hms hms gun fifth rate frigate royal_navy built seven years war went action american war independence french revolutionary war served caribbean famous ship young served shortly passing lieutenant examination originally commissioned near end seven years war patrolled british waters underwent repairs recommissioned served american war independence including battle san bulk fighting ended returned home portsmouth battle decade spent later years british mediterranean waters winning particular glory engagement french frigates final duties familiar waters west_indies wrecked escorting convoy construction commissioning sir based design hms aurora french vessel named admiralty routinely took lines drew captured vessels available designers ship built design decade later navy frigates hms diamond built modification design ordered february west contracted launch months cost ton laid launched june completed august officially received october cost total build coming slightly contracted price navy spent having fitted career commissioned late seven years war saw little action captain navy paid initially moored portsmouth early armed stored sailing july command new captain spending time cruising english channel stopping neutral merchants baker sailed west_indies arrived september sailed antigua time carried patrols barbados antigua squadron vessels squadron virgin beaver shared prize money arising seizure january february vessels engaged illicit trade near seized vessels sarah union elizabeth sisters june baker died march successor sailed home paid august underwent small repair december april period service recommissioned june captain returned west_indies october year returning britain years jamaica paid reduced gun sixth rate american war independence underwent large repair recommissioned captain early prepared service leeward_islands joining voyage young lieutenant passed examination april joining second lieutenant serving time enduring friendship nelson serving number occasions including battle ship sailed early escorting convoy west_indies arrived mid july jamaica went number cruises capturing american sloop cargo rice august second cruise saw capture american notable incident nelson sent boat lieutenant prize seas rough allow american boarded lieutenant returned nelson stepped forward volunteered attempt succeeded march captured sloop swan master tons crew seven men carrying cargo time cruise nelson taken command ship tender schooner locker spent rest early carrying routine cruises patrols captain replaced march locker ill time recommended nelson sir found space nelson aboard flagship gun hms bristol nelson joined lieutenant july february captured near bite bight ton sloop sailing cargo sugar coffee cotton salt master crew men captain squadron carried operations october november october participated successful british attack fort san attack exchanged fire fort ran aground easy target fort guns eventually boats able pull sustained extensive damage contributed landing party assault fort lost men killed wounded result battle british ships captured spanish prizes cargo worth excess shared prize money domingo cargo included march captured small sloop fortune tons command crew sailing north_carolina provisions early captured danish brig diana sailing cargo june phoenix captured brig delaware master tons armed guns crew men sailing philadelphia port prince cargo flour fish importantly captured french navy cutter guns men sailing martinique cap british non later detained danish schooner sailing cargo cattle recaptured british brig john french taken took spanish brig sailing cargo september captured small vessels sloop tons sailing philadelphia cape load lumber bricks second brig crew men sailing new_orleans havana cargo lumber late early captured spanish brig unknown tons laden sugar october survived hurricane badly damaged numerous british warships hurricane caused victor founder lost sea hands captain transferred diamond november captain briefly replace requested received transfer hms weeks later successor captain captured sloop dispatch master january tons carried guns crew men way port prince philadelphia cargo coffee sugar left gun rate captain captain replacing january windsor sailed home paid portsmouth laid months moved river thames years peace carried great repair july march returned service october captain sailed mediterranean returning britain captain briefly took command november paid later year fitted plymouth july january recommissioned december captain french revolutionary war sailed mediterranean joining hood fleet blockading toulon joined flying squadron commodore act french forces mediterranean september commodore took squadron including attack fired tower protected deep entrance gulf fire caused tower french defenders abandon tower guns allowing landing party command capture tower delayed assault city bring larger ships action larger ships bombarded town october sustained considerable damage garrison forced withdraw remained area supporting british operations french garrisons march captain took command little month later april captured shared capture british warships shared capture french captain replaced august commanded naval battle genoa march received damage long range shots french fleet captain replaced june defeat admiral sent gun captain french fleet toulon june frigates encountered french frigates gun gun french initially wary realised larger stronger british vessels french captains attack attempted run turned avoid impact rigging costing colours came port discharge broadside carried away foremast pursued retreating eventually escaped returned firing struck men wounded killed wounded lost percent crew men british took service gun frigate weight broadside greater british frigates making battle notable victory royal_navy duly awarded captains naval gold medal june june awarded surviving crew members later service captain relieved december going serve squadron refit britain escorted convoys west_indies september captured vessels late captured spanish letter alias tons armed guns sailing veracruz cargo wine iron writing paper shared capture spanish sailing cargo tons tons writing paper captured spanish brig san_francisco tons sailing havana cargo sugar loss sailed kingston jamaica july met convoy days later port escorts consisted sloop sting sailing passage late august realised strong currents known run channel reversed direction running shallow waters attempted avoid grounding avail ran broadside island crew threw stores equipment overboard ship boats came ships convoy try pull attempts failed crew abandoned mid afternoon casualties men drowned boat capsized surf change currents caused wreck late afternoon august left boats help wrecked vessels took command convoy subsequent court martial port royal september ruled sudden change current dark caused loss board acknowledged sailed manner officers blame loss vessels convoy april officers crew received payment salvage carrying
HMS Lowestoffe (1761)