British Fifth Rate frigate 'Success' (1781)

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Philip AffleckBritish
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George SarradineBritish
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Success
Nominal Guns	32	BWAS-1714
Nationality	Great Britain
Operator	Royal Navy
Ordered	22.2.1779	BWAS-1714
Keel Laid Down	8.5.1779	BWAS-1714
Launched	10.4.1781	BWAS-1714
How acquired	Purpose built	BWAS-1714
Shipyard	Liverpool - Lancashire	BWAS-1714
Ship Class	Amazon Class (1770)	BWAS-1714
Designed by	John WilliamsBritish Designer Ship Builder Service 1762-1784	BWAS-1714
Constructor	John SuttonBritish Ship Owner Ship Builder Service 1802-1811	BWAS-1714
Category	Fifth Rate	BWAS-1714
Ship Type	Frigate	BWAS-1714
Sailing Rig	Ship Rigged	BWAS-1714
Captured	13.2.1801	BWAS-1714
Becomes	French Fifth Rate frigate 'Le Succès' (1801) (32) 1801-1801 French 32 Gun 5th Rate Frigate

Dimensions

DimensionMeasurementTypeMetric EquivalentBWAS-1714
Length of Gundeck126' 0"Imperial Feet38.4048
Length of Keel103' 10 ⅜"Imperial Feet31.4039
Breadth35' 2"Imperial Feet10.6782
Depth in Hold12' 2"Imperial Feet3.683
Burthen683 ²⁰⁄₉₄Tons BM

Armament

10.4.1781Broadside Weight = 228 Imperial Pound ( 103.398 kg)BWAS-1714
Upper Gun Deck26 British 12-Pounder
Quarterdeck4 British 18-Pound Carronade
Quarterdeck4 British 6-Pounder
Forecastle2 British 18-Pound Carronade
Forecastle2 British 6-Pounder

Crew Complement

Date# of MenNotesSource
1770220Design Complement

6 Ship Commanders

DatesRankNameSource
27.3.1781 - 11.1783Captain ADM 6/22/267BWAS-171422.11.1790 - 7.2.1793Captain ADM 6/24/88ADM 6/248.2.1793 - 1795Captain ADM 6/24/206BWAS-17141795 - 1796CaptainBWAS-17142.1797 - 1799CaptainBWAS-17141799 - 13.2.1801CaptainBWAS-1714

8 Commissioned Officers

DatesRankNameSource
28.3.1781 - 28.5.1782First Lieutenant Transfered ADM 6/22/268ADM 6/2222.11.1790 - 8.4.1791First Lieutenant Transfered ADM 6/24/91ADM 6/2422.11.1790 - 17.12.1790Second Lieutenant Transfered ADM 6/24/91ADM 6/249.2.1793 - 1793First Lieutenant ADM 6/24/207ADM 6/249.2.1793 - 1793Second Lieutenant ADM 6/24/207ADM 6/249.2.1793 - 1793Third Lieutenant ADM 6/24/207ADM 6/247.1797 - 19.10.1797Acting LieutenantNBD184919.10.1797 - 7.1798LieutenantNBD1849

Service History

DateEventSource
10.4.1781Began building at Liverpool - Lancashire BWAS-1714
7.1781Completed building at Liverpool - Lancashire at a cost of £13759.16.9dBWAS-1714
2.10.1781Took the Privateer In the Channel
16.3.1782Success vs Santa Catalina
20.6.1782Sailed with a convoy to JamaicaBWAS-1714
11.1783Paid offBWAS-1714
11.1790Began great repair at Gravesend - Kent BWAS-1714
12.1792Completed great repair at Gravesend - Kent at a cost of £15938.0.0dBWAS-1714
12.1792Began fitting at Chatham Dockyard - Chatham BWAS-1714
2.1793RecommissionedBWAS-1714
4.1793Completed fitting at Chatham Dockyard - Chatham at a cost of £5598.0.0dBWAS-1714
25.8.1793Sailed for JamaicaBWAS-1714
30.9.1793Took the Privateer
1797In the West IndiesBWAS-1714
5.1797Began refitting at Portsmouth Dockyard - Portsmouth BWAS-1714
8.1797Completed refitting at Portsmouth Dockyard - Portsmouth at a cost of £6356.0.0dBWAS-1714
2.6.1798Sailed for North AmericaBWAS-1714
6.1799Sailed for the MediterraneanBWAS-1714
4.6.1799Took the Polacca
18.2.1800Capture of the Généreux
25.8.1800Took the Frigate off Malta
13.2.1801Taken by Gantaume's squadron in the MediterraneanBWAS-1714

Sources

IDNameAuthorType

ADM 6/22 Archive

ADM 6/24 Archive

BWAS-1714Rif Winfield, Book

NBD1849O'Brien, Digital Book

Previous comments on this page

Posted by Tim Oakley on Saturday 27th of November 2021 19:15

9 June, 1799 Success32 Captain Shuldham Peard List of Killed and Wounded on hoard the Boats of His Majesy's Ship Success. Barge. John Grey, and John Londres, killed; James Shaw, Thomas Edwards, John Hughes, and William Robinson, wounded. Launch. William Orr, killed; Lieutenant G. Stupart, Richard Hornsby, William Madden, and James Shaw, wounded. Cutter. Thomas Needham, and William Lamb, wounded.

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Recent comments to other pages

Date posted	By	Page
Friday 24th of July 2026 08:52	Jon Miller	Philip AffleckBritish Naval Sailor Service 1743-1799
Friday 24th of July 2026 08:41	Jon Miller	George SarradineBritish Naval Sailor Service 1794-1802
Friday 24th of July 2026 08:28	Jon Miller	British Other Vessels discovery vessel 'Discovery' (1789) (10) 1789-1834 British 10 Gun Other Discovery Vessel
Friday 24th of July 2026 08:15	Jon Miller	Mark RobinsonBritish Naval Sailor Service 1740-1787
Friday 24th of July 2026 06:56	Jon Miller	British Fifth Rate frigate 'Ethalion' (1797) (38) 1797-1799 British 38 Gun 5th Rate Frigate

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