HMS Ambuscade (1773)
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Ambuscade fighting Bayonnaise, by Pierre Ozanne
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| History | |
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 United Kingdom |
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| Name: | HMS Ambuscade |
| Ordered: | 25 December 1770 |
| Builder: | Adams & Barnard, Deptford |
| Laid down: | April 1771 |
| Launched: | 17 September 1773 |
| Commissioned: | January 1776 |
| Captured: | 14 December 1798 |
 France |
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| Name: | Embuscade |
| Acquired: | 14 December 1798 |
| Captured: | 28 May 1803 |
| United Kingdom |
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| Name: | HMS Ambuscade |
| Acquired: | 28 May 1803 |
| Fate: | Broken up in 1810 |
| General characteristics as built | |
| Class & type: | 32-gun fifth-rate frigate |
| Length: |
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| Beam: | 35 ft 1.75 in (10.7125 m) |
| Draught: |
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| Depth of hold: | 12 ft 2 in (3.71 m) |
| Sail plan: | Full-rigged ship |
| Complement: | 220 |
| Armament: |
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HMS Ambuscade was a 32-gun fifth-rate frigate of the Royal Navy, built in the Grove Street shipyard of Adams & Barnard at Depford in 1773. The French captured her in 1798 but the British recaptured her in 1803. She was broken up in 1810.
Contents
American Revolution
On 22 June 1779, after a short action, Ambuscade captured the French brig Hélene, which was the former Royal Navy 14-gun sloop HMS Helena. The Royal Navy took her back into service under her original name.[1][2] Six days later Ambuscade captured the French privateer Prince de Montbray.[2] The privateer was possibly out of Granville and under the command of Captain Boisnard-Maisonneuve.[3]
French Revolutionary Wars
In August 1798 Ambuscade, commanded by Captain Henry Jenkins,[4] with Stag and the hired armed cutter Nimrod captured the chasse maree Francine .[5] Then Ambuscade shared with Phaeton and Stag, in the capture on 20 November of the Hirondelle.[6]
On 13 December 1798, Ambuscade captured a French merchantman, Faucon, with a cargo of sugar and coffee bound for Bordeaux.[7]
Disaster struck the following day. Ambuscade was blockading Rochefort, when the smaller French corvette Bayonnaise captured her at the Action of 14 December 1798. The court martial exonerated Captain Henry Jenkins of Ambuscade, though a good case could be made that he exhibited poor leadership and ship handling.[8] The French brought her into service as Embuscade.
Napoleonic Wars
On 28 May 1803, HMS Victory recaptured her. She had a crew of 187 men under the command of capitaine de vaisseau Fradin, and was 30 days out of Cap Francais, bound for Rochefort.[9] The Royal Navy took her back into service as Ambuscade.
In March 1805, she was attached to Sir James Craig's military expedition to Italy. Along with Dragon, Craig's flagship, and Lively, Ambuscade escorted a fleet of transports to Malta.[10]
On 4 March 1807, Ambuscade captured the ship Istria. Unité, Melpomene, Bittern and Weazel (or Weazle)were in company and shared in the prize money.[11]
Fate
Ambuscade was broken up in 1810.
Citations
- ↑ Demerliac (1996), p.71, #448.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 The London Gazette: no. 12044. p. 2. 28 December 1779.
- ↑ Demerliac (1996), p.184, #1810.
- ↑ Wareham (2001), p.137.
- ↑ The London Gazette: no. 15113. p. 220. 5 March 1799.
- ↑ The London Gazette: no. 15149. p. 617. 18 June 1799.
- ↑ Correspondence, Lord Bridport to Evan Nepean, 22 December 1798. Cited in Naval Chronicle Vol. 1, 1799, p.77
- ↑ Hepper (1994), p.89.
- ↑ The London Gazette: no. 15608. p. 986. 6 August 1803.
- ↑ von Pivka, Navies.
- ↑ The London Gazette: no. 16529. p. 1976. 8 October 1811.
References
- Demerliac, Alain (1996) La Marine De Louis XVI: Nomenclature Des Navires Français De 1774 À 1792. (Nice: Éditions OMEGA). ISBN 2-906381-23-3
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- Wareham, Tom (2001) The star captains: frigate command in the Napoleonic Wars. (Annapolis, Md. Naval Inst. Press). ISBN 978-1-55750-871-3
- Michael Phillips' ships of the old Navy
- Naval history of Great Britain, by William James
