HMS Eagle (1745)

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For other ships with the same name, see HMS Eagle.

Eagle
History
Royal Navy EnsignGreat Britain
NameHMS Eagle
Ordered10 April 1744
BuilderJohn Barnard, Harwich
Launched2 December 1745
Honours and
awards
Second battle of Cape Finisterre
, 1747
FateSold, 1767
General characteristics [1]
Class and type
Fourth rate ship of the line
Length147 ft (44.8 m) (gundeck)
Beam42 ft (12.8 m)
Depth of hold18 ft 1 in (5.5 m)
PropulsionSails
Sail planFull-rigged ship
Armament
  • 58 guns:
  • Gundeck: 24 × 24 pdrs
  • Upper gundeck: 24 × 12 pdrs
  • Quarterdeck: 8 × 6 pdrs
  • Forecastle: 2 × 6 pdrs

HMS Eagle was a 58-gun

fourth rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy built at King's Yard in Harwich by John Barnard
and launched in 1745.

Construction

The contract for construction was issued on 10 April 1744 for a vessel named Centurion, a fourth-rate ship of the line to be built according to dimensions laid down in the

Admiral Anson's flagship, which was returned to active service.[2]

As built, Eagle had an overall length of 147 ft 0 in (44.8 m) with a gundeck of 119 ft 9 in (36.5 m). Her beam was 42 ft 1.5 in (12.8 m) with a hold depth of 18 ft 2 in (5.5 m). She measured 1130 29⁄94

tons burthen. Construction costs were £14,767 exclusive of armament and rigging. Her designated crew was 420 men.[2][a]

She was originally designed to carry 56 guns with an upper and lower gun deck each carrying 24 24-pounder cannons, eight 6-pounder cannons on her quarterdeck and two additional 6-pounders mounted on the forecastle. Two more 24-pounder cannons were added to the upper deck prior to launch in 1745.[2]

Naval service

Eagle was launched on 2 December 1745. She was under the command of

George Rodney between 1747 and 1748 during the War of the Austrian Succession. Eagle is also notable as being the ship in which James Cook began his career in the Royal Navy, serving from 1755 to 1757 as able seaman, master's mate and finally boatswain[4] under Captain Joseph Hamar for his first year aboard, and Captain Hugh Palliser thereafter.[5]

Eagle was sold out of Navy service in 1767.[1]

References

Notes

  1. ^ In purchasing power, this equates to a relative value of £2.18m in 2014 terms.[3]

Citations

  1. ^ a b c Lavery, Ships of the Line vol.1, p172.
  2. ^ a b c d Winfield 2007, p.128
  3. ^ "Purchasing Power of British Pounds from 1264 to Present". MeasuringWorth. 2015. Retrieved 30 August 2015.
  4. ^ Beaglehole 1968, p. cvii
  5. ISBN 9781742231099
    .

Bibliography


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