HMS Augusta (1763)

For other ships of the same name, see HMS Augusta.
History
Great Britain
Name: HMS Augusta
Ordered: 13 January 1761
Builder: Wells and Stanton, Rotherhithe
Launched: 24 October 1763
Fate: Burned, 22 October 1777
General characteristics [1]
Class and type: St Albans-class ship of the line
Tons burthen: 13813394 (bm)
Length: 159 ft (48 m) (gundeck)
Beam: 44 ft 4 in (13.51 m)
Depth of hold: 18 ft 10 in (5.74 m)
Propulsion: Sails
Sail plan: Full rigged ship
Armament:
  • 64 guns:
  • Gundeck: 26 × 24-pounders
  • Upper gundeck: 26 × 18-pounders
  • Quarterdeck: 10 × 4-pounders
  • Forecastle: 2 × 9-pounders

HMS Augusta was a 64-gun third rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy, launched on 24 October 1763 at Rotherhithe.[1]

She was accidentally destroyed by fire on 22 October 1777 during the Battle of Red Bank.[2]

Loss

On the evening of 22 October 1777, the Augusta and several other warships had sailed up the Delaware River to a point a short distance below some man-made obstructions in order to fire at Fort Mercer the following day. As the tide fell, both Augusta and HMS Merlin (18) went aground. Despite attempts during the night by HMS Roebuck (44) to free Augusta from its predicament, the warship remained hard aground. About 9:00 AM on 23 October, a general action started with HMS Pearl (32) and HMS Liverpool (28) joining other vessels in the bombardment. The British ships were engaged by Fort Mifflin and the Pennsylvania Navy, which launched four fire ships. At about 2:00 PM, the Augusta caught fire near its stern, according to an American eyewitness. The fire spread rapidly and soon the entire vessel was wrapped in flames. After about an hour the fire reached the magazine and the ship exploded. The blast smashed windows in Philadelphia and was heard 30 miles (48 km) away in Trappe, Pennsylvania. The loss of the Augusta was attributed to various causes. The British claimed that the blaze was started when wadding from the guns set the rigging on fire or that the crew intentionally set the blaze. Some Americans asserted that Augusta was ignited by a fire ship while others stated that its loss was caused by red-hot shot from Fort Mifflin. John Montresor, the British officer in charge of the Siege of Fort Mifflin, wrote that one lieutenant, the ship's chaplain and 60 of Augusta's ratings were killed while struggling in the water. Soon after, the crew of Merlin abandoned ship and set their ship on fire. It blew up later in the day.[3]

Notes

  1. 1 2 Lavery, Ships of the Line, vol. 1, p. 178.
  2. Ships of the Old Navy, Augusta.
  3. McGuire, Thomas J. (2007). The Philadelphia Campaign, Volume II. Mechanicsburg, Penn.: Stackpole Books. pp. 171–174. ISBN 0-8117-0206-5.

References

  • Lavery, Brian (2003) The Ship of the Line - Volume 1: The development of the battlefleet 1650-1850. Conway Maritime Press. ISBN 0-85177-252-8.
  • McGuire, Thomas J. (2007). The Philadelphia Campaign, Volume II. Mechanicsburg, Penn.: Stackpole Books. ISBN 0-8117-0206-5. 
  • Phillips, Michael. Augusta (64) (1763). Michael Phillips' Ships of the Old Navy. Retrieved 1 September 2008.

External links


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