HMS Kangaroo was British Royal Navy 18-gun brig-sloop of the , launched in 1795 at Deptford, England. She served in Home Waters and the Mediterranean Sea until she was sold in 1802.
Career
In October 1795 she was commissioned under Commander Courtenay Boyle. Kangaroo shared in the capture on 10 May 1796, of Marie, which had captured.
On 13 June 1796, Kangaroo destroyed a French privateer of unknown name.
In February 1797 at Plymouth she detained St Croix, from St Croix. St Croix was formerly Cadiz Packet, of Belfast. On the evening of 9 April, Kangaroo captured the French privateer cutter Sophie, some south east of The Lizard. Sophie, of fourteen 4-pounder guns (eight of which she had thrown overboard during the chase), and 40 men, was two days into her maiden cruise from Brest and had made no captures. That month Kangaroo sailed from Plymouth as escort to the transport Boyne.
On 3 July Kangaroo captured some off Cadiz the lugger Purissima Concepcione, which had on board an officer and nine men, and which was searching for a brig from Havana to deliver some despatches to her. Then on the 22nd, Kangaroo captured the French privateer lugger Surprise, of 48 tons (bm), eight guns, and 47 men. Surprise was eight days out of Crosic at the entrance to the Loire, but had made no captures. Also in July Kangaroo recaptured Macaroni. On 30 June Boyle received promotion to post captain and Commander Edward Brace replaced Boyle, but not until Kangaroo returned to port after capturing Surprise.
In September, Kangaroo recaptured and sent into Cork Jenny, M'Iver, master. A privateer had captured Jenny as she was sailing from Cork to Lisbon.
On 28 September, Kangaroo, , and recaptured Graaf Bernstorff and captured San Norberto. Graff Bernstorff was carrying a cargo of iron and grain from St. Michael's to Lisbon when she was captured. San Norberta was a Spanish privateer armed with four carriage guns plus some swivels, and had a crew of 42 men.
One year later, on 18 September 1798, Kangaroo recaptured Endeavour.
Early in October, Kangaroo brought dispatches that led Captain Sir John Borlase Warren in to take a squadron to search for and intercept a French force sailing to Ireland. The British and French squadrons met up on 12 October in the Battle of Tory Island, which the British won. Several French vessels escaped and Kangaroo joined in the pursuit. On 15 October and Kangaroo pursued the , but lost her in the dark. Next morning the two British vessels spotted Loire on the horizon and set off in pursuit. Loire outran Mermaid, but not Kangaroo, which exchanged fire with her quarry at a distance. In the exchange the out-gunned Kangaroo suffered damage to her rigging and had to fall back. However, Kangaroo had damaged Loire too. The next day Mermaid eventually engaged Loire, but suffered damage that enabled Loire to escape once again. On 18 October, Loire had the misfortune to encounter the rasée frigate (ex ship-of-the-line) , in company with Kangaroo. As Anson and Loire engaged, Kangaroo closed on Loires unprotected stern, firing as she did so, repeatedly raking the immobile French ship. Loires mizzenmast fell, and by midday she was forced to surrender to a boat from Kangaroo. Kangaroo then assisted Anson by taking possession of Loire.
On 2 July 1799 Phoebe and Kangaroo captured Nancy (aka St Joseph, aka Santa Margaretha). Twenty-two days later, Kangaroo recaptured the brig Triton.
On 22 February 1800 Kangaroo recaptured Minerva, an American ship carrying a cargo of tobacco, that a French privateer had captured as Minerva sailed from Virginia to London. Kangaroo would send Minerva, Tallman, master, into Cork. That same day, Kangaroo captured the French privateer brig Telegraph, which had earlier captured Minerva. Telegraph was quite new, armed with 14 guns of various calibers, and had a crew of 78 men. Telegraph was 20 days out of Saint-Malo and on the 11th had captured the brig Elizabeth, which had been carrying a cargo of fruit. The only British casualty was First Lieutenant Thomas Toulerton, who was injured while aiming a chase gun. Lieutenant Tompson then sailed Telegraph to Cork.
Two days later Kangaroo recaptured the ship Chance, of London, which had been sailing from Martinique when the French privateer Bellegrande had captured her. had captured Bellegrande three days earlier.