HMS Amphitrite (1778)
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| Career (UK) |  |
|---|---|
| Name: | HMS Amphitrite |
| Ordered: | 8 January 1777 |
| Builder: | Deptford Dockyard |
| Laid down: | 2 July 1777 |
| Launched: | 28 May 1778 |
| Completed: | 22 July 1778 |
| Commissioned: | May 1778 |
| Fate: | Wrecked on 30 January 1794 |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type: | 24-gun Porcupine-class sixth-rate post ship |
| Tons burthen: | 513.6 tons |
| Length: |
114 ft 3 in (34.82 m) (gundeck) 94 ft 3.5 in (28.740 m) (keel) |
| Beam: | 32 ft (9.8 m) |
| Draught: | 7 ft 10 in (2.39 m) |
| Depth of hold: | 10 ft 3 in (3.12 m) |
| Sail plan: | Full-rigged ship |
| Complement: | 160 |
| Armament: |
Rated at 24 guns:
|
HMS Amphitrite was a 24-gun Porcupine-class sixth-rate post ship of the Royal Navy.
Construction and commissioning
Amphitrite was ordered on 8 January 1777 from Deptford Dockyard, and laid down there on 2 July 1777. She was built under the supervision of Master Shipwright Adam Hayes, and was launched on 28 May 1778. She was commissioned into navy service on 22 July 1778, having cost a total of £12,737.6.6d to build, including the cost of fitting out and coppering.
Career
She was commissioned in May 1778 under the command of Captain Thomas Gaborian. She initially operated as part of the squadron off the Downs, but in 1780 Amphitrite passed under the command of Captain Robert Biggs, under whom she sailed to North America in May that year. On her arrival she joined Graves's squadron and was present at the capture of the Bellisarius on 4 August 1781. On her cruises Amphitrite captured a number of privateers, including the Agneau in the North Sea on 18 September 1781, the Experiment and the Revenge also on 18 September, the Franklin on 3 April 1782 and the Fair American on 3 May 1782. She also helped in the recapture of HMS Atalanta on 7 July 1781.
After the end of the American War of Independence Amphitrite returned to Britain and was paid off in January 1784. She underwent a small repair between 1783 and 1784, followed by a larger one between 1790 and 1793, after which she was fitted out at Woolwich. She was recommissioned in April 1793 with the outbreak of the French Revolutionary Wars, under Captain John Child Purvis. She came under the command of Captain James Dickinson in April 1794, and then Captain Anthony Hunt the following month. Hunt sailed her to the Mediterranean where she was on the Toulon station with Vice Admiral Hood.
Fate
On 30 January 1794 Amphitrite was wrecked after striking an uncharted submerged rock whilst entering Leghorn harbour. A court martial on 3 February acquitted Hunt of blame.
References
- Colledge, J. J.; Warlow, Ben (2006) [1969]. Ships of the Royal Navy: the complete record of all fighting ships of the Royal Navy (Rev. ed.). London: Chatham. ISBN 9781861762818. OCLC 67375475.
- Winfield, Rif, British Warships of the Age of Sail 1714–1792: Design, Construction, Careers and Fates, Seaforth Publishing, 2007, ISBN 1-86176-295-X
