Maidstone-class frigate facts for kids

Design of the Maidstone and Alcmene classes
Quick facts for kids Class overview
Name:	Maidstone-class frigate
Builders:	Deptford Dockyard: Martin Ware until June 1795, then Thomas Pollard
Operators:	Royal Navy
Preceded by:	Hermione class
Succeeded by:	Thames class
Cost:	Maidstone £25,108 Shannon £22,498
Built:	1795-1796
In commission:	1796-1810
Planned:	2
Completed:	2
General characteristics
Type	Fifth-rate frigate
Tons burthen	796 17⁄94 (bm)
Length	135 ft (41.1 m) (gundeck) 112 ft 4+1⁄4 in (34.2 m) (keel)
Beam	36 ft 6 in (11.1 m)
Depth of hold	12 ft 6 in (3.8 m)
Propulsion	Sails
Complement	240
Armament	Gundeck: 26 × 12-pounder guns QD: 4 × 6-pounder guns + 4 × 24-pounder carronades Fc: 2 × 6-pounder guns + 2 × 24-pounder carronades

The Maidstone-class frigate was a type of warship built for the Royal Navy (the British navy) a long time ago. These ships were called "frigates" and had 32 guns. They were designed by Sir John Henslow and were very similar to his earlier Alcmene class.

However, there was a big difference: the Maidstone-class ships were built using pitch pine wood instead of oak. Because pitch pine was lighter, these ships could only carry smaller 12-pounder guns instead of the more powerful 18-pounder guns that were first planned.

Only two ships were built in this class: HMS Maidstone and HMS Shannon. Neither ship served for a very long time. HMS Shannon was sold in 1802, and HMS Maidstone was taken out of service in 1804 and later taken apart in 1810.

Building the Maidstone-Class Frigates

The Maidstone-class frigates were built based on the same plans as the Alcmene class. Both classes were designed by Sir John Henslow.

Why Different Wood Was Used

The Alcmene class ships were made from strong oak wood. But the Maidstone class used pitch pine instead. This change in material was important. People worried that ships made with pitch pine wouldn't be strong enough to hold very heavy guns.

Because of this, the guns on the Maidstone-class ships were changed. Instead of the 18-pounder guns they were supposed to have, they were given smaller 12-pounder guns. Ships built with pitch pine were lighter than those made of oak. This meant they needed more ballast (heavy material at the bottom of the ship) to stay stable. They also rolled more in rough seas, which made it harder to use heavy guns.

Outdated Design for Their Time

By the time these ships were built, the Admiralty (the government department in charge of the navy) thought that frigates with 12-pounder guns were old-fashioned. The Maidstone class, along with one other ship called HMS Triton, were the last frigates built with 12-pounder guns until the Napoleonic Wars began.

Small Differences and Features

Even though they were similar, the Maidstone class had a few small differences from the Alcmene class. For example, they had stronger barricades on the quarterdeck (an upper deck). They also had a square back (called a stern) instead of a rounded one.

These ships were not super fast, usually sailing between nine and twelve knots (which is how ship speed is measured), depending on the weather. However, they were very good at handling strong winds. Their sides were quite high for 12-pounder frigates because they were originally designed for bigger guns. This gave them a lot of "freeboard," which means the part of the ship above the water was unusually high.

Construction Details

The plan to build these ships was approved on 4 February 1795. Both ships were built at Deptford Dockyard. The shipwright (ship builder) Martin Ware started the work, and then Thomas Pollard took over in June 1795.

The two ships were named Maidstone and Shannon on 28 August 1795. They were built to specific measurements:

• They were 135 ft (41.1 m) long along the gun deck.
• They were 112 ft 4+1⁄4 in (34.2 m) long at the keel (the backbone of the ship).
• Their beam (width) was 36 ft 6 in (11.1 m).
• The depth in the hold (the lowest part of the ship) was 12 ft 6 in (3.8 m).
• They measured 796¹⁷⁄₉₄ tons burthen, which is a way to measure a ship's size.

The final guns on these ships were:

• Twenty-six 12-pounder guns on the gundeck.
• Four 6-pounder guns and four 24-pound carronades on the quarterdeck.
• Two 6-pounder guns and two 24-pound carronades on the forecastle (the front part of the upper deck).

Around 1808, HMS Maidstone had all her 6-pounder guns replaced with 24-pound carronades.

The Ships of the Class

HMS Maidstone

HMS Maidstone started service in January 1796 under Captain John Mathews. She was sent to the Leeward Islands Station in the Caribbean. There, on 24 June 1797, she captured a small armed ship called Le Flibuster, which had 12 guns.

After Captain Mathews passed away, Captain Ross Donnelly took command. Maidstone served in different places like Jamaica, Halifax, and later in the English Channel in 1801.

In 1802, under Captain Richard Hussey Moubray, Maidstone sailed to the Mediterranean Sea. On 14 June 1803, she captured another ship, the 8-gun L'Arabe. Later, under Captain George Elliott, Maidstone helped with the blockade of Toulon (a French port). She was part of a group of ships that destroyed several enemy vessels near Le Lavandou on 11 July 1804.

In December of the same year, she was taken out of active service and stored at Chatham. She was finally taken apart in 1810.

HMS Shannon

HMS Shannon began her service in February 1796 under Captain Alexander Fraser. She was assigned to the Irish Station. While there, she captured several enemy privateers (armed ships owned by private individuals but allowed by the government to attack enemy shipping):

• La Mouche (16 guns) on 5 December 1797.
• Le Duguay Trouin (24 guns) on 2 February 1798.
• La Julie (18 guns) on 23 June 1798.
• Le Grand Milieu (20 guns) on 15 January 1799.

In April 1799, Captain Charles Pater took command of Shannon. Under his leadership, she took part in the Vlieter incident in August. This was when a Dutch fleet surrendered to the British without a fight.

Captain Jonas Rose became her commander in 1801. HMS Shannon was then sold at Sheerness in May 1802, ending her career.