HMS Dragon (1647)

History
Royal Navy EnsignCommonwealth of England
NameDragon
Ordered9 January 1647
BuilderHenry Goddard, Chatham Dockyard
Launched1650
Commissioned1650
Honours and
awards
  • Dungeness 1652
  • Portland 1653
  • The Gabbard 1653
  • Scheveningen 1653
Royal Navy EnsignKingdom of England
NameHMS Dragon
AcquiredMay 1660
Honours and
awards
  • Lowestoffe 1665
  • Four Days' Battle 1666
  • Orfordness 1666
  • Bugia 1671
  • Barfleur 1692
Great Britain
Acquired1707 Act of Union
FateWrecked, 16 March 1712
General characteristics as built
Class and type38-gun fourth rate
Tons burthen414+7294 bm
Length
  • 120 ft 0 in (36.6 m) gundeck
  • 96 ft 0 in (29.3 m) keel for tonnage
Beam28 ft 6 in (8.7 m)
Depth of hold14 ft 3 in (4.3 m)
Sail planship-rigged
Complement
  • 150 – 1652
  • 160 – 1653
  • 130 – 1660
  • 230/200/150 – 1666
Armament
  • as built
  • 38/32 guns various types
  • 1666
  • 12 × culverins
  • 20 × demi-culverins
  • 8 × sakers
  • 1667
  • 12 × culverins (LD)
  • 20 × 8-pdrs guns (UD)
  • 4 × sakers (QD)
General characteristics after 1689-90 rebuild
Class and type46-gun fourth rate ship of the line
Tons burthen530+7994 bm
Length
  • 118 ft 11 in (36.2 m) gundeck
  • 99 ft 0 in (30.2 m) keel for tonnage
Beam31 ft 9 in (9.7 m)
Depth of hold12 ft 2 in (3.7 m)
Sail planship-rigged
Complement220
Armament
  • 1696 survey
  • 18 × 12-pdrs
  • 20 × 8-pdrs
  • 8 × sakers
  • 1703 Establishment
  • 20/18 × 12-pdr guns (8.5 ft) (LD)
  • 20/18 × 6-pdrs guns (8 ft) (UD)
  • 6/4 × 6-pdrs guns (7 ft) (UD)
  • 2/2 × 6-pdrs guns (8 ft) (Fc)
General characteristics after 1707 rebuild
Class and type46-54-gun fourth rate
Tons burthen719+7394 tons bm
Length
  • 130 ft 0 in (39.6 m) (gundeck)
  • 108 ft 0 in (32.9 m) (keel)
Beam35 ft 0 in (10.7 m)
Depth of hold14 ft 0 in (4.3 m)
Sail planFull-rigged ship
Complement185 (peacetime) – 280 (wartime)
Armament
  • 46 (peacetime) – 54 (wartime) guns comprising:
  • 22/20 × 12-pounder guns (LD)
  • 22/18 × 6-pounder guns (UD)
  • 4 × 6-pounder guns (QD)
  • 2 × 6-pounder guns (Fc)
  • Forecastle: 2 × 6p-pounder guns

HMS Dragon was a 38-gun fourth rate of the English Navy; she became part of the Royal Navy after the Restoration, built by the Master Shipwright Henry Goddard at Chatham and launched in 1647. She was the first frigate to be built at Chatham (the term 'frigate' during this period referred to a vessel designed for fast sailing, with a low superstructure, rather than a role which did not develop until the following century).

Dragon was the fourth named vessel since it was used for a ship of 100 ton bm, in service from 1512 to 1514[1]/

  1. ^ Colledge