HMS Coventry (1658)

Career (England)
Name:	Coventry
Acquired:	1658
Fate:	Captured in 1666
General characteristics
Tons burthen:	191 tons
Propulsion:	Sails
Sail plan:	Full rigged ship
Armament:	28 guns

For other ships of the same name, see HMS Coventry.

HMS Coventry was a 28-gun ship of the early Royal Navy. She was originally the Spanish ship San Miguel. She was captured in 1658, but was in turn taken by the French in 1666. She was the first of six ships of the Royal Navy to bear the name Coventry.

The Royal Navy frigates HMS Constant Warwick and HMS Adventure set sail from Plymouth on 17 February 1658 and put in to St Mary's, Isles of Scilly for a few days. When the Spanish ship San Miguel was sighted they were quickly disguised as merchant ships, but the Spanish fled. The Royal Navy ships chased the Spanish ship and when the wind changed the Spanish ship fired at the Adventure, which had to give up the chase. Next day the Constant Warwick had caught up and after a five-hour battle captured the Spanish ship. The San Miguel was refitted and renamed Coventry. She served for a further eight years before being captured by the French and renamed Armes d'Angleterre.

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.