HMS Frolic (1806)
| 300px USS Wasp boarding HMS Frolic, attributed to Thomas Birch, ca. 1815, from the Peabody Essex Museum | |
| Career (UK) |  |
|---|---|
| Name: | HMS Frolic |
| Builder: | Boole, Bridport |
| Launched: | 9 February 1806 |
| Out of service: | Broken up in November 1813 |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type: | 18-gun Cruizer-class brig-sloop |
| Tons burthen: | 384 bm |
| Length: |
100 ft (30 m) (overall) 77 ft 3.5 in (23.559 m) (keel) |
| Beam: | 30 ft 6 in (9.30 m) |
| Depth of hold: | 12 ft 9 in (3.89 m) |
| Propulsion: | Sails |
| Sail plan: | Brig-sloop |
| Complement: | 121 |
| Armament: |
|
HMS Frolic was a 18-gun Cruizer-class brig-sloop of the Royal Navy. She was built by Boole, of Bridport and was launched on 9 February 1806. In 1812 the American sloop USS Wasp captured her after a fierce fight, but later that day the British recaptured Frolic and captured Wasp. Frolic was broken up in 1813.
Contents
Caribbean
Frolic, under Commander Thomas Whinyates, participated in the Invasion of Martinique in February 1809.[1]
On 14 June 1810, Frolic arrived at Sombrero Island in the West Indies. A party from the vessel searched the island to assess the survival prospects (poor) for someone landed at this place without food and water. Captain Warwick Lake of HMS Recruit had marooned an impressed seaman, Robert Jeffrey, there on 13 December 1807, and was now the subject of an Admiralty investigation.
Frolic vs. Wasp
In October 1812 the Frolic was serving on the North American station, protecting a convoy of six merchantmen off Virginia. On a passage from the Bay of Honduras, Frolic became separated from her convoy in a gale that carried away her main top yard and sprung her main top mast.[2]
On 18 October, a strange sail was spotted. It turned out to be the USS Wasp, of 18 guns, commanded by Jacob Jones. The ships closed, and within 40 minutes the Wasp had repeatedly raked the Frolic, killing 15 and wounding 43 out of the 120 seamen and boys aboard, including the commander. The Americans boarded the Frolic and all resistance stopped. The Americans had 5 killed and 5 wounded.
The Frolic was only temporarily in American hands. Later in the day the British 74-gun HMS Poictiers captured both ships.[2]
Fate
Frolic was recommissioned later in October under Lieut. Andrew Mitchell (acting).[1] His commission as commander was confirmed on 24 August 1813.
Frolic continued in service until being broken up at Portsmouth in November 1813.[1]
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.
- Gossett, William Patrick (1986) The lost ships of the Royal Navy, 1793-1900. (London:Mansell). ISBN 0-7201-1816-6
- Age Of Fighting Sail, book
