British Sixth Rate ship 'Sphinx' (1779)

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Sphinx	20157
Nominal Guns	20	BWAS-1714
Nationality	Great Britain
Operator	Royal Navy
Previously	French Sixth Rate ship 'Le Sphinx' (1779) (20) 1779-1779 French 20 Gun 6th Rate Ship
Captured	29.12.1779	BWAS-1714
Shipyard	Portsmouth Dockyard - Portsmouth
Category	Sixth Rate	BWAS-1714
Ship Type	Ship	BWAS-1714
Sailing Rig	Ship Rigged	BWAS-1714
Broken Up	24.6.1811	BWAS-1714

Dimensions

DimensionMeasurementTypeMetric EquivalentBWAS-1714
Length of Gundeck108' 0"Imperial Feet32.9184
Length of Keel89' 7 ⅜"Imperial Feet27.1367
Breadth30' 1"Imperial Feet9.1694
Depth in Hold9' 8"Imperial Feet2.9464
Burthen431 ³⁷⁄₉₄Tons BM

Armament

12.1779Broadside Weight = 90 Imperial Pound ( 40.815 kg)BWAS-1714
Upper Gun Deck20 British 9-Pounder

22.7.1782Broadside Weight = 126 Imperial Pound ( 57.141 kg)ref:2002
Upper Gun Deck20 British 9-Pounder
Quarterdeck6 British 12-Pound Carronade

17 Ship Commanders

DatesRankNameSource
3.4.1779 - 25.8.1779Captain Transfered ADM 6/22/195
Issued by , North America
Confirmed 9.11.1780ADM 6/2223.1.1780 - 23.5.1780Captain Transfered ADM 6/22/218
Issued by , West Indies - North Atlantic Ocean
Confirmed 29.12.1780BWAS-171423.5.1780 - 26.9.1780Captain Transfered ADM 6/22/182
Issued by , Barbados - Windward Islands - Barbados & the Leeward Islands
Confirmed 12.10.1780ADM 6/222.10.1780 - 3.10.1780Captain ADM 6/22/178ADM 6/223.10.1780 - 9.4.1781Captain Transfered ADM 6/22/178ADM 6/2231.1.1782 - 19.6.1783Captain ADM 6/22/405BWAS-171419.6.1783 - 10.1786Captain ADM 6/23/87BWAS-171417.7.1790 - 6.1792Captain ADM 6/24/51BWAS-171426.3.1793 - 4.10.1794Captain ADM 6/24/223BWAS-17144.10.1794Captain ADM 6/25/92ADM 6/255.1795 - 3.1796CaptainBWAS-17143.1796 - 4.1796CommanderBWAS-17144.1796 - 11.1796CommanderBWAS-171411.1796 - 9.1797LieutenantBWAS-17149.1797 - 1798CaptainBWAS-17144.1799 - 6.1799LieutenantBWAS-17146.1799CaptainBWAS-1714

9 Commissioned Officers

DatesRankNameSource
20.2.1782 - 30.5.1782Lieutenant: on board from 26.2.1782 ADM 6/22/413ADM 6/221.12.1787 - 11.1.1788Lieutenant Transfered ADM 6/23/441ADM 6/2327.7.1790 - 15.5.1791Lieutenant ADM 6/24/56ADM 6/2416.5.1791 - 1.7.1791First Lieutenant ADM 6/24/122ADM 6/2416.5.1791 - 9.9.1792Second Lieutenant Transfered ADM 6/24/122ADM 6/242.7.1791 - 8.6.1792First Lieutenant Transfered ADM 6/24/126ADM 6/244.4.1793 - 1793First Lieutenant ADM 6/24/226ADM 6/244.4.1793 - 1793Second Lieutenant ADM 6/24/226ADM 6/2421.3.1795 - 2.1796Lieutenantref:616

Service History

DateEventSource
12.1779Recommissioned in the Leeward IslandsBWAS-1714
9.1780Paid offBWAS-1714
2.1781Began middling repair at Deptford Dockyard - Deptford BWAS-1714
1.1782RecommissionedBWAS-1714
4.1782Completed middling repair at Deptford Dockyard - Deptford BWAS-1714
5.1783Paid offBWAS-1714
6.1783RecommissionedBWAS-1714
16.10.1783Sailed for the MediterraneanBWAS-1714
10.1786Paid offBWAS-1714
12.1788Began middling repair at Woolwich Dockyard - Woolwich BWAS-1714
5.1789Completed middling repair at Woolwich Dockyard - Woolwich at a cost of £6979.0.0dBWAS-1714
7.1790RecommissionedBWAS-1714
7.1790Began fitting at Woolwich Dockyard - Woolwich BWAS-1714
9.1790Completed fitting at Woolwich Dockyard - Woolwich at a cost of £3259.0.0dBWAS-1714
6.1792Paid offBWAS-1714
2.1793Began fitting at Deptford - London BWAS-1714
3.1793RecommissionedBWAS-1714
3.1793Completed fitting at Deptford - London at a cost of £1108.0.0dBWAS-1714
12.1.1794Took the Sloop off Cape Clear
10.1794RecommissionedBWAS-1714
3.4.1795Sailed for the East IndiesBWAS-1714
17.8.1796At surrender of the Dutch in Saldanha BayBWAS-1714
2.12.1796Capture of Foul Point, MadagascarBWAS-1714
9.1797At the Cape of Good HopeBWAS-1714
6.1799Paid off?BWAS-1714
24.6.1811Breaking up begun at PortsmouthBWAS-1714

Sources

IDNameAuthorType

ADM 6/22 Archive

ADM 6/23 Archive

ADM 6/24 Archive

ADM 6/25 Archive

BWAS-1714Rif Winfield, Book

ref:2002 Archive

ref:616Nicholas Tracy, Book

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