View source for HMS Amphitrite (1778)

{{other ships|HMS Amphitrite}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2017}}
{{Use British English|date=September 2017}}
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|Ship country=Great Britain
|Ship flag=[[File:Naval Ensign of Great Britain (1707-1800).svg|60px|Royal Navy Ensign]]
|Ship name=HMS ''Amphitrite''
|Ship ordered=8 January 1777
|Ship builder=[[Deptford Dockyard]]
|Ship laid down=2 July 1777
|Ship launched=28 May 1778
|Ship acquired=
|Ship completed=22 July 1778
|Ship commissioned=May 1778
|Ship in service=
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|Ship fate=Wrecked on 30 January 1794
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{{Infobox ship characteristics
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|Header caption={{sfnp|Winfield|2008|p=229}}
|Ship class=24-gun {{sclass|Porcupine|post ship|0}} [[sixth-rate]] [[post ship]]
|Ship tons burthen=513{{small|{{frac|55|94}}}} ([[Builder's Old Measurement|bm]])
|Ship length=*{{convert|114|ft|3|in|m|1|abbr=on}} (gundeck)
*{{convert|94|ft|3+1/2|in|m|1|abbr=on}} (keel)
|Ship beam={{convert|32|ft|m|1|abbr=on}}
|Ship draught={{convert|7|ft|10|in|m|1|abbr=on}}
|Ship hold depth={{convert|10|ft|3|in|m|1|abbr=on}}
|Ship sail plan=[[Full-rigged ship]]
|Ship complement=160
|Ship armament=*Upper deck: 22 × 9-pounder guns
*[[Quarter deck|QD]]: 2 × 6-pounder guns
|Ship notes=
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'''HMS ''Amphitrite''''' was a 24-gun {{sclass|Porcupine|post ship|0}} [[sixth-rate]] [[post ship]] of the [[Royal Navy]]. She served during the [[American Revolution]] primarily in the economic war. On the one hand she protected the trade by capturing or assisting at the capture of a number of [[privateer]]s, some of which the Royal Navy then took into service. On the other hand, she also captured many American merchant vessels, most of them small. ''Amphitrite'' was wrecked early in 1794.
==Construction and commissioning==
''Amphitrite'' was ordered on 8 January 1777 from [[Deptford Dockyard]], and [[Keel laying|laid down]] there on 2 July 1777. She was built under the supervision of Master Shipwright Adam Hayes, and was [[Ceremonial ship launching|launched]] on 28 May 1778. She was [[Ship commissioning|commissioned]] into navy service on 22 July 1778, having cost a total of £12,737.6.6d to build, including the cost of fitting out and coppering.
==Career==
She was commissioned in May 1778 under the command of Captain Thomas Gaborian. She initially operated as part of the squadron off [[The Downs (ship anchorage)|the Downs]]. There she captured the French privateer ''Agneau'' on 15 August.<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=12032|page=4|date=16 November 1779}}</ref> ''Amphitrite'' shared with the sloop {{HMS|Fairy|1778|2}}, and the cutters {{HMS|Griffin|1778|2}}, {{HMS|Flying Fish|1778|2}}, {{HMS|Sprightly|1778|2}}, and {{HMS|Wells|1764|2}}, in the capture on 24 May of the French privateers ''Dunkerque'' and ''Prince de Robcq'', which had "eight ransomers" aboard.<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=12070|page=5|date=16 November 1779}}</ref> Then on 6 July ''Amphitrite'' and the cutter {{HMS|Rambler|1778|2}} captured the shallop ''Samuel and Elizabeth''.
In 1780 ''Amphitrite'' passed under the command of Captain Robert Biggs.  She was among the vessels sharing in the proceeds of the capture in January 1780 of the brig ''Kitty'' and the ship ''Jolly Tar''.<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=12634|page=162|date=29 March 1785}}</ref>{{efn|The date of January 1780 is almost certainly a mistake, with January perhaps more correctly reading June or July. The other vessels mentioned in the item were on the North America station, and ''Amphitrite'' had not sailed there yet. Furthermore, [[USS Boston (1777)|''Charles Town'']] did not come into British hands until May.}} Biggs sailed ''Amphitrite'' to North America in May that year. On her arrival she joined [[Thomas Graves, 1st Baron Graves|Graves's]] squadron.
In June 1781 Admiral [[Mariot Arbuthnot]] sent ''Amphitrite'' and several other vessels to attempt to intercept some French reinforcements from entering Boston.<ref name=LG12212>{{London Gazette|issue=12212|page=4|date=31 July 1781}}</ref>
On 30 June ''Amphitrite'' captured the brig ''Adventure''.<ref name=LG12227/> One month later, on 30 July, {{HMS|Medea|1778|2}}, ''Amphitrite'', and the armed ship ''General Monk'' shared in the capture of the schooner ''Neptune''.<ref name=LG12227/> The squadron that Arbuthnot sent to Boston recaptured {{HMS|Atalanta|1775|6}} on 7 July.<ref name=LG12212/>
On 7 September 1781 ''Medea'' captured ''Belisarius'', "a fast sailing frigate of 26 guns and 147 men, belonging to Salem". ''Medea'' captured her off the [[Delaware River]]. ''Amphitrite'' and {{HMS|Savage|1778|2}} shared in the capture.<ref name=LG12227>{{London Gazette|issue=12227|page=1|date=22 September 1781}}</ref> The Royal Navy took her into service as the [[sixth rate]] {{HMS|Bellisarius|1781|2}}, but then sold her in 1783, after the end of the war.
On 10 September Admiral Graves received two letters from Biggs dated 10 September, at Boston. Biggs mentioned that together with the armed ship ''General Monk'', ''Amphitrite'' had captured four prizes. Then on 4 September she had encountered a French ship of the line and a frigate off [[Cape Ann]], but had escaped them. Lastly, Biggs reported that on 2 September {{HMS|Chatham|1758|2}} had captured the {{ship|French frigate|Magicienne|1778|6}} on 2 September off [[Cape Ann]]. Biggs reported that the French lost 60 men killed and 40 wounded; the British lost one man killed and one man wounded.<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=12239|page=4|date=3 November 1781}}</ref>
Between 20 August and 31 October ''Amphitrite'' made a number of captures:
* ''Experiment'', privateer of 300 tons, 20 men and 22 guns;
* ''Endeavour'', of 70 tons, eight men, carrying beef, port, etc.;
* ''Union'', of 100 tons, nine men, carrying beef, port, etc.;
* ''St. John'', of 90 90 tons, 10 men, carrying plank;
* ''Minerva'', of 95 tons, 10 men, carrying tobacco;
* ''Dolphin'' of 100 tons, 11 men, carrying plank;
* ''Nero'', carrying tobacco; and lastly,
* ''Revenge'' privateer, of 40  tons, 30 men, and eight guns.<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=12279|page=1|date=16 March 1782}}</ref>
''Amphitrite'' may have come under the command of Captain Robert George temporarily in November 1781.<ref name="NMM-WH-379837">{{cite web|url=http://www.nmm.ac.uk/upload/pdf/Warship_Histories_Vessels_v.pdf|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110802041628/http://www.nmm.ac.uk/upload/pdf/Warship_Histories_Vessels_v.pdf|url-status=dead|archive-date=2 August 2011|title=NMM, vessel ID 379837|work=Warship Histories, vol v|publisher=[[National Maritime Museum]]|access-date=30 July 2011}}</ref>{{efn|This could be a mistake, confusing both the name, "Robert George" for "Rupert George", and the time.}}
Between 11 November and 23 March 1782, ''Amphitrite'' took three vessels: the schooner ''Betsey'' (12 January), and the brigs ''Sally'' (13 February) and ''Peggy'' (20 February).<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=12290|pages=2–3|date=23 April 1782}}</ref> ''Amphitrite'' and {{HMS|Amphion|1780|2}} then took the privateer ''Franklin'' on 3 April off the Chesapeake. She was in ballast. Five days later the same two captured the brig ''Gale'', off [[Cape Henry]]. She was taking coffee to Amsterdam. Then on the 14th, they took the brig ''Patty'', also off Cape Henry. She was carrying flour to Havana. That same day they took the brig ''Nymphe'', also off Cape Henry, and also carrying flour to Havana.<ref name=LG12306>{{London Gazette|issue=12306|page=5|date=18 June 1782}}</ref>
On 2 May ''Amphitrite'' and ''Amphion'' were off Match Springs when they captured three vessels on their way to Philadelphia. ''Fair American'' and the brig ''Adriana'' were carrying rum and dry goods. The sloop ''Alpin'' was carrying sugar and coffee.<ref name=LG12306/>  {{HMS|Hornet|1776|2}} and the privateer ''Digby'' shared in the capture of the ''Adriana'' and the ''Alpin''.<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=12333|page=1|date=21 September 1782}}</ref>
{{HMS|Observer|1781|2}}, a sloop of 10 guns, was the Massachusetts privateer ''Amsterdam'', which ''Amphitrite'' captured on 19 October.<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=12618|page=66|date=1 February 1785}}</ref> The British took ''Observer'' into the Royal Navy and sold her on 21 October 1784.
On 12 November, ''Amphitrite'' captured the brig ''Adventure'', the schooner ''Salisbury'', the ship ''Rattlesnake'', and the sloop ''Phoenix''.<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=12468|page=3|date=19 August 1783}}</ref> On 5 December she captured the ship ''Bellisarius'', brig ''Marianne'', and schooner ''Neptune''.<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=12468|page=5|date=19 August 1783}}</ref>
''Amphitrite'' continued to take prizes in 1782:
* ''Betsey'' (4 March);
* ''Peggy'' 22 April;
* ''Nymphe'' (5 October);
* ''Franklin'' (25 June);
* ship ''Enterprise'' recaptured (3 September); and lastly,
* ''Vigilante'' (20 December).<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=12478|page=4|date=23 September 1783}}</ref>
''Amphitrite'', {{HMS|Fowey|1749|2}}, {{HMS|Hope|1780|2}}, and {{HMS|Thames|1758|2}} captured the sloop ''Lark''.<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=12478|page=5|date=23 September 1783}}</ref> ''Amphitrite'' alone captured the ship ''Salem Packet'', the brigs ''Amsterdam'','' Dolphin'', and ''Minerva'', and the sloops ''Dove'' and ''Fox''.<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=12488|page=2|date=28 October 1783}}</ref>
American records show that in late January 1783, ''Amphitrite'', Captain [[George baronets|Robert George]], captured the former Massachusetts privateer and now [[letter of marque]] ''Apollo''. She sent ''Apollo'' into New York where she was condemned and sold in March.
==Between the wars==
After the end of the [[American War of Independence]] ''Amphitrite'' returned to Britain and was paid off in January 1784. She underwent a small repair between 1783 and 1784, followed by a larger one between 1790 and 1793, after which she was fitted out at [[Woolwich]].
==French Revolutionary Wars==
''Amphitritie'' was recommissioned in April 1793 with the outbreak of the [[French Revolutionary Wars]], under Captain John Child Purvis. On 23 July 1793 she arrived at Portsmouth from Lymington under the command of Captain Bowyer.[https://archive.today/20121224030219/http://www.newforestmilitaryarchive.org.uk/Site/Naval_And_Military_News.html New Forest Military Archive] She came under the command of Captain James Dickinson in April 1794, and then Captain [[Anthony Hunt (Royal Navy officer, died 1798)|Anthony Hunt]] the following month. Hunt sailed her to the Mediterranean where she was on the Toulon station with Vice Admiral [[Samuel Hood, 1st Viscount Hood|Hood]].
==Fate==
On 30 January 1794 ''Amphitrite'' was wrecked after striking an uncharted submerged shoal whilst entering [[Livorno|Leghorn]] harbour. Efforts were made to save her, but they were futile and she was abandoned as a wreck.{{sfnp|Hepper|1994|p=75}} A court martial on 3 February acquitted Hunt of blame.
==Notes==
{{Notelist}}
==Citations==
{{reflist}}
==References==
{{refbegin}}
* {{Cite Colledge2006}}
* {{cite book|last=Hepper|first=David J.|year=1994|title=British Warship Losses in the Age of Sail, 1650-1859|publisher=Jean Boudriot|location=Rotherfield|isbn=0-948864-30-3}}
* {{cite book |first=Rif|last=Winfield|title=British Warships in the Age of Sail 1793–1817: Design, Construction, Careers and Fates|publisher=Seaforth Publishing|year=2008|isbn=978-1-86176-246-7}}
{{refend}}
{{WarshipHist}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Amphitrite (1778)}}
[[Category:Porcupine-class post ships]]
[[Category:Ships built in Deptford]]
[[Category:1778 ships]]
[[Category:Maritime incidents in 1794]]