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HMS Ariel (1777)
Encyclopedia
HMS Ariel was a 20-gun Sphinx-class
sixth-rate
post ship
of the Royal Navy
. She served during the American Revolutionary War
.
on 3 July 1776, was laid down that month and was launched on 7 July 1777. She was commissioned under Captain John Jackson, and initially used to cruise in the North Sea
in August 1777. After a brief spell off the Norwegian and Danish coasts, she sailed for North America. On 27 August 1778 she captured the American privateer
Resistance, before passing under the command of Captain Charles Phipps. Phipps and the Ariel captured the American privateer New Broom on 22 October 1778. The next year, in February, Captain Thomas Mackenzie took over command of the Ariel.
, the 32-gun French Amazone, then part of d’Estaing’s
fleet, brought her to battle. After losing four of his crew dead and another 20 wounded, Mackenzie surrendered Ariel. The French took the captured ship into service as Ariel.
The French lent her to the American Continental Navy
in October 1780, where she served briefly as USS Ariel. The Americans returned her to the French in June 1781. She was burnt on the Scheldt
in March 1793.
Sphinx class post ship
The Sphinx-class sailing sixth rates were a series of ten post ships built to a 1773 design by John Williams. Although smaller than true frigates, post ships were often referred to incorrectly as frigates....
sixth-rate
Sixth-rate
Sixth rate was the designation used by the Royal Navy for small warships mounting between 20 and 24 nine-pounder guns on a single deck, sometimes with guns on the upper works and sometimes without.-Rating:...
post ship
Post ship
Post ship was a designation used in the Royal Navy during the Age of Sail to describe a ship of the sixth-rate that was smaller than a frigate , but by virtue of being a rated ship , had to have as its captain a post captain rather than a lieutenant or commander...
of the Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
. She served during the American Revolutionary War
American Revolutionary War
The American Revolutionary War , the American War of Independence, or simply the Revolutionary War, began as a war between the Kingdom of Great Britain and thirteen British colonies in North America, and ended in a global war between several European great powers.The war was the result of the...
.
British career
She was ordered from John Perry & Co.'s Blackwall YardBlackwall Yard
Blackwall Yard was a shipyard on the Thames at Blackwall, London, engaged in ship building and later ship repairs for over 350 years. The yard closed in 1987...
on 3 July 1776, was laid down that month and was launched on 7 July 1777. She was commissioned under Captain John Jackson, and initially used to cruise in the North Sea
North Sea
In the southwest, beyond the Straits of Dover, the North Sea becomes the English Channel connecting to the Atlantic Ocean. In the east, it connects to the Baltic Sea via the Skagerrak and Kattegat, narrow straits that separate Denmark from Norway and Sweden respectively...
in August 1777. After a brief spell off the Norwegian and Danish coasts, she sailed for North America. On 27 August 1778 she captured the American privateer
Privateer
A privateer is a private person or ship authorized by a government by letters of marque to attack foreign shipping during wartime. Privateering was a way of mobilizing armed ships and sailors without having to spend public money or commit naval officers...
Resistance, before passing under the command of Captain Charles Phipps. Phipps and the Ariel captured the American privateer New Broom on 22 October 1778. The next year, in February, Captain Thomas Mackenzie took over command of the Ariel.
Capture
On 10 September 1779, whilst the Ariel was cruising off GeorgiaGeorgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
, the 32-gun French Amazone, then part of d’Estaing’s
Charles Hector, comte d'Estaing
Jean Baptiste Charles Henri Hector, comte d'Estaing was a French general, and admiral. He began his service as a soldier in the War of the Austrian Succession, briefly spending time as a prisoner of war of the British during the Seven Years' War...
fleet, brought her to battle. After losing four of his crew dead and another 20 wounded, Mackenzie surrendered Ariel. The French took the captured ship into service as Ariel.
The French lent her to the American Continental Navy
Continental Navy
The Continental Navy was the navy of the United States during the American Revolutionary War, and was formed in 1775. Through the efforts of the Continental Navy's patron, John Adams and vigorous Congressional support in the face of stiff opposition, the fleet cumulatively became relatively...
in October 1780, where she served briefly as USS Ariel. The Americans returned her to the French in June 1781. She was burnt on the Scheldt
Scheldt
The Scheldt is a 350 km long river in northern France, western Belgium and the southwestern part of the Netherlands...
in March 1793.