The Cuckoo class was a class of twelve 4-gun schooners of the Royal Navy, built by contract in English shipyards during the Napoleonic War. They followed the design of the Bermuda-designed and built Ballahoo-class schooners, and more particularly, that of Haddock. The Admiralty ordered all twelve vessels on 11 December 1805. A number of different builders in different yards built them, with all launching in 1806.

Quick Facts Class overview, General characteristics ...

A plan showing body plan with stern board outline, sheer lines with inboard detail, and longitudinal half-breadth of HMS Haddock, as taken off in October 1805 and modified on her refit. This plan was used for the subsequent Cuckoo-class schooners. National Maritime Museum, Greenwich
Class overview
Name	Cuckoo (or Bird) class
Operators	Royal Navy
Preceded by	Ballahoo (or Fish) class
Succeeded by	Cheerful class
Planned	12
Completed	12
Lost	9
Retired	3
General characteristics [1]
Tons burthen	75+1⁄94 (bm)
Length	Overall:56 ft 2 in (17.12 m) Keel:42 ft 4+1⁄8 in (12.906 m)
Beam	18 ft 3 in (5.56 m)
Depth of hold	8 ft 6 in (2.59 m)
Sail plan	Schooner
Complement	20
Armament	4 × 12-pounder carronades (pierced for 10)

Close

Nine of the twelve vessels were lost or disposed of during the war, the survivors being sold in 1816. Enemy forces took four, of which the British were able to retake two. Seven wrecked or foundered with a loss of about 22 crew members in all.

William James wrote scathingly of the Cuckoo and Ballahoo-class schooners, pointing out the high rate of loss, primarily to wrecking or foundering, but also to enemy action.^[2] He reports that they were "sent to 'take, burn, and destroy' the vessels of war and merchantmen of the enemy". The record suggests that none seem to have done so successfully. In the only two (arguably three) cases when they did engage enemy vessels, in each case the enemy force was much stronger and the Cuckoo-class vessels were overwhelmed.

James also remarks that:

Their very appearance as "men of war" raised a laugh at the expense of the projector. Many officers refused to take the command of them. Others gave a decided preference to some vessels built at the same yard, to be employed as water-tanks at Jamaica. Moreover, when sent forth to cruise against the enemies of England...these "king's schooners" were found to sail wretchedly, and proved so crank and unseaworthy, that almost every one of them that escaped capture went to the bottom with the unfortunate men on board.^[3]