HMS Swiftsure (1750) (original) (raw)
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Ship of the line of the Royal Navy
For other ships with the same name, see HMS Swiftsure.
 Swiftsure |
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| History | |
 Great Britain |
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| Name | HMS Swiftsure |
| Ordered | 31 August 1745 |
| Builder | John Hollond, Deptford Dockyard |
| Laid down | 26 January 1747 |
| Launched | 25 May 1750 |
| Commissioned | 27 July 1750 |
| In service | 1755–1763 |
| Out of service | 1763–1773 |
| Fate | Sold, 2 June 1773 |
| General characteristics [1] | |
| Class and type | 1745 Establishment 70-gun third rate ship of the line |
| Tons burthen | 142642⁄94(bm) |
| Length | 160 ft (48.8 m) (gundeck) 131 ft 4 in (40.0 m) (keel) |
| Beam | 45 ft 2 in (13.8 m) |
| Depth of hold | 19 ft 4 in (5.9 m) |
| Propulsion | Sails |
| Sail plan | Full-rigged ship |
| Complement | 520 |
| Armament | 70 guns: Gundeck: 26 × 32 pdrs Upper gundeck: 28 × 18 pdrs Quarterdeck: 12 × 9 pdrs Forecastle: 4 × 9 pdrs |
HMS Swiftsure was a 70-gun third-rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy, launched in 1755 and in active service during the Seven Years' War. After a distinguished career at sea she was decommissioned in 1763 and sold into private hands ten years later.
Swiftsure was built at Deptford Dockyard to the specifications of the 1745 Establishment, and launched on 25 May 1750.[1]
Battle of Cartagena, where Swiftsure was in action against Foudroyant
Swiftsure was commissioned into the Royal Navy in August 1755, under Captain Augustus Keppel. In 1756 her command was transferred to Captain Matthew Buckle, and she was assigned first to the fleet under Admiral Henry Osborn, and then to that of Edward Boscawen. In company with HMS Monmouth she engaged and captured the French ship of the line Foudroyant in 1758, and towed her to join the fleet of Admiral Osborn at Cartagena.[2]
In 1759 she was again with Admiral Boscawen at Lagos, and at Quiberon Bay later that year, and at the capture of Belle Île in 1761.[3]
She was sold on 2 June 1773.[3]
- ^ a b Lavery, Ships of the Line Vol. 1, p. 173.
- ^ Famous Fighters of the Fleet, Edward Fraser, 1904 p.33
- ^ a b Winfield 2007, p. 54
- 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 Publishing. ISBN 978-1-86176-281-8.
- 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.
- Winfield, Rif (2007). British Warships of the Age of Sail 1714–1792: Design, Construction, Careers and Fates. Seaforth. ISBN 9781844157006.