British fireship 'Comet' (1783)

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Comet
Nominal Guns	8	BWAS-1714
Nationality	Great Britain
Operator	Royal Navy
Ordered	1781	BWAS-1714
Keel Laid Down	5.1781	BWAS-1714
Launched	11.11.1783	BWAS-1714
First Commissioned	7.1793	BWAS-1714
How acquired	Purpose built	BWAS-1714
Shipyard	Wivenhoe - Essex	BWAS-1714
Ship Class	Tisiphone Class	BWAS-1714
Constructor	Moses Game	BWAS-1714
Category	Unrated	BWAS-1714
Ship Type	Fireship	BWAS-1714
Expended as Fireship	7.7.1800	BWAS-1714

Dimensions

DimensionMeasurementTypeMetric EquivalentBWAS-1714
Length of Gundeck108' 9"Imperial Feet32.947
Length of Keel90' 8"Imperial Feet27.6352
Breadth29' 8"Imperial Feet8.8618
Depth in Hold9' 0"Imperial Feet2.7432
Burthen424 ⁴⁰⁄₉₄Tons BM

Armament

11.11.1783Broadside Weight = 48 Imperial Pound ( 21.768 kg)BWAS-1714
Gun Deck8 British 12-Pounder

Crew Complement

Date# of MenNotesSource
177955Design Complement

10 Ship Commanders

DatesRankNameSource
1.12.1787 - 24.10.1788Commander Jeremiah Beale (d.1817) Transfered ADM 6/23/440ADM 6/2321.9.1790 - 12.2.1791Commander Sandford Tatham Transfered ADM 6/24/69ADM 6/249.7.1793 - 23.6.1794Commander William Bradley ADM 6/24/252BWAS-171423.6.1794 - 24.7.1795Commander Joseph Larcom (1764-1818) ADM 6/25/53BWAS-17149.1794 - 1795Commander James Young (1762-1833)BWAS-17147.10.1794 - 4.1795Commander Edward Codrington (1770-1851) ADM 6/25/93BWAS-17144.1795 - 2.1796Commander Robert Redmill (1758-1819)BWAS-17142.1796 - 3.6.1797Commander Edward Joseph Hamilton (1772-1851)BWAS-17143.6.1797 - 7.1797Commander Henry Duncan (d.1802)BWAS-17141799 - 7.7.1800Commander Thomas LeefBWAS-1714

2 Commissioned Officers

DatesRankNameSource
1794First Lieutenant John Edwardsref:9241794Second Lieutenant Gardiner Henry Guion (1775-1832)ref:924

6 Warrant Officers

DatesRankNameSource
1794Acting Surgeon Robert CarruthersADM 171/81794Gunner William Hintonref:9241794Carpenter James Symonsref:9241794Boatswain John Leverickref:9241794Master Philip Meadref:9245.2.1798 - 17.7.1798Carpenter Thomas TaylorADM 29-1

2 Petty Officers

DatesRatingNameSource
1796 - 12.1796Midshipman Frederick William Burgoyne (1778-1848)NBD184916.1.1796 - 1797Midshipman George BarnardNBD1849

1 Crewman

DatesRatingNameSource
1794Captain's Servant William DelaistreADM 171/8

Service History

DateEventSource
6.1793Began fitting at Sheerness Dockyard - Sheerness BWAS-1714
8.1793Completed fitting at Sheerness Dockyard - Sheerness at a cost of £3243.0.0dBWAS-1714
28.11.1793Arrived at Chatham and laid upBWAS-1714
1.6.1794Glorious 1st of June
13.7.1795Battle of Hyeres
7.1797Paid offBWAS-1714
7.1798Began fitting at Woolwich Dockyard - Woolwich BWAS-1714
8.1799Completed fitting at Woolwich Dockyard - Woolwich at a cost of £4317.0.0dBWAS-1714
12.10.1799Action of 1799-10-12
7.7.1800Attack on Dunkirk

Sources

IDNameAuthorType

BWAS-1714Rif Winfield, Book

ADM 6/23 Archive

ADM 6/24 Archive

ref:924A C de Poggi, Book

ADM 171/8British Admiralty, Document

ADM 29-1 Document

NBD1849O'Brien, Digital Book

Previous comments on this page

Posted by DAvid Antscherl on Wednesday 26th of June 2013 00:35

Her armamant was of carronades rather than long guns, on the upper or weather deck. What would have been the gun deck was designated the fire deck.

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