Thetis HMS

The full index of our ship stamp archive
Post Reply
shipstamps
Posts: 0
Joined: Fri Mar 13, 2009 8:12 pm

Thetis HMS

Post by shipstamps » Sat Sep 06, 2008 9:50 am


She was a wooden 5th rate ship built by Henry Adams at Bucklers Hard, for the Royal Navy. Her design was by Williams.

February 1771 keel laid down.

02 Nov. 1773 launched under the name HMS THETIS one of the Amazon class.

Tonnage 677 tons (bm), dim. 126 x 35 x 12.2ft.

Armament 26 – 12 pdrs., 4 – 6 pdrs. and 2 – 6pdrs on the foc’sel, and 12 swivel guns.
Crew 220.

On 01 May 1779 under command of Capt. John Gell whilst in company with HMS frigate MONTREAL (32) and just outside the Strait of Gibraltar they encountered the two French 74’s BOURGOGNE and VICTOIRE.

HMS THETIS as a faster sailer managed to escape but the MONTREAL was not so lucky and was captured.

29 July 1780 in company with HMS RAMILLES (74) under Capt. John Moutray and HMS SOUTHAMPTON (36) they sailed from England as a convoy escort for a large convoy of 63 merchantmen bound for the East & West Indies. On 08 August 1780 a strange sails were seen on the horizon so Capt. Moutray gave orders for the convoy to change course and follow him close to the wind. Most of them ignored his orders and came daybreak they found themselves close to an enormous Franco-Spanish fleet which captured 55 of them. Only the British warships and 9 merchantmen escaped.

12 May 1781 under command of Capt. Robert Linzee she struck a rock off St Lucia and sank.

Auke Palmhof

Source Log Book Vol. 32 by Richard Emmerson.

Post Reply