| History | |
|---|---|
.svg){kind=small} Great Britain | |
| Name | HMS Pallas |
| Ordered | 13 July 1756 |
| Builder | William Wells, Deptford |
| Laid down | July 1756 |
| Launched | 30 August 1757 |
| Completed | 8 October 1757 at Deptford Dockyard |
| Commissioned | August 1757 |
| Fate | Run ashore in the Azores to avoid foundering, 12 February 1783, and burnt 12 days later. |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type | Venus-class fifth-rate frigate |
| Tons burthen | 728 73⁄94 bm |
| Length |
|
| Beam | 35 ft 10.75 in (10.9411 m) |
| Depth of hold | 12 ft 4.5 in (3.772 m) |
| Sail plan | Full-rigged ship |
| Complement | 240 officers and men |
| Armament |
|
HMS Pallas was a 36-gun Venus-class fifth-rate frigate of the Royal Navy.
Designed in 1756 and launched the following year, she was one of the first Royal Navy vessels to be built to a classic frigate design with a single gun deck and an emphasis on speed. Her principal focus was as a hunter of French privateers, capturing XXXX such vessels and sinking XXXX more during her six years at sea.
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Pallas has been described as one of "the best British fighting cruisers" of her day. However she remained slightly inferior to her French equivalents in both speed and weight of ordinance, and was one of only three vessels built to the Venus-class design.
Construction edit
The Venus class of 36-gun frigates were designed by Thomas Slade, the Surveyor of the Navy and former Master Shipwright at Deptford Dockyard. Alongside their smaller cousin, the 32-gun Southampton class, the Venus-class represented an experiment in ship design; fast, medium-sized and heavily-armed, capable of overhauling smaller craft and singlehandedly engaging enemy cruisers or large privateers.[1] As a further innovation, Slade borrowed from contemporary French ship design by removing the lower deck gun ports and locating the ship's cannons solely on the upper deck. This permitted the carrying of heavier ordinance without a substantial increase in hull size which would have been required to keep the lower gun ports consistently above the waterline.[2] The lower deck was instead used for additional stores, enabling Venus-class frigates to remain at sea for longer periods without resupply.[3]
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Armament edit
Pallas' principal armament was 26 iron-cast twelve-pound cannons, located along her upper deck. The guns were constructed with shorter barrels as traditional twelve-pound cannons were too long to fit within the frigate's narrow beam.[4] Each cannon weighed 28.5 long cwt (3,200 lb or 1,400 kg)[5] with a gun barrel length of 7 feet 6 inches (2.29 m) compared with their 8 feet 6 inches (2.59 m) equivalent in larger Royal Navy vessels.[4]
The twelve-pound cannons were supported by ten six-pounder guns, eight on the quarterdeck and two on the forecastle, each weighing 16.5 long cwt (1,800 lb or 800 kg) with a barrel length of 6 feet (1.8 m).[6] Taken together, the twelve-pound and six-pound cannons provided a broadside weight of 189 pounds (86 kg).[7] She was also equipped with twelve 1⁄2-pound swivel guns for anti-personnel use.[8] These swivel guns were mounted in fixed positions on the quarterdeck and forecastle.[4]
Active service edit
SEVEN YEARS WAR edit
Commissioned August 1757 Capt Archibald Clevland took privateer Le Hasard 2 November 1757 Took part in St malo, Cherbourg and St Cas raids June - Sept 1758 Capt Michael Clements from ?June 1759 to 1764 Blockade of Brest from June 1759 under Hawke (overall) and Hervey (inshore). In October 1759, in company with Montagu and Monmouth - engaged four French vessels seeking to escape blockade (one grounded). On Hervey's orders, with M & M engaged forts for 90 minutes to try drawing out frenhc fleet. (ROBSON129) Battle of Bishops Court 28 Feb 1760 Sailed for medit 19 June 1760-1762 Attempted engage with 74-gun Le Diademe 1760 took privateer La Revanche 23 June 1762 paid off Jan 1764.
PEACE edit
Surveyed June 1764 but no repairs. Large repair and Portsmouth refit Feb - Dec 1770 Recommissioned Oct 1770 Capt John LaForey. Falkland Islands Dispute 1771 Capt George Watson. Medit from 7 May 1771 1773 Capt. James Alms, fitted for overseas service at Portsmouth in May 1773 but paid off in June
REVOLUTIONARY WARS edit
Pallas was finally recommissioned in September 1774 under Captain William Cornwallis.(Winfield) Cornwallis had been ashore on half pay for many years, and had repeatedly written to Admiralty to request a return to active service. In October 1773 Lord Sandwich had assured Cornwallis of his "share of the little employment there is to give in time of Peace." Cornwallis' appointment to Pallas eleven months later was the outcome of Sandwich's efforts on his behalf.(Bray 34)
Sept 1774 Capt William Cornwallis, sailed for African coast 12 Dec 1774 - 16 Nov 1775.
1777 under capt Rowland Cotton, sailed with African trade 1 March 1777.
Middling Portsmouth repair Jan-May 1778. In 1778 Capt Richard King, sailed for Newfoundland 25 may 1778. At St Pierre & Miquelon 14 Sept 1778
October 1778 Capt. Thomas Spry (til 1781)
Coppered and refit at Plymouth March-May 1779
Sailed for Jamaica June 1779
took Spanish 22-gun Diana 11 November 1780
1782 Capt. Christopher Parker, sailed for England 25 July 1782. Departed Halifax as convoy escort but increasing leaks, run aground on Azores 12 Feb 1783 and burned 24 Feb 1783
Legacy edit
References edit
- ^ Clowes 1898, p. 7
- ^ Winfield 2007, pp. 189-191
- ^ Lyon 1993, p. 62
- ^ a b c Gardiner 1992, p.81
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
Winfieldwas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Winfield 2007, p.189
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
brilliantwas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Cite error: The named reference
Winfield191was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
- Robert Gardiner, The First Frigates, Conway Maritime Press, London 1992. ISBN 0-85177-601-9.
- David Lyon, The Sailing Navy List, Conway Maritime Press, London 1993. ISBN 0-85177-617-5.
- Rif Winfield, British Warships in the Age of Sail, 1714 to 1792, Seaforth Publishing, London 2007. ISBN 978-1-84415-700-6.