HMS/USS Detroit-- Part 2: Essentially a Hulk After the Battle of Lake Erie

It was classified as a corvette and was originally planned for twenty 24-pdr. carronades but those cannons were captured when the Americans attacked York, Upper Canada.  As a result, the HMS Detroit was armed with an assortment of guns, some taken from British Fort Amherstburg.

Many of these were long guns, which could fire further than carronades, but were lighter shot.  This made an initial big difference in the Battle of Lake Erie.

After their capture at the battle, the badly damaged Detroit and HMS Queen Charlotte were used as hospital ships.  A gale struck a few days later, further damaging the ships.  After the wounded were taken off, the two British ships were essentially nothing more than hulks.


They were taken to Put-In-Bay to prevent sinking.  In May 1814, the USS Ohio assisted in fitting out the two ships at Put-In-Bay and then convoyed them to Erie, Pennsylvania where they were laid up until sold in 1825.

--Brock-Perry