Experiment (24)
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Origin and History
The ship was a sixth rate frigate built at Rotherhithe and launched in 1740.
During the War of the Austrian Succession, the frigate cruised the coast of Scotland in 1746.
During the Seven Years' War, the frigate was under the command of:
- from 1755 to June 1756: captain James Gilchrist
- from June 1756: captain William Gough
- from September 9 1756 to ???: captain John Strachan
- from March 21 1758 to at least December 1758: captain John Carter Allen
The frigate was sold in 1763.
Service during the War
At the beginning of 1756, the frigate was part of the small squadron operating in the Mediterranean under the command of captain George Edgecumbe. When a French amphibious force invaded Minorca, this squadron managed to escape the French fleet on April 23, leaving the harbour after bringing in about ten captured French merchant vessels. It arrived at Gibraltar on May 2. The frigate then joined admiral Byng's squadron which sailed from Gibraltar on May 8 to relieve Fort St. Philip besieged by the French. On May 19, the squadron came into sight of Fort St. Philip. On May 20, the frigate took part to the battle of Minorca where several British ships were seriously damaged but none was lost on either side. After a council of war, Byng gave orders to return to Gibraltar, abandoning Minorca to its fate.
In October 1758, the frigate was part of commodore Augustus Keppel's squadron assigned to the expedition against Gorée in Sénégal. On October 26, the fleet embarked some troops at Kinsale in Ireland and sailed off on November 11. On December 29, the squadron bombarded Gorée, soon silencing the French batteries and forcing the town to surrender. The squadron then escorted the British troops to Sénégal where they would take station and returned to Great Britain.
To do: campaigns from 1759 to 1762
Characteristics
| Guns | 24
| ||||
| Crew | ??? | ||||
| Length | ??? | ||||
| Width | ??? | ||||
| Depth | ??? | ||||
| Displacement | ??? |
References
Clowes, Wm. Laird, The Royal Navy – A History from the Earliest Time to the Present, Vol. III, Sampson Low, Marston and Company, London: 1898, pp. 146-160
Phillips, M., Michael Phillip's Ships of the Old Navy
N.B.: the section Service during the War is mostly derived from our articles depicting the various campaigns, battles and sieges.
