Black Prince-class ship of the line facts for kids
HMS Melville
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Quick facts for kids Class overview |
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| Name: | Black Prince |
| Operators: |  Royal Navy |
| Preceded by: | Vengeur class |
| In service: | 24 February 1815 - 1940 |
| Completed: | 4 |
| General characteristics | |
| Type | Ship of the line |
| Length |
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| Beam | 47 ft 6 in (14.48 m) |
| Propulsion | Sails |
| Armament |
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The Black Prince-class ships were a group of four powerful sailing warships. They were built for the Royal Navy (Britain's navy) around the end of the Napoleonic Wars. These ships were known as "ships of the line" because they were strong enough to fight in the main battle line. They were also called "74-gun third-rates" because they carried 74 guns and were the third largest type of warship.
The design for these ships was based on a captured Danish ship called the Christian VII. It was made a bit smaller to create the Black Prince class.
One ship, the Wellesley, had an interesting story. Even though it was supposed to be built like the other Black Prince ships, its building plans were lost. This happened when the ship carrying the plans was captured and burned by American forces. So, Wellesley ended up being built using the plans of a different ship. Later, in 1940, Wellesley became the only ship of its kind ever sunk by an air attack.
Another ship, the Hawke, was changed in the 1850s. It was updated with "screw propulsion," meaning it got a propeller powered by an engine, not just sails. It was also used as a "blockship," a type of ship used to defend harbors.
Ships of the Black Prince Class
This section lists the four ships that belonged to the Black Prince class. It shows where they were built, when they were ordered, and what happened to them.
HMS Wellesley
- Builder: Bombay Dockyard
- Ordered: January 6, 1812
- Started building: May 1813
- Launched: February 24, 1815
- Fate: Sunk in an air attack by the Luftwaffe (German air force) in 1940.
HMS Black Prince
- Builder: Woolwich Dockyard
- Ordered: August 14, 1810
- Started building: July 1814
- Launched: March 30, 1816
- Fate: Taken apart (broken up) in 1855.
HMS Melville
- Builder: Bombay Dockyard
- Ordered: September 6, 1813
- Started building: July 1815
- Launched: February 17, 1817
- Fate: Sold in 1873.
HMS Hawke
- Builder: Woolwich Dockyard
- Ordered: January 6, 1812
- Started building: April 1815
- Launched: March 16, 1820
- Fate: Taken apart (broken up) in 1865.
