British Fifth Rate frigate 'Ambuscade' (1773)

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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
How acquired	Purpose built	B028
Shipyard	Grove Street Yard	BWAS-1714
Ship Class	Amazon Class
Designed by	John Williams (1700-?)	BWAS-1714
Constructor	John Barnard (1705-1784)	BWAS-1714
Category	Fifth Rate	BWAS-1714
Ship Type	Frigate
Sailing Rig	Ship Rigged
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 (d.1781) ADM 6/21/153BWAS-171430.1.1779 - 24.3.1779CaptainThomas Haynes (d.1789) ADM 6/21/505BWAS-171424.3.1779 - 8.1780CaptainThe Hon. Charles Phipps (1753-1786) ADM 6/21/529BWAS-17141780 - 11.1781CaptainHugh Seymour Conway (d.1801)BWAS-171411.1781 - 5.1782CaptainHenry Duncan (1735-1814)BWAS-17145.1782 - 4.1783CaptainWalter YoungBWAS-171410.1787 - 12.1787CaptainThomas Boston (c.1735-1808)BWAS-171412.1787 - 12.1789CaptainWilliam Henry King O'Hara (d.1789)†BWAS-17145.1790 - 9.1791CaptainRobert Devereux FancourtBWAS-17149.1794 - 1796CaptainGeorge Duff (1764-1805)BWAS-17141796 - 1798CaptainThomas Twysden (d.1801)BWAS-17141798 - 14.12.1798CaptainHenry JenkinsBWAS-1714

2 Commissioned Officers

DatesRankNameSource
1798 - 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 BWAS-1714
19.9.1773building at Grove Street Yard at a cost of £7125.16.9dBWAS-1714
1.10.1773Completed fitting at Deptford Dockyard BWAS-1714
1.1776Began fitting at Chatham Dockyard BWAS-1714
4.1776Completed fitting at Chatham Dockyard 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 BWAS-1714
4.1779RecommissionedBWAS-1714
5.1779Completed coppering and fitting at Chatham Dockyard at a cost of £4476.17.11dBWAS-1714
28.6.1779Took the Privateer Le Prince de Montbray (20)
23.7.1779Took the Unrated 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 Privateer Ship Middlebourg (13) in the North Sea
4.1783Paid offBWAS-1714
3.1784fitting at Plymouth Dockyard BWAS-1714
7.1784Began small repair at Plymouth Dockyard BWAS-1714
12.1784Completed small repair at Plymouth Dockyard at a cost of £7808.4.11dBWAS-1714
7.1787Began fitting at Plymouth Dockyard BWAS-1714
10.1787RecommissionedBWAS-1714
1.1788Completed fitting at Plymouth Dockyard 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 BWAS-1714
9.1794RecommissionedBWAS-1714
3.1795Completed middling repair at Woolwich Dockyard at a cost of £16598.0.0dBWAS-1714
26.5.1796Sailed for JamaicaBWAS-1714
4.1797Took the Privateer Schooner Buonaparte in the West Indies
20.11.1798Took the Sixth Rate 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 Bayonnaise (28)

Sources

IDDescriptionAuthorType

BWAS-1714Rif WinfieldBook

B028J. J. ColledgeBook

TRN4William Laid ClowesDigital Book

ref:616Nicholas TracyBook

NBD1849O'BrienDigital Book

TNCVariousPeriodical

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