HMS Falcon (1854)

HMS Falcon was a Doterel-class screw sloop of the Royal Navy, launched in 1854. As a Doterel-class vessel, she was designed by the Surveyor of the Navy, John Edye, and built as part of a program to convert the Royal Navy from sail to steam power. These sloops were designed to operate independently on distant stations, combining reasonable firepower with good sailing qualities and coal capacity for extended voyages.

Falcon served in various roles throughout her career. Notably, she saw action in the Crimean War, participating in operations in the Black Sea. She later served on foreign stations, including deployments to the Mediterranean and the Pacific, enforcing British interests and suppressing piracy.

Details regarding her specific armament may vary depending on the period of her service, but typically Doterel-class sloops were equipped with a mix of smoothbore and rifled muzzle-loading guns.

The Falcon was eventually decommissioned and sold out of service, reflecting the ongoing technological advancements in naval warfare during the late 19th century. The obsolescence of wooden, screw-propelled warships led to their replacement by ironclad and steel-hulled vessels. Further details of her decommissioning date and fate would need to be obtained from historical records.