View source for HMS Culloden (1747)

{{short description|Ship of the line of the Royal Navy}}
{{other ships|HMS Culloden}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2017}}
{{Use British English|date=August 2017}}
{|{{Infobox ship begin}}
{{Infobox ship image
|Ship image=Unnamed 161ft 74-gun Third Rate, two-decker, possibly the 'Culloden' (1747) RMG J3282.png
|Ship caption=A 161 ft 74-gun two-decker third rate, possibly ''Culloden''
}}
{{Infobox ship career
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|Ship country=[[Kingdom of Great Britain|Great Britain]]
|Ship flag=[[File:Naval Ensign of Great Britain (1707-1800).svg|60px|Royal Navy Ensign]]
|Ship name=HMS ''Culloden''
|Ship ordered=31 December 1744
|Ship builder=Deptford Dockyard
|Ship original cost=
|Ship laid down=
|Ship launched=9 September 1747
|Ship acquired=
|Ship commissioned=
|Ship decommissioned=
|Ship in service=
|Ship out of service=
|Ship renamed=
|Ship struck=
|Ship reinstated=
|Ship honours=
|Ship captured=
|Ship fate=Sold, 29 June 1770
|Ship notes=
}}
{{Infobox ship characteristics
|Hide header=
|Header caption=<ref name="Lavery, SoLv1 p172">Lavery, Ships of the Line vol. 1, p. 172.</ref>
|Ship class=[[1719 Establishment#1741 proposals|1741 proposals]] 74-gun [[third-rate]] [[ship of the line]]
|Ship tons burthen=1487 [[Builder's Old Measurement|bm]]
|Ship length={{convert|161|ft|m|1|abbr=on}} (gundeck)
|Ship beam={{convert|46|ft|m|1|abbr=on}}
|Ship draught=
|Ship hold depth={{convert|19|ft|4|in|m|1|abbr=on}}
|Ship propulsion=Sails
|Ship sail plan=[[Full-rigged ship]]
|Ship complement=
|Ship armament=*74 guns:
*Gundeck: 28 × 32 pdrs
*Upper gundeck: 28 × 18 pdrs
*Quarterdeck: 14 × 9 pdrs
*Forecastle: 4 × 9 pdrs
|Ship notes=
}}
|}

'''HMS ''Culloden''''' was a 74-gun [[third-rate]] [[ship of the line]] of the [[Royal Navy]], built according to the dimensions laid out by the [[1719 Establishment#1741 proposals|1741 proposals]] of the [[1719 Establishment]] at [[Deptford Dockyard]], and launched on 9 September 1747.<ref name="Lavery, SoLv1 p172" /> She was the first ship to bear the name, and was named for the [[Battle of Culloden]], which had been fought the previous year.

==Construction==
''Culloden'' was the first [[Kingdom of Great Britain|British]] 74-gun ship built since {{HMS|Edgar|1668|6}} in 1668. Her dimensions matched those of an Establishment 80-gun ship, but she was pierced with more gunports on her gundecks. She was also the smallest 74 of the eighteenth century, and was not considered a particularly successful ship by those who served in her.<ref name="Lavery, SoLv1 p93">Lavery, Ships of the Line vol. 1, p. 93.</ref>

==Navy service==
{{Quote box|bgcolor=#E0E6F8|
 |title = 
 |quote = "... They gained great honour in bravely and resolutely withstanding, for near three hours, the continual firing from numberless batteries; some they did and others they could not see. They have a great many men killed or wounded ... the ''Culloden'' is in a most shattered condition."
 |source = — Extract of a 1759 letter describing ''Culloden'' and other vessels in action off the French port of Toulon.<ref name=Caledonian>{{cite news|title =Extract of a Letter from Leghorn, June 15 | work =The Caledonian Mercury | page =1 | publisher =Walter Ruddiman, John Richardson and Company|location=Edinburgh | date =9 July 1759| url =http://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000045/17590709/005/0001|url-access=subscription | access-date =4 December 2016 }}</ref>
 |align = right
 | width = 25%
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''Culloden'' saw active service during the [[Seven Years' War]], including as part of Britain's ongoing blockade of the French port of [[Toulon]] in 1759. On 7 June 1759 she was sent close to the port as part of an attempt to burn two French ships that had taken shelter there. The attack was unsuccessful and ''Culloden'' was reported to be "most shattered" by French gunfire.<ref name=Caledonian/>

She was finally sold on 29 June 1770, after 23 years in service.

==Notes==
{{reflist}}

==References==
* {{Cite Colledge2006}}
* Lavery, Brian (2003) ''The Ship of the Line – Volume 1: The development of the battlefleet 1650–1850.'' Conway Maritime Press. {{ISBN|0-85177-252-8}}.

{{1719 Establishment ships|1741}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Culloden (1747)}}
[[Category:Ships of the line of the Royal Navy]]
[[Category:1747 ships]]