HMS Revenge (1805)

	HMS Revenge at Gosport
History
United Kingdom
Name	HMS Revenge
Ordered	29 September 1796
Builder	Chatham Dockyard
Laid down	August 1800
Launched	13 April 1805
Honours and; awards	Participated in: Battle of Trafalgar
Fate	Broken up, 1849
General characteristics
Class and type	74-gun third-rate ship of the line
Tons burthen	1954 (bm)
Length	181 ft 11 in (55.4 m) (gundeck)
Beam	49 ft 2 in (15.0 m)
Depth of hold	20 ft 9 in (6.3 m)
Propulsion	Sails
Sail plan	Full-rigged ship
Armament	Gundeck: 28 × 32-pounder guns; Upper gundeck: 30 × 24-pounder guns; QD: 12 × 9-pounder guns; Fc: 4 × 9-pounder guns;

HMS Revenge was a 74-gun third-rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy, launched on 13 April 1805. Sir John Henslow designed her as one of the large class 74s; she was the only ship built to her draught. As a large 74, she carried 24-pounder guns on her upper gun deck, rather than the 18-pounder guns found on the middling and common class 74s.^[1]

Career

Newly commissioned, and captained by Robert Moorsom, she fought at the Battle of Trafalgar, where she sailed in Collingwood's column. Revenge was engaged at the Battle of Basque Roads in April 1809 under Captain Alexander Robert Kerr.

In October 1810, Revenge captured the French privateer cutter Vauteur off Cherbourg after a five-hour chase. Vauteur had been armed with 16 guns, but she threw 14 of them overboard during the chase. She had been out of Dieppe for 45 hours but had made no captures. She was the former British cutter John Bull, of Plymouth, and was restored to Plymouth on 19 October.^[2] The report in Lloyd's List announcing this news appears to have confused names. Vauteur appears to have been Vengeur. There is no account of Revenge capturing a Vauteur, but on 17 October, Revenge captured the French privateer lugger Vengeur, off Cherbourg. The lugger crossed to windward of Revenge before daylight, and Revenge gave chase, finally capturing her quarry after three hours. Vengeur was armed with 16 guns and had a crew of 78 men. She was one day out of Dieppe and had not taken any prizes.^[3]

On 6 November, Donegal captured the privateer Surcouf. Revenge, Donegal, and the hired armed lugger Sandwich would share in the prize money for Vengeur and Surcouf.^[4]^[5]

On 13 November 1810, the frigates Diana and Niobe attacked two French frigates (Elisa and Amazone), which sought protection under the shore batteries near Saint-Vaast-la-Hougue. Revenge and Donegal arrived two days later and together the four ships fired upon the French for as long as the tide would allow. The operation cost Donegal three men wounded. Élisa was driven ashore and ultimately destroyed as a result of this action; Amazone escaped safely into Le Havre.

She took part in the 1840 Syria operations as part of the Mediterranean fleet, under Capt. Waldegrave and was present in the attack on Acre.

Fate

Revenge served until 1842, being broken up in 1849.^[1] She was one of the first warships of the Royal Navy to be painted with the Nelson Checker.^{[citation needed]}

Notes

^ ^a ^b ^c Lavery, Ships of the Line, vol. 1, p. 184.
^ Lloyd's List, 23 October 1810.[1] - accessed 10 November 2013.
^ "No. 16415". The London Gazette. 16 October 1810. p. 1638.
^ "No. 16481". The London Gazette. 30 April 1811. p. 803.
^ "No. 16487". The London Gazette. 21 May 1811. p. 943.

References

Lavery, Brian (2003) The Ship of the Line - Volume 1: The development of the battlefleet 1650-1850. Conway Maritime Press. ISBN 0-85177-252-8.

External links

Media related to HMS Revenge (1805) at Wikimedia Commons
Summary of Revenge's end. (Possibly fiction)

[Lavery,_SoLv1_p184-1] Lavery, Ships of the Line, vol. 1, p. 184.

[2] Lloyd's List, 23 October 1810.[1] - accessed 10 November 2013.

[3] "No. 16415". The London Gazette. 16 October 1810. p. 1638.

[4] "No. 16481". The London Gazette. 30 April 1811. p. 803.

[5] "No. 16487". The London Gazette. 21 May 1811. p. 943.

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