History | |
---|---|
Name | HMS Drake |
Acquired | By purchase, 1777 |
Fate | Captured by USS Ranger, 24 April 1778 |
General characteristics | |
Type | Sloop-of-war |
Tons burthen | 274 61⁄94 bm |
Length |
|
Beam | 26 ft 1 in (8.0 m) |
Depth of hold | 18 ft 3.5 in (5.58 m) |
Sail plan | Full-rigged ship |
Complement | 100 |
Armament | 14 × 4-pounder guns |
HMS Drake was a Royal Navy 14-gun ship rigged sloop-of-war[1] with a displacement of 275 tons burthen. Originally named the Royal Oak,[note 1] she was built in New England in 1775 by John Wharton from Philadelphia. She first sailed between London and Stettin as a tobacco-ship. She was then sold in 1776 and renamed Resolution. Captained by Edward Hawker, the ship traded between London, Boston, and Cork. On 4 March 1777 the British navy purchased her at Plymouth for 3,000 pounds sterling. She completed fitting out as a warship on 24 May 1777. She became the ship-rigged sloop-of-war Drake with either 14, 18 or 20 guns. From July 17, 1777, she served in the American Revolutionary War. Her first mission was protecting the packet-boats between Harwich and Gorée [2]
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