HMS Amazon (1795) facts for kids
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Amazon (right) and Indefatigable (left) fighting the Droits de l'Homme (centre), by Léopold Le Guen (1853)
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Quick facts for kids History |
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 Great Britain |
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| Name | HMS Amazon |
| Ordered | 24 May 1794 |
| Builder | Wells & Co., Rotherhithe |
| Laid down | June 1794 |
| Launched | 4 July 1795 |
| Completed | 25 September 1795 at Deptford Dockyard |
| Commissioned | July 1795 |
| Fate | Wrecked, 14 January 1797 |
| General characteristics | |
| Type | Fifth-rate frigate |
| Tons burthen | 933 67/94 bm |
| Length |
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| Beam | 38 ft 4 in (11.68 m) |
| Depth of hold | 13 ft 6 in (4.11 m) |
| Propulsion | Sails |
| Complement | 264 |
| Armament | 36 guns |
HMS Amazon was a fast British warship called a frigate. She had 36 guns and was built in 1795 in Rotherhithe, England. She was the first of four ships designed by Sir William Rule.
The Amazon spent her whole time at sea in the English Channel. She was part of a group of ships called the Inshore Squadron, led by Sir Edward Pellew. In 1797, she was wrecked in Audierne Bay after a tough battle with a much larger French warship, the Droits de l'Homme.
Contents
Building a Warship: HMS Amazon
Designing and Building the Amazon
The Amazon was one of four frigates built to a special design by William Rule. These ships were made to carry 36 guns, including powerful 18-pounder cannons. Her sister ship was called HMS Emerald.
Building the Amazon started in June 1794 at Wells & Co. in Rotherhithe. She was launched into the water on July 4, 1795. After launching, she went to Deptford Dockyard to be finished. This process took from September 3 to September 25, 1795. The total cost to build and equip her was about £24,681.
What Guns Did She Carry?
The Amazon was armed with many cannons. She had twenty-six 18-pounder guns on her main deck. She also carried eight 9-pounder guns and two more on her front deck. For close-range fighting, she had ten 32-pounder carronades. These were shorter, powerful cannons. When fully staffed, the ship had a crew of 264 sailors.
Life at Sea: Amazon's Service
Watching the French Fleet
In 1795, Captain Robert Carthew Reynolds commanded the Amazon. She was part of a squadron led by Sir Edward Pellew. Their main job was to watch the French port of Brest. They needed to report if the French fleet tried to leave. Pellew's group included larger ships like HMS Indefatigable and other frigates.
Chasing Enemy Ships
On April 13, 1796, Pellew's squadron spotted a French ship. HMS Révolutionnaire chased it down and captured it. This ship was the French frigate Unité.
A week later, on April 20, the Amazon was involved in another chase. The British ships were off The Lizard when they saw the French frigate Virginie. HMS Indefatigable was the fastest and engaged first. After a 15-hour chase covering 168 miles, the French ship surrendered when Amazon and Concorde arrived.
On June 13, the Amazon helped capture two more French ships near Brest. These were the 16-gun Betsy and the 14-gun Les Trois Couleurs.
The Invasion Scare
On December 11, 1796, the Amazon was sent with important news. Seven French warships had arrived in Brest. This was part of France's plan to invade Ireland. The French fleet managed to leave port and sail towards Bantry Bay. However, bad storms scattered their ships. Most of them had to return to France without achieving their goal.
The Final Battle and Wreck
Facing a Giant Warship
On January 13, 1797, the Amazon and Pellew's ship, HMS Indefatigable, met a huge French warship. This was the Droits de l'Homme, a 74-gun ship of the line. Normally, a small frigate like the Amazon would never fight such a large ship. She would be completely outgunned.
However, the sea was very rough that day. The French ship could not open her lower deck gunports. If she did, water would flood her decks. This meant she could not use many of her powerful cannons. This made the fight more even.
A Fierce Fight at Sea
Pellew's Indefatigable attacked the Droits de l'Homme first. About 90 minutes later, the Amazon joined the battle. She fired a powerful volley of shots into the French ship's side. The two British frigates attacked the French ship from both sides. They moved around to fire their cannons while trying to avoid the French ship's return fire.
Running Aground
At 4:20 AM on January 14, land was suddenly spotted ahead. The frigates had to stop their attack. They turned in opposite directions. The Amazon was badly damaged and heading north. She could not turn quickly enough and ran aground in Audierne Bay, near Isle Bas.
Three of her crew members were killed during the battle. Six more drowned as the ship was wrecked. But the rest of the crew managed to reach the shore. There, they were captured by the French. The heavy waves completely destroyed the Amazon on the beach. The Droits de l'Homme, which was also badly damaged, was wrecked too, with many casualties.
Later, on September 29, 1797, a naval court held an investigation. This was standard practice after a ship was lost. Captain Reynolds and his officers were cleared of any blame for the loss of the ship.
