British Sixth Rate frigate 'Challenger' (1826)

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Challenger
Nominal Guns	28	B181
Nationality	United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland
Operator	Royal Navy
Ordered	27.6.1825	B181
Keel Laid Down	11.1825	B181
Launched	14.11.1826	B181
How acquired	Purpose built	B181
Shipyard	Portsmouth Dockyard - Portsmouth	B181
Designed by	John HayesBritish Ship Builder	B181
Category	Sixth Rate	B181
Ship Type	Frigate
Sailing Rig	Ship Rigged
Wrecked	19.5.1835	B181

Dimensions

DimensionMeasurementTypeMetric EquivalentB181
Length of Gundeck125' 7 ½"Imperial Feet38.1127
Length of Keel105' 11 ½"Imperial Feet32.0167
Breadth32' 8 ½"Imperial Feet9.7663
Depth in Hold9' 3 ¼"Imperial Feet2.7496
Burthen602 ⁹¹⁄₉₄Tons BM

Armament

3.1827Broadside Weight = 383 Imperial Pound ( 173.6905 kg)B181
Upper Gun Deck20 British 32-Pound Carronade
Quarterdeck6 British 18-Pound Carronade
Bow Chaser2 British 9-Pounder

Crew Complement

Date# of MenNotesSource
3.1827175Design complementB181

2 Ship Commanders

DatesRankNameSource
2.7.1827 - 8.1828CaptainW02514.6.1833 - 19.5.1835CaptainW033

1 Commissioned Officer

DatesRankNameSource
23.11.1826 - 7.1828LieutenantNBD1849

1 Warrant Officer

DatesRankNameSource
25.9.1827 - 29.4.1828Masterref:1871

Service History

DateEventSource
19.5.1835

Wrecked off Mocha on the coast of Chile

B181

Sources

IDNameAuthorType

B181David Lyon, Book

NBD1849O'Brien, Digital Book

W025P. Davis, Web Site

W033Ronald Deschenes, Web Site

ref:1871 Archive

Previous comments on this page

Posted by jude de angulo on Friday 7th of October 2022 08:52

In August 1826 Fremantle was promoted to captain and in 1828 took command of the 26-gun frigate Challenger,and sent to claim the west coast of Australia for the United Kingdom. Challenger was dispatched by the Admiralty from the Cape of Good Hope on 20 March 1829, anchored in Cockburn Sound on 27 April and landing on Garden Island on 2 May. A week later he hoisted the British flag on the south head of the mouth of the Swan River and took formal possession in the name of His Majesty King George IV of "all that part of New Holland (Australia) which is not included within the territory of New South Wales.

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