Perseverance-class frigate: Difference between revisions

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{{Short description|Frigate class of the Royal Navy}}

{{good article}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2022}}

{|{{Infobox ship begin}}

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| Operators={{navy|United Kingdom}}

| Class before={{sclass|Minerva|frigate|4}}

| Class after={{sclass|Pallas|frigate|4||1791}}

| Cost=

| Built range = 1780–1783, 1801–1811

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|Ship complement= 260, later 270

|Ship armament=

* GundeckGun deck: 26 × 18-pounder guns

* [[Quarterdeck|QD]]: 8 × 9-pounder guns + 4 × 18-pounder [[carronade]]s

* [[Forecastle|Fc]]: 2 × 9-pounder guns + 4 × 18-pounder carronades + 14 × ½{{frac|1|2}}-pounder [[swivel gun]]s

|Ship notes=

}}

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|Ship complement= 260, later 264

|Ship armament=

* GundeckGun deck: 26 × 18-pounder guns

* QD: 2 × 9-pounder guns + 10 × 32-pounder carronades

* Fc: 2 × 9-pounder guns + 2 × 32-pounder carronades

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|}

The '''''Perseverance''-class frigate''' was a 36-gun, later 42-gun, [[18-pounder long gun|18-pounder]] [[fifth-rate]] [[frigate]] class of twelve ships of the [[Royal Navy]], constructed in two batches. Designed by [[Surveyor of the Navy]] [[Edward Hunt (naval architect)|Sir Edward Hunt]] the first iteration, consisting of four ships, was constructed as a rival to the similar [[Flora-class frigate|''Flora''-class]] frigate. Strongly built ships, the ''Perseverance'' class provided favourable gunnery characteristics and was highly manoeuvrable, but bought these traits with a loss of speed. The name ship of the class, [[HMS Perseverance (1781)|''Perseverance'']], was ordered in 1779 and participated in the [[American Revolutionary War]], but her three sister ships were constructed too late to take part. The class continued in service after the war, but soon became outdated.

In 1801 the new [[First Lord of the Admiralty]] Admiral [[John Jervis, 1st Earl of St Vincent|Lord St Vincent]] brought back the ''Perseverance'' class in an attempt to save money and resources in ship construction by producing older and less elaborate designs than those his predecessor [[George Spencer, 2nd Earl Spencer|Lord Spencer]] had built. Five new ''Perseverance''-class frigates were initially ordered in 1801, but one of these was cancelled before construction had begun. A year later two frigates were ordered to be built on contract at [[Bombay Dockyard]], and a final ship of the class was accidentally ordered in 1808. This second iteration of the class retained the earlier gunnery characteristics, but the sailing issues of the old design were not improved on and the ships were very slow when compared to other modern designs.

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The design Hunt came up with was the ''Perseverance''-class frigate.{{sfnp|Winfield|2007|p=972}} This was a slightly shortened equivalent of the ''Minerva'' class.{{sfnp|Winfield|2014|p=126}} The class was very similar in design to the ''Flora'' class despite the intentions for the two to be evaluated against each other, however the ''Perseverance'' design was sharper than ''Flora''.{{sfnp|Winfield|2007|p=972}}{{sfnp|Wareham|1999|p=19}} One of the most noticeable differences between the two classes was that the ''Perseverance'' class had slightly longer rails on their [[quarterdeck]]s.{{sfnp|Gardiner|1992|p=17}} Both thirty-six gun ship classes were built quite heavily and were known to be very robust in their construction, most likely because the designers had erred on the side of caution when drawing up the new ships.{{sfnp|Gardiner|1992|p=20}}

As well as this the ships would go on to be thought of very favourably in combat, because even when victualled for long journeys they provided a large amount of [[freeboard]] with which to keep guns in use. As well as this, the guns themselves were seven feet apart from each other, leavingproviding more operating space than was often found to operate them incommon.{{refn|Despite this the class, along with the other variants designed in the 1780s, were still thought to be too small for their armaments.{{sfnp|Gardiner|1999|p=45}}|group=Note}} These favourable gunnery characteristics came at a cost to the class's speed, however, but they made up for this by retaining a high level of manoeuvrability and were very [[Glossary of nautical terms (M–Z)#weatherly|weatherly]].{{sfnp|Gardiner|1992|p=20}}

====Construction and armament====

The first ship of the class, [[HMS Perseverance (1781)|''Perseverance'']], was ordered on 3 December 1779.{{sfnp|Winfield|2007|p=972}} In response to positive trials of all three designs by Hunt and Williams, more vessels were ordered later in the Revolutionary War to a variety of civilian dockyards. Three further vessels would be built of the ''Perseverance'' class, but in this early stage of war the speed of civilian construction was still slow, with the average length of construction being eighteen months. This meant that only ''Perseverance'' herself was launched in time to see any service in the war the class was built for.{{sfnp|Winfield|2007|p=955}}{{sfnp|Winfield|2007|p=972}}{{sfnp|Gardiner|1992|p=19}} To avoid the creation of jealous tensions between Hunt and Williams, as was often the case when the surveyors designed similar ships, the later ships of the ''Perseverance'' and ''Flora'' classes were ordered in a pattern alternating between the two classes.{{refn|While this was successful and the pattern of construction suggests no favouritism, later opinions would favour the ''Perseverance'' class.{{sfnp|Gardiner|1992|p=20}}|group=Note}}{{sfnp|Gardiner|1992|p=16}} These early classes of 18-pounder frigates were not extensively built after the war because by 1790 the [[Pallas-class frigate (1791)|''Pallas''-class frigate]] had been adopted as the standard design, but because the majority of the class missed the Revolutionary War they were saved from the strenuous services many ships underwent during that conflict, and thus had longer service lives than might have been expected.{{sfnp|Wareham|1999|p=20}}{{sfnp|Gardiner|1992|p=20}}

All ships of the class were constructed to the following dimensions: {{convert|137|ft|m|1}} along the [[gun deck]], {{convert|113|ft|5+1/2|in|m|1}} at the [[keel#structural keels|keel]], with a [[Beam (nautical)|beam]] of {{convert|38|ft|m|1}} and a depth in the [[Hold (compartment)|hold]] of {{convert|13|ft|5|in|m|1}}. They measured 871 {{small|{{Fraction|42|94}}}} [[tons burthen]] and were to have a crew of 260 men.{{refn|While the majority of measurements were adhered to in the construction of the individual ships of the class, no ship succeeded in being 871 {{small|{{Fraction|42|94}}}} tons burthen, with the ships in order of construction weighing 882, 884, 890, and 881 tons burthen respectively.{{sfnp|Gardiner|1992|p=19}}|group=Note}} Initially the armament of the class was set at twenty-six 18-pounders on the gundeck, four 6-pounders on the quarterdeck, and two 6-pounders on the [[forecastle]]. On 30 September 1779 four 18-pound [[carronade]]s were added to the quarterdeck and another four were added to the forecastle in response to the new carronade establishment ordered by the Admiralty.{{sfnp|Winfield|2007|p=972}}{{sfnp|Winfield|2007|p=955}} Also on the forecastle, fourteen ½{{frac|1|2}}-pounder [[swivel gun]]s were added.{{refn|Gardiner records the number of swivel guns added as twelve.{{sfnp|Gardiner|1992|p=19}}|group=Note}}{{sfnp|Winfield|2007|p=972}}

The carronades added in the 1779 establishment were later found to be widely impracticable in the frigates and the majority of them were removed by the end of the Revolutionary War; by July 1782 ''Perseverance'' had only two of her quarterdeck carronades remaining.{{sfnp|Winfield|2007|p=955}}{{sfnp|Gardiner|1992|p=19}} The final armament change for the class came on 25 April 1780 when all the 6-pounders were replaced with 9-pounders.{{sfnp|Winfield|2007|p=972}} At the same time as this the complement of men for the class was increased to 270 to reflect the increased size of much of the weaponry being carried on board.{{sfnp|Gardiner|1992|p=19}} The ships would in later years be classified on paper as 42-gun frigates.{{sfnp|Winfield|2014|p=126}}

===Second iteration===

====Background====

[[File:ORLANDO 1811 RMG J5762.jpg|The 1811 lines of [[HMS Orlando (1811)|''Orlando'']], demonstrating the standard design of the second iteration|thumb]]

In the 1790s the [[First Lord of the Admiralty]], [[George Spencer, 2nd Earl Spencer|Lord Spencer]], moved the Royal Navy away from a policy of building small, cost-efficient vessels that resulted in a large fleet, and instead championed the building of larger and more expensive ships that could help counter French and Spanish ships that had not been designed under similar constraints. By 1800 the majority of British frigates were of a sizesimilar withsize theto shipsthose of other nations, but this new fleet had been very expensive to construct. In February 1801 a new administration brought in a new First Lord, Admiral [[John Jervis, 1st Earl of St Vincent|Lord St Vincent]].{{sfnp|Gardiner|2000|p=9}} With threats of invasion ongoing and peace with France being uncertain, St Vincent was tasked with continuing to build frigates at the same pace as his predecessor, but with far less extravagance and expense.{{sfnp|Gardiner|2000|p=10}}

St Vincent, an experienced sailor, believed that the navy could exist with average but capable ships, with the gap between the force of a British and French frigate being made up by the superior training of British crews. He was of the opinion that the ''Perseverance''-class frigates were of the perfect size for this strategy, with [[HMS Inconstant (1783)|''Inconstant'']] being especially singled out as a model ship, and as such orders were put forth for the class to be revived.{{sfnp|Gardiner|2000|p=10}} The smaller size and consistency in service of the ''Perseverance'' class was what gained it favour with St Vincent; it has been noted that other classes, such as the ''Flora'' class, were faster, and the choice was no compliment to the sailing qualities of the class.{{sfnp|Gardiner|1992|p=85}}{{sfnp|Gardiner|1999|p=48}} This would become the blueprint for future frigate designs and construction, forcing the Royal Navy back to the use of smaller, cheaper, but still capable frigates.{{sfnp|Gardiner|2001|pp=56–57}} While there was little push back against the order, it has since been suggested by the naval historian Robert Gardiner that the whole revival was a false economy that did not assist St Vincent's finances as he had hoped.{{sfnp|Gardiner|2000|p=139}}

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====Construction and armament====

Five vessels were initially ordered to be built in the United Kingdom, starting with the first ship of the revival, [[HMS Tribune (1803)|''Tribune'']].{{sfnp|Winfield|2008|p=376}} The first two vessels were built in civilian dockyards as favours to the loyalties of the owners, but all other ships of the class were built in Royal Dockyards, reflecting St Vincent's distrust of most civilian dockyards.{{sfnp|Gardiner|2000|p=10}} In the following year two more ships of the class were ordered, but these were to be built of [[teak]] in [[Bombay Dockyard]] by contract with the [[East India Company]], and despite requests from the Admiralty for the builders to stay within the designated measurements for the class, these two ships ended up significantly different to the rest of the class, especially in terms of their beam.{{sfnp|Winfield|2008|p=376}}{{sfnp|Gardiner|2000|p=12}} As such Gardiner argues that these should be considered as only half-sisters to the rest of the ''Perseverance'' class.{{sfnp|Gardiner|2000|p=141}} In May 1808 the final ship of the original group of five ordered was completed, and in response to this a final frigate was ordered to be built to the same design,. withThe thisnaval finalhistorian ''Perseverance''-classRif frigate being launched in 1811.{{refn|Winfield suggests that this finalship, orderwhile wascompleted inand factlaunched ain mistake1811, albeitwas itin wentfact aheada despitemistaken thisorder.{{sfnp|Winfield|2014|p=134}}|group=Note}}{{sfnp|Winfield|2008|p=376}}

The second iteration of the ''Perseverance'' class were constructed, apart from the two Bombay ships, to the following dimensions: {{convert|137|ft|m|1}} along the gun deck, {{convert|113|ft|2+1/2|in|m|1}} at the keel, with a beam of {{convert|38|ft|m|1}} and a depth in the hold of {{convert|13|ft|5|in|m|1}}. They were to measure 869 {{small|{{Fraction|50|94}}}} tons burthen, and their crew complement was set slightly lower than the original iteration of the class; at 260, but by 1815 this had been raised to 264.{{sfnp|Winfield|2008|p=376}} The first Bombay ship, [[HMS Salsette (1805)|''Salsette'']], was particularly unique when compared to her sister ships: she measured {{convert|137|ft|m|1}} along the gun deck, {{convert|112|ft|11|in|m|1}} at the keel, with a beam of {{convert|38|ft|9|in|m|1}} and a depth in the hold of {{convert|13|ft|7|in|m|1}}. She weighed 901 {{small|{{Fraction|82|94}}}} tons burthen.{{sfnp|Winfield|2008|p=378}}

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====''Phoenix''====

[[File:TheFrancis engagementSartorius between- H.M.S. frigate Phoenix, 36 guns, andattacking the French Frigatefrigate La Didon, 1044 August 1805guns, by10 ThomasAugust Luny ASH ASHM1805 AN1916CSK 2312016.jpg|[[HMS Phoenix (1783)|''Phoenix'']] (left) in the [[action of 10 August 1805]]|thumb]]

[[HMS Phoenix (1783)|''Phoenix'']] was commissioned by Captain [[John Willett Payne]] in October 1787, but paid off in the following December without having gone to sea. She was then fitted out for sea service, which work was completed on 11 December 1788. While this was being completed ''Phoenix'' had been recommissioned by Captain George A. Byron in October.{{sfnp|Winfield|2007|p=974}} Under him she sailed to the East Indies Station, and on 18 November 1791 she fought and captured the French 32-gun frigate [[French frigate Résolue (1778)|''Résolue'']] in the battle of Tellicherry, despite the two nations not being at war.{{sfnp|Winfield|2007|p=974}}{{sfnp|James|1837a|pp=118–119}} ''Phoenix'' returned home to England in August 1793 and was put in for a large series of repairs at [[Deptford Dockyard]]. These took place between August 1794 and January 1796, with her having been recommissioned under Captain [[Lawrence Halstead]] in the previous October. She then sailed to serve in the [[North Sea Fleet]], where she captured the [[Batavian Republic|Batavian]] 36-gun frigate [[Dutch frigate Argo|''Argo'']] in the [[action of 12 May 1796]].{{sfnp|Winfield|2007|p=974}}{{sfnp|James|1837a|p=327}}{{sfnp|Clowes|1899|p=498}}

In March 1797 ''Phoenix'' was transferred to the Channel Fleet; she captured the French 4-gun privateer ''L'Espiegle'' off [[Waterford]] on 18 May, 1-gun ''Le Brave'' off [[Cape Clear Island]] on 24 April 1798, 20-gun ''La Caroline'' on 31 May, and 20-gun ''Foudroyant'' on 23 January 1799. ''Phoenix'' then sailed to join the [[Mediterranean Fleet]] on 6 May, where she continued her successes. Alongside the [[fireship]] [[HMS Incendiary (1782)|HMS ''Incendiary'']] she captured the French 10-gun privateer ''L'Eole'' off [[Cape Spartel]] on 11 February 1800.{{sfnp|Winfield|2007|p=974}} ''Phoenix'' then took the French 12-gun [[brig]] ''L'Albanaise'' on 3 June while in company with the [[brig-sloop]] [[HMS Port Mahon (1798)|HMS ''Port Mahon'']].{{sfnp|Winfield|2007|p=974}}{{sfnp|Clowes|1899|p=531}} Fourteen days later she captured the French 4-gun ship ''Revanche'', but the [[prize (law)|prize]] capsized the following day.{{sfnp|Winfield|2007|p=974}}

On 2 September 1801 ''Phoenix'', with the frigates [[French frigate Pomone (17871785)|HMS ''Pomone'']] and [[French frigate Minerve (1794)|HMS ''Minerva'']], captured the French 32-gun frigate [[HMS Success (1781)|''Success'']] and destroyed the 36-gun frigate ''La Bravoure'' off [[Livorno|Leghorn]].{{sfnp|Winfield|2007|p=974}}{{sfnp|James|1837b|pp=96–97}} Phoenix was paid off in June 1802 and received a refit between July 1802 and June 1803. She was recommissioned in April of the latter year by Captain [[Thomas Baker (Royal Navy officer)|Thomas Baker]], under whom she captured the French 40-gun frigate [[HMS Didon (1805)|''Didon'']] in the [[action of 10 August 1805]].{{sfnp|Winfield|2007|p=974}} ''Phoenix'' then fought at the [[battle of Cape Ortegal]] on 4 November.{{sfnp|James|1837c|pp=110–114}} Baker was replaced by Captain Zachary Mudge in December, and ''Phoenix'' began serving again in the Channel Fleet. She received a repair at [[Plymouth Dockyard]] between September 1808 and April 1809, having been both paid off and recommissioned in February 1809. ''Phoenix'' then captured the French 14-gun privateer ''Le Charles'' alongside the [[ship-sloop]] [[HMS Jalouse (1809)|HMS ''Jalouse'']] on 29 January 1810, with Mudge then being replaced by Captain James Bowen who sailed the frigate to the East Indies Station on 11 May.{{sfnp|Winfield|2007|p=974}}

Captain William Webley took over from Bowen in 1813, and he in turn handed over to Captain [[Charles Austen]] in September 1814.{{sfnp|Winfield|2007|pp=974–975}} Austen sailed ''Phoenix'' to the Mediterranean, where she was wrecked off [[İzmir]] in a hurricane on 20 February 1816.{{sfnp|Winfield|2007|pp=974–975}}{{sfnp|James|1837d|p=508}} The wreck was burned on 2 March, with the remaining materials sold for $600.{{sfnp|Winfield|2007|pp=974–975}}

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''Inconstant'' was first commissioned in August 1790 by Captain [[George Wilson (Royal Navy officer)|George Wilson]], but was paid off with the end of the [[Spanish Armament]] in September 1791. She then received a refit at [[Woolwich Dockyard]] between January and February 1793, and was recommissioned under Captain Augustus Montgomery to join Admiral [[Richard Howe, 1st Earl Howe|Lord Howe's]] Channel Fleet. In April ''Inconstant'' was sent to the [[West Indies Station]], where she captured the French 14-gun ship ''Le Curieux'' on 3 June. The frigate was then sent home in July, joining the Mediterranean Fleet on 21 November.{{sfnp|Winfield|2007|p=975}} As such she was present at the [[Siege of Toulon (1793)|siege of Toulon]].{{sfnp|Winfield|2007|p=975}}{{sfnp|Clowes|1899|p=203}} In the following year Captain [[Sir George Cockburn, 10th Baronet|George Cockburn]] assumed temporary command of ''Inconstant'', before being replaced by Captain [[Thomas Fremantle (Royal Navy officer)|Thomas Fremantle]] in January 1795.{{sfnp|Winfield|2007|p=975}} In a prelude to the [[Battle of Genoa (1795)|battle of Genoa]] the frigate then skirmished with the French 80-gun ship of the line [[French ship Ça Ira (1781)|''Ça Ira'']] off [[Genoa]] on 10 March.{{sfnp|James|1837a|p=257}}{{sfnp|Clowes|1899|p=270}} She recaptured the 14-gun brig [[HMS Speedy (1782)|HMS ''Speedy'']] fifteen days later, before joining a squadron under the command of Captain [[Horatio Nelson]] in August.{{sfnp|Winfield|2007|p=975}}

''Inconstant'' captured the French 24-gun corvette [[HMS Surprise (1796)|Unité]] at [[AnnabaBona, Algeria|BomaBona]] on 20 April 1796, and then assisted with the evacuation of Leghorn on 26 June.{{sfnp|Winfield|2007|pp=975–976}}{{sfnp|James|1837a|p=310}} She was paid off in September of the following year, and was fitted as a 20-gun [[troopship]] at Woolwich between March and June 1798. Recommissioned in April by Commander Milham Ponsonby, ''Inconstant'' was paid off again in October 1799. She received another refit at Woolwich between October 1799 and March 1800, having also been re-armed with sixteen 9-pounders and four 6-pounders.{{sfnp|Winfield|2007|pp=975–976}} Under Commander John Ayscough ''Inconstant'' initially served in the [[North Sea]], before moving to participate in [[Monarchism in France|French Royalist]] operations in [[Quiberon Bay]] in June 1800.{{sfnp|Winfield|2007|pp=975–976}}{{sfnp|Clowes|1899|p=415}} The ship then supported the British [[French campaign in Egypt and Syria|Egypt campaign]] in 1801, before coming under the command of Captain [[Richard Byron (Royal Navy officer)|Richard Byron]] in October 1802. Byron was replaced by Captain [[Edward Stirling Dickson|Edward Dickson]] in December, under whom ''Inconstant'' recaptured [[Gorée]] on 7 March 1804.{{sfnp|Winfield|2007|pp=975–976}}{{sfnp|Clowes|1900|p=84}}

''Inconstant'' was refitted as a frigate again at Portsmouth between December 1805 and February 1806, still under Dickson. Between 1806 and 1808 she served as the [[flagship]] to Vice-Admiral [[James Saumarez, 1st Baron de Saumarez|Sir James Saumarez]] in the [[Channel Islands]], before being refitted again at Portsmouth between September 1808 and October 1809. In this ''Inconstant''{{'}}s quarterdeck armament was changed to twelve 32-pounder carronades. She sailed to the [[Cape of Good Hope Station]] on 27 December and was paid off in 1810. Having been refitted again at Portsmouth between September and December of that year, ''Inconstant'' was recommissioned in October by Captain [[John Quilliam]] to serve in the North Sea. Captain [[Edward Owen (Royal Navy officer)|Edward Owen]] replaced Quilliam in December, commanding the ship until some time in 1812. Captain [[Edward Tucker (Royal Navy officer)|Sir Edward Tucker]] took command of ''Inconstant'' in March 1814 and sailed her to South America. Captain [[James Lucas Yeo|Sir James Yeo]] took command in August 1815, and the ship was broken up at Portsmouth in November 1817.{{sfnp|Winfield|2007|p=976}}

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====''Shannon''====

[[File:No.3 Shannon wreckon shore near Cape Barfleur Dec 17 Brenton1803.jpg|[[HMS Shannon (1803)|''Shannon'']] grounded in 1803|thumb]]

[[HMS Shannon (1803)|''Shannon'']] was originally ordered under the name ''Pallas'', but was renamed in November 1802 and commissioned in July 1803 by Captain [[Edward Leveson-Gower]]. The frigate was sent to serve on the blockade of [[Le Havre]].{{sfnp|Winfield|2008|p=377}} While doing so she was driven onto rocks underneath the [[gun battery|gun batteries]] of [[La Hogue]] in a storm on 10 December, where she was captured by French soldiers with the loss of three crewmen. The wreck was burned by the sloop [[HMS Merlin (1803)|HMS ''Merlin'']] on 16 December.{{sfnp|Winfield|2008|p=377}}{{sfnp|Grocott|2002|p=162}}{{sfnp|James|1837b|p=206}}

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* {{cite book |last=Clowes|first=William Laird|author-link=William Laird Clowes|year=1899|title=The Royal Navy, a History from the Earliest Times to the Present|volume=4|___location=London|publisher=Sampson Low, Marston and Company}}

* {{cite book |last=Clowes|first=William Laird|year=1900|title=The Royal Navy, a History from the Earliest Times to the Present|volume=5|___location=London|publisher=Sampton Low, Marston and Company}}

* {{cite book |last=Gardiner|first=Robert|year=2000|title=Frigates of the Napoleonic Wars|___location=London|publisher=Chatham|isbn=1 -86176 -135 -X}}

* {{cite book |last=Gardiner|first=Robert|year=2001|title=Fleet Battle and Blockade|chapter=Ships of the Royal Navy: the 18pdr frigate|editor=Robert Gardiner|publisher=Caxton Editions|isbn=184067 -363X}}

* {{cite book |last=Gardiner|first=Robert|year=1992|title=The Heavy Frigate: Eighteen-Pounder Frigates|volume=1|___location=London|publisher=Conway Maritime Press|isbn=0 -85177 -627 -2}}

* {{cite book |last=Gardiner|first=Robert|year=1999|title=Warships of the Napoleonic Era|___location=London|publisher=Chatham|isbn=1-86176-117-1}}

* {{cite book |last=Grocott|first=Terence|year=2002|title=Shipwrecks of the Revolutionary & Napoleonic Eras|publisher=Caxton Editions|isbn=1-84067-164-5}}

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{{Perseverance class frigate}}

[[Category:Perseverance-class frigates| ]]

[[Category:Fifth-rate frigates of the Royal Navy]]

[[Category:Ship classes of the Royal Navy]]