mouth of the river Ems. The second of these may have been a Danish privateer of one long gun and four swivel guns that the boats of and Brev Drageren, under the command of Sub-Lieutenant George Anderson of Brev Drageren, cut out.
Between 18 and 25 March she captured Jeune Nicholas, Trois Freres, Vrow Johanna, Deux Freres, and the cargo Gerrit Peter Kripisz. Then on 17 April Brev Drageren was in company with when they captured the Noysonheid. Nightingale and Exertion captured the Deux Freres, Vrow, Anna Jacobs, and Deux Freres (2), on 3 June.
On 9 March 1813, Brev Drageren was in company with when they captured the Danish sloop Enigheiden.