HMS ''Ceres'' was a 32-gun fifth-rate [[frigate]] of the [[Royal Navy]], launched in 1790. She is particularly noted for her capture by a French squadron in 1794, an event that gives context to the "1794 ship" designation.
History
- Construction and Launch: Built by John Randall & Co. at Rotherhithe, she was launched on 22 October 1790.
- Early Service: Commissioned into the Royal Navy, she served during the early years of the [[French Revolutionary Wars]].
- Capture (1794): On 27 June 1794, while operating in the [[Caribbean Sea]] off [[Guadeloupe]], ''Ceres'' encountered a superior French squadron consisting of three frigates: ''[[L'Insurgente (1793 frigate)|L'Insurgente]]'', ''[[Engageante (1793 frigate)|Engageante]]'', and ''[[Cybèle (1793 frigate)|Cybèle]]''. After a pursuit and engagement, Captain William Gordon of ''Ceres'' was forced to strike his colours to the overwhelming French force.
- French Service: Following her capture, the French Navy took her into service, renaming her ''Cérès''. She was later renamed ''Ville de Lorient''.
- Fate: ''Cérès'' (ex-HMS ''Ceres'') remained in French service until 1799. On 2 July 1799, a British expedition under Sir John Borlase Warren attacked the French port of [[Lorient]]. During this action, the former ''Ceres'' was set on fire and destroyed by the British to prevent her further use by the French.
Specifications (at launch)
- Type: Fifth-rate frigate
- Guns: 32 (typically 26 x 12-pounder cannons on the main deck, 6 x 6-pounder cannons on the quarterdeck and forecastle)
- Length: Approximately 120 ft (37 m) on the gundeck
- Beam: Approximately 33 ft (10 m)
- Complement: Around 200 men
References
- [[List of ships of the Royal Navy]]
- [[List of frigates of the Royal Navy]]
- Colledge, J. J.; Warlow, Ben (2006) [1969]. ''Ships of the Royal Navy: The Complete Record of all Fighting Ships of the Royal Navy'' (Rev. ed.). London: Chatham Publishing. ISBN 978-1-86176-281-8.
- Clowes, William Laird (1997) [1900]. ''The Royal Navy, A History from the Earliest Times to 1900, Volume IV''. Chatham Publishing. ISBN 1-86176-013-2.
[[Category:Royal Navy frigates]] [[Category:1790 ships]] [[Category:Ships captured in the French Revolutionary Wars]] [[Category:Ships destroyed by fire]]