HMS Porcupine (1777) facts for kids
Porcupine
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Quick facts for kids History |
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.svg){kind=small} Great Britain |
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| Name | HMS Porcupine |
| Ordered | 21 June 1776 |
| Awarded | 25 June 1776 |
| Builder | Edward Greaves, Limehouse |
| Laid down | July 1776 |
| Launched | 17 December 1777 |
| Completed | 14 February 1778 |
| Commissioned | December 1777 |
| Fate | Broken up at Woolwich in April 1805 |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type | 24-gun Porcupine-class sixth-rate post ship |
| Tons burthen | 519 59⁄94 (bm) |
| Length |
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| Beam | 32 ft 2+1⁄2 in (9.817 m) |
| Draught |
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| Depth of hold | 10 ft 3 in (3.12 m) |
| Sail plan | Full-rigged ship |
| Complement | 160 |
| Armament |
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HMS Porcupine was a British warship built in 1777. She was a "post ship" with 24 guns, which meant she was a smaller type of warship. She served in two big wars: the American War of Independence and the French Revolutionary Wars. She was taken apart in 1805.
Contents
Building and First Crew
The Porcupine was built in a place called Limehouse. It cost about £5,443 to build, plus another £4,604 for fitting it out and adding copper to the bottom. This copper helped protect the ship from worms and barnacles.
The ship was finished and ready for duty in February 1778. Her first captain was William Finch. When a ship is "commissioned," it means it's officially ready to join the navy and go on missions.
Porcupine in the American War of Independence
The Porcupine saw action during the American War of Independence (1775-1783). This war was fought between Great Britain and its thirteen colonies in North America, who wanted to become independent. France also joined the war against Britain.
Capturing French Ships
On September 29, 1778, Captain William Clement Finch and the Porcupine captured a large French merchant ship called Modeste. This happened in the Bay of Biscay, a bay off the coast of France and Spain.
The Modeste was a very valuable ship. She was returning from China and was full of expensive goods. Her cargo was worth about £300,000, which was a huge amount of money back then!
In March 1779, the Porcupine teamed up with two other British warships, Apollo and Milford. Together, they captured a French privateer called Tapageur. A privateer was a private ship allowed by a government to attack enemy ships during wartime. The British Navy liked Tapageur so much they decided to use her themselves.
Battles and Sieges
Around February 1780, Captain Sir Charles Knowles took command of the Porcupine. On July 22, 1781, his ship fought two large Spanish ships called xebecs near Valencia, Spain.
Later, on July 30, 1780, the Porcupine and another British ship, Minorca, fought a French frigate named Montréal. A frigate was a type of warship, usually smaller than a ship-of-the-line but faster. The battle lasted two hours, but neither side won. The British ships eventually stopped fighting.
The Porcupine also played a part in the Great Siege of Gibraltar. Gibraltar is a British territory at the southern tip of Spain. It was under siege by Spanish and French forces for a long time.
In June 1782, the British forces at Gibraltar launched 12 small gunboats. These boats were armed with powerful 18-pounder guns. The Porcupine provided crews for five of these gunboats: Europa, Fury, Scourge, Terrible, and Terror. These gunboats helped defend Gibraltar.
Over the next few years, the officers and crew of the Porcupine received prize money. This money came from the sale of enemy ships and equipment captured during the siege.
Between the Wars
After the American War of Independence ended, the Porcupine was taken out of active service in 1783. This is called being "paid off."
From August 1784 to June 1786, the ship underwent repairs and was refitted. She was then put back into service to patrol off the coast of Scotland. Later, she was prepared for duty in the English Channel, but then went back to Scotland.
In 1788, the Porcupine took part in special events. These events celebrated 100 years since the siege of Derry, a city in Northern Ireland.
The ship was at Plymouth, a major naval port, from November 1791 to January 1792. Captain Edward Buller took command in August. Then, Captain Manley Dixon replaced him in 1793.
French Revolutionary Wars
The Porcupine was involved in the French Revolutionary Wars, which began in 1792. These wars were fought between France and several European countries, including Great Britain.
Capturing Prizes
In January 1795, the Porcupine was one of many British ships at Plymouth that benefited from the capture of several Dutch merchant ships. The next day, a group of British ships also captured a Dutch East India ship called Ostenhuyson, and the Porcupine shared in the rewards from that capture too.
In August, Captain John Draper took over command of the Porcupine. On September 26, the Porcupine and another British ship, Minotaur, recaptured an English ship called Walsingham Packet. A French privateer had captured Walsingham Packet earlier.
On March 20, 1796, the Porcupine captured a French privateer called Coureur. The Porcupine was sailing near the Lizard, a point of land in Cornwall, England. A British revenue cutter (a ship that helps collect taxes and prevent smuggling) told the Porcupine that a French privateer had just captured an English ship.
The Porcupine chased the privateer and quickly recaptured the English ship, Diamon. Captain Draper sent a small crew to take Diamon to the nearest port. Then, he continued chasing the privateer. The Coureur tried to escape by sailing very fast, but she lost her mainmast (a tall pole that holds the sails). This allowed the Porcupine to catch up. The Coureur had 8 guns and a crew of 80 men. She had left Saint-Malo, France, the day before. She had already captured one ship and was chasing another when the Porcupine arrived.
Between November and December 1796, the Porcupine captured several Spanish ships. These included La Merced, St Ignacio, Nostra Senora de la Rigla, Monserrat, Trinidad, and Santa Eulatia.
Later Service
In July 1797, Captain Charles Pater became the new commander. He sailed the Porcupine to Halifax, Nova Scotia, in Canada, the next month.
Captain Andrew Evans took command in October 1798. The Porcupine and another ship, St Albans, shared in the capture of a ship called Molly on November 8.
The Porcupine returned from Halifax on December 15, 1800. She had been escorting two merchant ships, America and Diamond. She also brought Commissioner Duncan, an important official, to Plymouth.
On April 6, 1801, the Porcupine left Portsmouth as one of the ships protecting a group of merchant vessels heading to the West Indies. She returned on September 22, 1802. On October 13, she was "paid off" again at Plymouth and put into "ordinary," which means she was stored away and not in active service.
End of the Porcupine
The HMS Porcupine was taken apart, or "broken up," in April 1805. This happened at Woolwich, a place in London where ships were built and repaired.
