Vengeance (28)
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Origin and History
The frigate “Vengeance” was built in Saint-Malo and acquired by a private owner in 1757. On January 8 1758, she was captured off the Lizard by the British Hussar (28). On June 21, she was incorporated into the Royal Navy as the “HMS Vengeance”.
During the Seven Years' War, the frigate was under the command of:
- from October 18 1758 to June 1761: Captain Gamaliel Nightingale
The frigate was sunk at Plymouth as a breakwater in October 1766.
Service during the War
In the British service
At the end of October 1758, the frigate served in the Irish Sea.
From January 1759, the frigate was used in the impressment service that year. In October, she was attached to the squadron of Commodore Duff, observing the French fleet in Brest.
On November 20 1759 in the morning, the frigate informed commodore Duff that the Brest fleet had put to sea. Her captain on entering the bay had fired guns to alarm the commodore. Duff realised at once the danger that was upon him and immediately made the signal for his ships to cut their cables. In a few minutes they were all under way. The same day, the frigate was present at the decisive battle of Quiberon who eliminated any serious threat from the French navy for the rest of the war. On November 22, the frigate was among the British vessels sent to set the Soleil-Royal (84) and Héros (74) on fire. The French, however, anticipated it by themselves burning the former.
On April 6 1760, the frigate captured the French corsair Comte de Nancy. On June 22, the frigate sailed for Québec and had returned to Great Britain by September.
On January 27, the frigate captured the privateer Minerve. On March 13 at 5:00 PM, the frigate engaged the French Entreprenant (pierced for 44 guns but mounting only 26 x 412-pdrs and 6-pdrs with 203 men), which was sailing from Bordeaux for San Domingo. The combat lasted 45 minutes before the Vengeance was forced to disengage to repair her rigging and sails. After a second engagement, the Vengeance was repulsed once more. In a third combat which lasted 90 minutes, the Vengeance finally captured the Entreprenant. In this encounter the Vengeance lost 6 men killed and 27 wounded and the Entreprenant 5 men killed and 24 wounded. The Vengeance brought her prize to Plymouth. On March 23, the frigate captured the French privateer Tigre, On April, 5, she captured the French privateer Auguste (12).
Characteristics
| Guns | 28 guns
| ||||||
| Crew | 200 men | ||||||
| Length at gundeck | 116 ft 11 in (35.63 m) | ||||||
| Width | 32 ft 4 in (9.85 m) | ||||||
| Depth | 11 ft 3 in (3.43 m) | ||||||
| Displacement | 533 tons BM |
References
Blasco, Manuel, British 6th Rates, 3 Decks Wiki
Harrison, Simon; Three Decks - Warships in the Age of Sail
Phillips, M., Michael Phillip's Ships of the Old Navy
N.B.: the section Service during the War is partly derived from our articles depicting the various campaigns, battles and sieges.
