Gibraltar Group
| Class overview | |
|---|---|
| Name | Gibraltar Group |
| Builders | Woolwich Dockyard |
| Operators |  Royal Navy |
| Preceded by | Flamborough Group |
| Succeeded by | 1719 Establishment Group |
| Built | 1710–1716 |
| In service | 1706–1748 |
| Completed | 12 |
| Lost | 3 |
| Retired | 9 |
| General characteristics | |
| Type | 24-gun sixth rate |
| Tons burthen | 276 bm |
| Length |
|
| Beam | 26 ft 0 in (7.9 m) for tonnage |
| Depth of hold | 10 ft 8 in (3.3 m) |
| Sail plan | ship-rigged |
| Armament |
|
The Gibraltar Group of sixth rates were basically repeats of the Maidstone Group. Ten ships were ordered with one of a slightly different design (but basically the same) and another added in 1711, for a total of twelve vessels. Their armament was similar as were the dimensions of the vessels. They were constructed between 1710 and 1716.[1]
Design and specifications
The construction of the vessels was assigned to Royal dockyards. As with most vessels of this time period only order and launch dates are available. The dimensional data listed here is the specification data and the acceptable design creep will be listed on each individual vessel. The gundeck was 94 feet 0 inches (28.7 metres) with a keel length of 76 feet 9 inches (23.4 metres) for tonnage calculation. The breadth would be 26 feet 0 inches (7.9 metres) for tonnage with a depth of hold of 10 ft 8 in (3.3 m). The tonnage calculation would be 276 tons.[2]
The gun armament as established in 1703 would be twenty 6-pounder 19 hundredweight (cwt) guns mounted on wooden trucks on the upper deck (UD) with four 4-pounder 12 cwt guns on the quarterdeck (QD). The 4-pounders would be removed in 1714.[3]
Ships of the Gibraltar Group
| Name | Builder | Launch date | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|
| Solebay (1711) | Portsmouth Dockyard | 21 August 1711 | sold 23 June 1748 |
| Gibraltar (1711) | Deptford Dockyard | 18 October 1711 | dismantled at Deptford for rebuilding |
| Port Mahon (1711) | Deptford Dockyard | 18 October 1711 | Broken at Plymouth May 1740 |
| Blandford (1711) | Woolwich Dockyard | 29 October 1711 | Foundered in North Sea with all hands 23 March 1719 |
| Hind (1712) | Woolwich Dockyard | 31 January 1712 | Wrecked off Guernsey 7 December 1721 |
| Seahorse (1712) | Portsmouth Dockyard | 13 February 1712 | dismantled at Deptford for rebuilding |
| Rose (1712) | Chatham Dockyard | 24 April 1712 | dismantled at Woolwich for rebuilding |
| Bideford (1712) | Deptford Dockyard | 14 March 1712 | dismantled at Deptford for rebuilding |
| Success (1712) | Portsmouth Dockyard | 30 April 1712 | Sold Plymouth 22 July 1743 |
| Greyhound (1712) | Woolwich Dockyard | 21 June 1712 | Taken by Spanish 5 September 1718, retaken 16 September 1719 and burnt |
| Lively (1713) | Plymouth Dockyard | 28 May 1713 | Broken at Portsmouth completed in December 1738 |
| Speedwell (1716) | Deptford Dockyard | 23 March 1716 | Wrecked on Dutch coast 21 November 1720 |
Citations
References
- Winfield 2009, British Warships in the Age of Sail (1603 – 1714), by Rif Winfield, published by Seaforth Publishing, England © 2009, EPUB ISBN 978-1-78346-924-6, Chapter 6, The Sixth Rates, Vessels acquired from 2 May 1660, Gibraltar Group
- Winfield 2007, British Warships in the Age of Sail (1714 – 1792), by Rif Winfield, published by Seaforth Publishing, England © 2007, EPUB ISBN 978-1-78346-925-3, Chapter 6, Sixth Rates, Sixth Rates of 20 or 24 guns, Vessels in Service at 1 August 1714, Gibraltar Group
- Colledge, Ships of the Royal Navy, by J.J. Colledge, revised and updated by Lt Cdr Ben Warlow and Steve Bush, published by Seaforth Publishing, Barnsley, Great Britain, © 2020, EPUB ISBN 978-1-5267-9328-7