HMS Merlin
Sloop-Of-War · Great Britain · Lost 1777 · Delaware Bay & the Approaches
A British 16-gun sloop was burned by her own crew in the Delaware River in 1777 after grounding beside HMS Augusta during the assault on Fort Mercer.
The Vessel and Her Loss
HMS Merlin, a 16-gun Royal Navy sloop-of-war under Captain Samuel Reeve, took part in the British squadron's October 1777 attempt to force the Delaware River defenses and support the attack on Fort Mercer. She grounded on a falling tide alongside the larger HMS Augusta near the river obstructions. When Augusta was destroyed the next day by fire and an explosion of her magazine, Vice Admiral Richard Howe ordered Merlin burned as well rather than risk her capture by the Americans.
Vessel
- 1757
- Not established
- Not established
- Wood
- Not established
- Not established
- Not established
- Sail
- Royal Navy
Loss
- October 23, 1777
- Enemy action
- Delaware River near Fort Mercer, Red Bank, New Jersey, below the chevaux-de-frise obstructions
- Delaware River
- Upriver toward Fort Mercer and Fort Mifflin
- Not established
- Not established
- Crew were evacuated before she was fired; no losses are documented in the sources reviewed.
- Captain Samuel Reeve
The Wreck Today
- Not established
- Not established
- Not established
- Not established
- Not established
Position
- Not established
- Position not established
- Fort Mercer, Red Bank, New Jersey, Delaware River
Evidence
Overall confidence: Partially documented (72/100)
The wreck's present location and condition are not established in the sources reviewed.
Command, grounding, and deliberate destruction on Howe's order.
U.S. Naval Institute, Proceedings, "The Battle of the Kegs"
Narrative of the grounding of Augusta and Merlin near Forts Mercer and Mifflin.
Encyclopedia.com, "Fort Mifflin, Pennsylvania"
Confirmation that Merlin was destroyed by her own crew to prevent capture.
