HMS Fortitude (1780)

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

Fortitude
History
Great Britain
NameHMS Fortitude
Ordered2 February 1778
BuilderRandall, Rotherhithe
Laid down4 March 1778
Launched23 March 1780
Honours and
awards
FateBroken up, 1820
General characteristics [1]
Class and typeAlbion-class ship of the line
Tons burthen1645 bm
Length168 ft (51 m) (gundeck)
Depth of hold18 ft 10 in (5.74 m)
PropulsionSails
Sail planFull-rigged ship
Armament
  • 74 guns:
  • Gundeck: 28 × 32-pounder guns
  • Upper gundeck: 28 × 18-pounder guns
  • Quarterdeck: 14 × 9-pounder guns
  • Forecastle: 4 × 9-pounder guns

HMS Fortitude was a 74-gun third-rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy, built by John Randall & Co. and launched on 23 March 1780 at Rotherhithe.[1]

Battle of Dogger Bank

Under Captain

Fourth Anglo–Dutch War, Vice-Admiral Hyde Parker's shifted his flag from HMS Victory to Fortitude.[2] On 5 August, Fortitude fought in the Battle of Dogger Bank
as Parker's flagship. After a desperate, bloody battle in which neither combatant gained any advantage, both sides drew off.

French Revolutionary Wars

In 1793, under Captain

William Young she sailed for the Mediterranean to join Admiral Sir Samuel Hood's
fleet there.

On 7 February 1794 Fortitude, under the command of Captain William Young, and

Martello Towers
that they would later construct in Great Britain and many of their colonies.

Under Captain Thomas Taylor Fortitude was involved in actions off

Genoa on 13 March 1795, and Hyères on 13 July 1795. The action on 13 March resulted in Admiral William Hotham's Mediterranean Fleet chasing the French fleet and capturing Ça Ira and Censeur
, with the two fleets then sailing off in opposite directions. The action on 13 July was also indecisive, though the British captured a French 74-gun ship. Admiral Hotham resigned on 1 November 1795.

On 25 September 1795, Fortitude set sail for Britain with a large convoy. On 7 October 1795 the convoy sighted a large French squadron, off Cape St. Vincent, which sailed in pursuit of them. Before the French arrived, Censeur lost her fore topmast and had only a frigate's main mast left, rendering her useless. She was also lightly manned and short of powder. In the subsequent exchange the French recaptured Censeur, along with 30 ships of the convoy. The rest continued on to England.[4]

Fate

Fortitude served as a prison ship from 1795 and as a powder hulk at Portsmouth from 1802. She was broken up there in 1820.[1]

Citations and notes

  1. ^ a b c Lavery, Ships of the Line, vol. 1, p. 180.
  2. ^ "Engagement with the French off Ushant (History of HMS Victory)". Archived from the original on 22 July 2011. Retrieved 2 January 2010.
  3. ^ "No. 13631". The London Gazette. 11 March 1794. pp. 221–223.
  4. ^ "No. 13823". The London Gazette. 17 October 1795. pp. 1074–1075.

References
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