The Roebuck-class ship was a class of twenty 44-gun sailing two-decker warships of the Royal Navy. The class carried two complete decks of guns, a lower battery of 18-pounders and an upper battery of 9-pounders. This battery enabled the vessel to deliver a broadside of 285 pounds. Most were constructed for service during the American Revolutionary War but continued to serve thereafter. By 1793 five were still on the active list. Ten were hospital ships, troopships or storeships. As troopships or storeships they had the guns on their lower deck removed. Many of the vessels in the class survived to take part in the Napoleonic Wars. In all, maritime incidents claimed five ships in the class and war claimed three.
The Royal Navy classed the Roebuck class as fifth rates like frigates but did not classify them as frigates. Although sea officers sometimes casually described them and other small two-deckers as frigates, the Admiralty officially never referred to them as frigates. By 1750, the Admiralty strictly defined frigates as ships of 28 guns or more, carrying all their main battery (24, 26 or even 28 guns) on the upper deck, with no guns or openings on the lower deck (which could thus be at sea level or even lower). A frigate might carry a few smaller guns - 3-pounders or 6-pounders, later 9-pounders - on their quarterdeck and (perhaps) on the forecastle. The Roebuck-class ships were two-deckers with complete batteries on both decks, and hence not frigates.
Design and constructionedit
The Admiralty assigned the contract for Roebuck to Chatham Dockyard on 30 November 1769. Some seven years after the design was first produced, the Admiralty re-used it for a second batch of nineteen ships. The Admiralty ordered them to meet the particular requirements of the American War of Independence for vessels suitable for coastal warfare in the shallow seas off North America (where deeper two-deckers could not sail). The first five vessels of the class, and the later Guardian, had two rows of stern lights (windows), like larger two-deckers, though actually there was just the single level of cabin behind. Most, if not all, of the other ships of the class - from Dolphin onwards - had a 'single level' frigate-type stern.[1]
Fate: She was trapped at the Siege of Yorktown so her stores, men and guns were taken ashore; on 10 October 1781 heated shot from a French battery set her on fire.
Fate: Taken by American Bonhomme Richard, assisted by other vessels, and transferred to the French who employed her as a privateer; wrecked 1781 off Madagascar.
Fate: Collided with iceberg 24 December 1789 and of the 40 men and passengers who set out in boats, 10 survived; Guardian, with the remaining 61 crew, convicts and passengers, arrived at Cape Town in sinking condition 21 February 1790 and beached on 12 April during a gale; remains sold to be broken up 8 February 1791.
Robert Gardiner: Ships of the Royal Navy: the 44-gun two-decker, in: Robert Gardiner (Hrsg.): Nelson against Napoleon. From the Nile to Copenhagen, 1798-1801. Chatham 1997, S. 85-87.
Hepper, David J. (1994). British Warship Losses in the Age of Sail, 1650-1859. Rotherfield: Jean Boudriot. ISBN0-948864-30-3. OCLC 622348295.
Winfield, Rif (2007). British Warships in the Age of Sail 1714–1792: Design, Construction, Careers and Fates. Seaforth. ISBN978-1844157006.
January 01, 1970
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This article needs additional citations for verification Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources Unsourced material may be challenged and removed Find sources Roebuck class ship news newspapers books scholar JSTOR January 2013 Learn how and when to remove this message The Roebuck class ship was a class of twenty 44 gun sailing two decker warships of the Royal Navy The class carried two complete decks of guns a lower battery of 18 pounders and an upper battery of 9 pounders This battery enabled the vessel to deliver a broadside of 285 pounds Most were constructed for service during the American Revolutionary War but continued to serve thereafter By 1793 five were still on the active list Ten were hospital ships troopships or storeships As troopships or storeships they had the guns on their lower deck removed Many of the vessels in the class survived to take part in the Napoleonic Wars In all maritime incidents claimed five ships in the class and war claimed three Argo as flagship at Gibraltar in 1799Class overview NameRoebuck class Built1770 1784 Completed20 General characteristics TypeFifth rate ship Tons burthen87926 94 bm as designed Length140 ft 43 m gundeck 116 ft 4 375 in 35 m keel Beam37 ft 9 5 in 12 m Depth of hold16 ft 4 in 5 m Sail planFull rigged ship Complement280 300 from 1783 ArmamentLower deck 20 18 pounder guns Upper deck 22 9 pounder guns later upgraded to 12 pounder guns QD nil Fc 2 6 pounder guns Contents 1 Classification 2 Design and construction 3 Ships in class 4 Citations 5 ReferencesClassification editThe Royal Navy classed the Roebuck class as fifth rates like frigates but did not classify them as frigates Although sea officers sometimes casually described them and other small two deckers as frigates the Admiralty officially never referred to them as frigates By 1750 the Admiralty strictly defined frigates as ships of 28 guns or more carrying all their main battery 24 26 or even 28 guns on the upper deck with no guns or openings on the lower deck which could thus be at sea level or even lower A frigate might carry a few smaller guns 3 pounders or 6 pounders later 9 pounders on their quarterdeck and perhaps on the forecastle The Roebuck class ships were two deckers with complete batteries on both decks and hence not frigates Design and construction editThe Admiralty assigned the contract for Roebuck to Chatham Dockyard on 30 November 1769 Some seven years after the design was first produced the Admiralty re used it for a second batch of nineteen ships The Admiralty ordered them to meet the particular requirements of the American War of Independence for vessels suitable for coastal warfare in the shallow seas off North America where deeper two deckers could not sail The first five vessels of the class and the later Guardian had two rows of stern lights windows like larger two deckers though actually there was just the single level of cabin behind Most if not all of the other ships of the class from Dolphin onwards had a single level frigate type stern 1 Ships in class editPROTOTYPE Roebuck Builder Chatham Dockyard Ordered 30 November 1769 Laid down October 1770 Launched 24 April 1774 Completed 4 August 1775 Fate Broken up at Sheerness in July 1811 WARTIME BATCH Romulus Builder Henry Adams Bucklers Hard Ordered 14 May 1776 Laid down July 1776 Launched 17 December 1777 Completed 7 April 1778 at Portsmouth Dockyard Fate Captured by a French squadron consisting of a ship of the line two frigates and a cutter off the Chesapeake 19 February 1781 Actaeon Builder Randall amp Co Rotherhithe Ordered 3 July 1776 Laid down July 1776 Launched 29 January 1778 Completed 17 April 1778 at Deptford Dockyard Fate Sold to be broken up 30 April 1802 Janus Builder Robert Batson Limehouse Ordered 24 July 1776 Laid down 9 August 1776 Launched 14 May 1778 Completed 11 August 1778 at Deptford Dockyard Fate Renamed Dromedary 1788 as storeship Wrecked near Trinidad in August 1800 but with no loss of life Charon i Builder John Barnard Harwich Ordered 9 October 1776 Laid down January 1777 Launched 8 October 1778 Completed 23 January 1779 at Sheerness Dockyard Fate She was trapped at the Siege of Yorktown so her stores men and guns were taken ashore on 10 October 1781 heated shot from a French battery set her on fire Dolphin Builder Chatham Dockyard Ordered 8 January 1777 Laid down 1 May 1777 Launched 10 March 1781 Completed 11 May 1781 Fate Broken up in July 1817 Ulysses Builder John Fisher Liverpool Ordered 16 April 1777 Laid down 28 June 1777 Launched 14 July 1779 Completed 2 January 1780 at Plymouth Dockyard Fate Sold to be broken up 11 January 1816 Endymion Builder Edward Greaves Limehouse Ordered 2 February 1778 Laid down 18 March 1778 Launched 28 August 1779 Completed 5 November 1779 at Woolwich Dockyard Fate Wrecked on an uncharted rock off Turks Island on 20 August 1790 with the loss of one man 2 nbsp Battle between Continental Ship Bonhomme Richard and HMS Serapis 23 September 1779 by Thomas Mitchell 1780 US Naval Academy Museum Serapis i Builder Randall amp Co Rotherhithe Ordered 11 February 1778 Laid down 3 March 1778 Launched 4 March 1779 Completed 6 May 1779 at Deptford Dockyard Fate Taken by American Bonhomme Richard assisted by other vessels and transferred to the French who employed her as a privateer wrecked 1781 off Madagascar Assurance Builder Randall amp Co Rotherhithe Ordered 20 May 1778 Laid down 11 June 1778 Launched 20 April 1780 Completed 15 July 1780 at Deptford Dockyard Fate Broken up in March 1815 Argo Builder John Baker amp Co Howden Pans Newcastle Ordered 26 February 1779 Laid down 18 August 1779 Launched 8 June 1781 Completed 15 October 1781 at Chatham Dockyard Fate Sold to be broken up 11 January 1816 nbsp Cybele and Prudente fighting Centurion and Diomede Diomede Builder James Martin Hilhouse Bristol Ordered 14 August 1779 Laid down March 1780 Launched 18 October 1781 Completed 14 March 1782 at Bristol Fate Wrecked off Trincomalee 2 August 1795 Mediator Builder Thomas Raymond Northam Southampton Ordered 3 December 1779 Laid down July 1780 Launched 30 March 1782 Completed 15 June 1782 at Portsmouth Dockyard Fate Renamed Camel 1788 as storeship Broken up in December 1810 Resistance Builder Edward Greaves Limehouse Ordered 29 March 1780 Laid down April 1781 Launched 11 July 1782 Completed 17 September 1782 at Deptford Dockyard Fate Blew up believed struck by lightning off Sumatra 24 July 1798 four survivors Gladiator Builder Henry Adams Bucklers Hard Ordered 13 July 1780 Laid down April 1781 Launched 20 January 1783 Completed February 1783 at Portsmouth Dockyard Fate Broken up in August 1817 Serapis ii Builder James Martin Hillhouse Bristol Ordered 13 July 1780 Laid down May 1781 Launched 7 November 1782 Completed December 1782 at Bristol Fate Sold to be broken up at Jamaica on 17 July 1826 Experiment Builder Robert Fabian East Cowes Isle of Wight Ordered 13 July 1780 Laid down June 1781 Launched 27 November 1784 Completed 11 January 1785 at Portsmouth Dockyard Fate Sold to be broken up 8 September 1836 nbsp Guardian hitting an iceberg in 1789 Guardian Builder Robert Batson Limehouse Ordered 11 August 1780 Laid down December 1780 Launched 23 March 1784 Completed 20 May 1784 at Deptford Dockyard Fate Collided with iceberg 24 December 1789 and of the 40 men and passengers who set out in boats 10 survived Guardian with the remaining 61 crew convicts and passengers arrived at Cape Town in sinking condition 21 February 1790 and beached on 12 April during a gale remains sold to be broken up 8 February 1791 Regulus Builder Thomas Raymond Northam Southampton Ordered 20 October 1780 Laid down June 1781 Launched 10 February 1785 Completed 10 March 1785 at Portsmouth Dockyard Fate Broken up in March 1816 Charon ii Builder James Martin Hillhouse Bristol Ordered 19 September 1781 Laid down May 1782 Launched 17 May 1783 Completed 5 February 1784 at Plymouth Dockyard Fate Broken up in December 1805Citations edit Winfield Rif 2007 British Warships in the Age of Sail 1714 1792 Design Construction Careers and Fates Hepper 1994 p 74 References editRobert Gardiner Ships of the Royal Navy the 44 gun two decker in Robert Gardiner Hrsg Nelson against Napoleon From the Nile to Copenhagen 1798 1801 Chatham 1997 S 85 87 Hepper David J 1994 British Warship Losses in the Age of Sail 1650 1859 Rotherfield Jean Boudriot ISBN 0 948864 30 3 OCLC 622348295 Winfield Rif 2007 British Warships in the Age of Sail 1714 1792 Design Construction Careers and Fates Seaforth ISBN 978 1844157006 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Roebuck class ship amp oldid 1223439114, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
