Surprise

Posted by Jon Miller on Sunday 31st of May 2026 16:24

Hull, 13 January 1800: Advice has been received at the Admiralty of the Hermione frigate, which ran away with by her crew in the West-Indies, having been cut out of a Spanish port by the boats of the Surprize frigate, after a gallant action on the part of the British seamen. [Hull Packet, 14 January 1800]

Posted by Richard Wright on Thursday 2nd of April 2026 14:57

Armament listed comes from the 'recommended' armament from Plymouth Dockyard - this was never enacted and the actual armament received on board HMS Surprise on April 21 1798 was as follows:

Upper Deck: 24 British 32-pound Carronade
Quarterdeck: 8 British 18-Pound Carronade
Forecastle: 2 British 18-Pound Carronade
Forecastle: 2 British 4-Pounder

Specific evidence uncovered from research with original documentation from correspondence between Navy Board, Captain Hamilton and Dockyard during refit after capture.

Posted by JOREZ on Sunday 5th of October 2025 17:22

Sold and destroy at Deptford ?

Posted by Ian Johnston on Wednesday 16th of May 2012 22:12

Builder: Pierre-Alexandre Forfait, Le Havre
Laid down: August 1793
Launched: 16 January 1794
Commissioned: April 1794
Captured: 20 April 1796 by HMS Inconstant

Class and type: Unité-class corvette
Tons burthen: 350 bm
Length: 129 ft (39 m)
Beam: 31 ft 8 in (9.65 m)
Draught: 4.2 m (14 ft)
Sail plan: Full-rigged ship
Complement: 240 officers and men.
Armament:

As Unité
24 × 8-pounder guns
8 × 4-pounder guns

As HMS Surprise
24 × 32-pounder carronades
10 × 32-pounder carronades
2 × 4-pounder guns as chasers