British Fifth Rate frigate 'Ambuscade' (1773)

Three Decks' Forum

Come and ask, answer or inform.

Recent updates

Ambuscade	3022
Nominal Guns	32	BWAS-1714
Nationality	Great Britain
Operator	Royal Navy
Ordered	25.12.1770	BWAS-1714
Keel Laid Down	4.1771	BWAS-1714
Launched	17.9.1773	B028
First Commissioned	31.1.1776	B028
How acquired	Purpose built	B028
Shipyard	Grove Street Yard - Deptford - Barnards' Thames Yards	BWAS-1714
Ship Class	Amazon Class	B028
Designed by	John Williams (1700-?)	BWAS-1714
Constructor	John Barnard (1705-1784)	BWAS-1714
Category	Fifth Rate	BWAS-1714
Ship Type	Frigate	B028
Sailing Rig	Ship Rigged	B028
Captured	14.12.1798	B028
Becomes	French Fifth Rate frigate 'L'Embuscade' (1798) (32)

Dimensions

DimensionMeasurementTypeMetric EquivalentBWAS-1714
Length of Gundeck126' 3"Imperial Feet38.4077
Length of Keel104' 1"Imperial Feet31.7056
Breadth35' 1 ¾"Imperial Feet10.6871
Depth in Hold12' 2"Imperial Feet3.683
Draught Forward8' 4"Imperial Feet2.54
Draught Aft13' 0"Imperial Feet3.9624
Burthen683 ⁸¹⁄₉₄Tons BM

Armament

17.9.1773Broadside Weight = 228 Imperial Pound ( 103.398 kg)BWAS-1714
Upper Gun Deck26 British 12-Pounder
Quarterdeck4 British 18-Pound Carronade
Quarterdeck4 British 6-Pounder
Forecastle2 British 18-Pound Carronade
Forecastle2 British 6-Pounder

Crew Complement

Date# of MenNotesSource
1776220EstablishmentBWAS-1714

12 Commanding Officers

DatesRankNameSource
31.1.1776 - 30.1.1779CaptainJohn Macartney (c.1730-1781) ADM 6/21/153BWAS-171430.1.1779 - 24.3.1779CaptainThomas Haynes (c.1732-1789) ADM 6/21/505BWAS-171424.3.1779 - 12.7.1780CaptainThe Hon. Charles Phipps (1753-1786) ADM 6/21/529BWAS-171412.7.1780 - 16.10.1781CaptainHugh Seymour Conway (d.1801) ADM 6/22/150BWAS-171425.10.1781 - 15.4.1782CaptainHenry Duncan (1735-1814) ADM 6/22/356BWAS-171415.4.1782 - 30.4.1783CaptainWilliam Young (1751-1821) ADM 6/22/450ADM 6/2224.10.1787 - 19.11.1787CaptainThomas Boston (c.1735-1808) ADM 6/23/431BWAS-171419.11.1787 - 1.12.1789CaptainWilliam Henry King O'Hara (d.1789) ADM 6/23/434BWAS-17142.12.1789 - 9.1791CaptainRobert Devereux Fancourt (c.1742-1826) ADM 6/24/137
Commission confirmed 29.9.1791BWAS-171430.9.1794 - 1796CaptainGeorge Duff (1764-1805) ADM 6/25/90BWAS-17141796 - 9.1797CaptainThomas Twysden (d.1801)BWAS-17141798 - 14.12.1798CaptainHenry JenkinsBWAS-1714

3 Commissioned Officers

DatesRankNameSource
24.10.1787 - 6.2.1788Second LieutenantThe Hon. Henry Curzon (1765-1846) ADM 6/23/431ADM 6/231798 - 14.12.1798First LieutenantDawson Mayne (d.1798)†TRN43.4.1798 - 14.12.1798LieutenantJoseph BriggsTRN4

2 Petty Officers

DatesRatingNameSource
13.1.1791 - 7.1792MidshipmanPatrick Campbell (1773-1841)ref:6161799 - 1.1805Master's MateJohn Ballantyne (1775-?)NBD1849

1 Crewman

DatesRatingNameSource
18.4.1795 - 3.17961st Class VolunteerAlexander BoyackNBD1849

Service History

DateEventSource
17.9.1773Began fitting at Deptford Dockyard - Deptford BWAS-1714
19.9.1773building at Grove Street Yard - Deptford - Barnards' Thames Yards at a cost of £7125.16.9dBWAS-1714
1.10.1773Completed fitting at Deptford Dockyard - Deptford BWAS-1714
1.1776Began fitting at Chatham Dockyard - Chatham BWAS-1714
4.1776Completed fitting at Chatham Dockyard - Chatham at a cost of £4971.5.9dBWAS-1714
20.7.1776Sailed for North AmericaBWAS-1714
1778In North AmericaBWAS-1714
1.1779Commissioned for the Western squadron and paid off later in the yearBWAS-1714
3.1779Began coppering and fitting at Chatham Dockyard - Chatham BWAS-1714
4.1779RecommissionedBWAS-1714
5.1779Completed coppering and fitting at Chatham Dockyard - Chatham at a cost of £4476.17.11dBWAS-1714
28.6.1779Took the Privateer Le Prince de Montbray (20)
23.7.1779Took the Corvette La Hélène (16) in the North Sea
9.1779Sent to the relief of GuernseyBWAS-1714
4.7.1780Took the Privateer Eleonore in the North Sea
1.1781In AmericaBWAS-1714
5.1782Took the Privateer Commander de Dunkerque in the North Sea
27.6.1782Took the Privateer Le Petit Gens d'Armes in the Channel
28.6.1782Took the Ship Middlebourg (13) in the North Sea
30.4.1783

Paid off

BWAS-1714
3.1784fitting at Plymouth Dockyard - Plymouth BWAS-1714
7.1784Began small repair at Plymouth Dockyard - Plymouth BWAS-1714
12.1784Completed small repair at Plymouth Dockyard - Plymouth at a cost of £7808.4.11dBWAS-1714
7.1787Began fitting at Plymouth Dockyard - Plymouth BWAS-1714
10.1787RecommissionedBWAS-1714
1.1788Completed fitting at Plymouth Dockyard - Plymouth at a cost of £2330.0.0dBWAS-1714
5.4.1788Sailed for the MediterraneanBWAS-1714
5.1790In the MediterraneanBWAS-1714
9.1791Paid offBWAS-1714
5.1793Began middling repair at Woolwich Dockyard - Woolwich BWAS-1714
9.1794RecommissionedBWAS-1714
3.1795Completed middling repair at Woolwich Dockyard - Woolwich at a cost of £16598.0.0dBWAS-1714
26.5.1796Sailed for JamaicaBWAS-1714
4.1797Took the Schooner Buonaparte in the West Indies
20.11.1798Took the Corvette L'Hirondelle (20) in the Channel
29.11.1798

Arrived at Spithead with L'Hirondelle

TNC
14.12.1798Ambuscade vs Bayonnaise
14.12.1798Taken by La Bayonnaise (28)

Sources

IDDescriptionAuthorType

BWAS-1714Rif WinfieldBook

B028J. J. ColledgeBook

ADM 6/22 Archive

ADM 6/23 Archive

TRN4William Laid ClowesDigital Book

ref:616Nicholas TracyBook

NBD1849O'BrienDigital Book

TNCVariousPeriodical

Previous comments on this pageno comments to display

Make a comment about this page

Recent comments to other pages

Date posted	By	Page
Monday 18th of November 2019 14:15	ERIC DELEMER	French Fifth Rate frigate 'L'Aréthuse' (1791) (38)
Monday 18th of November 2019 10:37	Eric Delemer	Virginie Class
Monday 18th of November 2019 09:57	Cy	Charles Fanshawe (d.1757)
Sunday 17th of November 2019 23:09	Guineith Isaacs	Charles Fanshawe (d.1757)
Sunday 17th of November 2019 19:51	Albert Parker	Lord Alexander Ogilvy (bef.1718-1746)

GDPR Statement