Zephyr (10)
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Origin and History
The sloop of war was designed by Sir Thomas Slade, built at Rotherhithe and launched on March 20, 1756 as the HMS Merlin. She was captured by the French Navy in 1757. She was re-captured by the Royal Navy in September 1757 and renamed Zephyr.
During the Seven Years' War, the sloop of war was under the command of:
- in 1759: Commander William Greenwood
- in 1762: Commander John Botterell
The sloop of war was captured by the enemy on August 23 1778 and burnt in 1780.
Service during the War
In February 1759, the sloop of war sailed from Spithead in Great Britain as part of the fleet destined for the expedition against Québec. The voyage was long and tedious. On April 21, when the fleet finally reached Louisbourg, it was to find the harbour blocked with ice, so that the fleet made for Halifax instead. The fleet finally sailed for Louisbourg in May. From June 1 to 6, the fleet gradually left the harbour of Louisbourg and sailed for Québec. On June 23, Saunders' fleet made a junction with Durell's squadron at Isles-aux-Coudres. On June 26, the whole British fleet of Vice-Admiral Saunders was anchored safely off the southern shore of Isle-d'Orléans, a few km below Québec without loosing a single ship. Québec finally surrendered on September 18. At the end of October, Vice-Admiral Saunders fired his farewell salute and dropped down the Saint-Laurent river with his fleet on his way to Great Britain.
In January 1762, the sloop took part in the expedition against Martinique.
Characteristics
| Guns | 10
| ||
| Crew | 100 | ||
| Length | 86 ft 6 in (26.23 m) | ||
| Width | 24 ft 5 in (7.33 m) | ||
| Depth | 10 ft 10 in (3.05 m) | ||
| Displacement | 223 tons BM |
References
Blasco, Manuel, Unrated 1714-1792, 3 Decks Wiki
Harrison, Simon and Manuel Blasco, 3 Decks
N.B.: the section Service during the War is mostly derived from our articles depicting the various campaigns, battles and sieges.
