HMS Infernal (1757)
| History | |
|---|---|
 UK | |
| Name | HMS Infernal |
| Ordered | 5 October 1756 |
| Builder | Henry Bird, Northam, Southampton |
| Laid down | November 1756 |
| Launched | 4 July 1757 |
| Completed | list error: <br /> list (help) 11 July 1757 as bomb vessel 20 November 1757 as sloop-of-war |
| Commissioned | April 1757 |
| Decommissioned | March 1763 |
| Out of service | 26 October 1774 |
| Fate | Sold out of service, Deptford Dockyard |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type | list error: <br /> list (help) 8-gun Infernal class bomb vessel, 1758-59 16-gun sloop, 1757, 1760-63 |
| Tons burthen | 307 39⁄94 (bm) |
| Length | list error: <br /> list (help) 91 ft 9 in (28.0 m) (overall) 75 ft 0 in (22.9 m) (gundeck) |
| Beam | 27 ft 9 in (8.5 m) |
| Depth of hold | 12 ft 1 in (3.7 m) |
| Propulsion | Sail |
| Sail plan | Ketch-rigged sloop |
| Complement | 60 (bomb vessel), 110 (sloop) |
| Armament | list error: <br /> list (help) Bomb vessel: 8 x 6pdrs, 12 x 1⁄2pdr swivels, 1 x 13 inch mortar, 1 x 10 inch mortar Sloop: 14 x 6pdrs, 12 x x 1⁄2pdr swivels |
HMS Infernal was an 8-gun bomb vessel of the Royal Navy, constructed in 1757 and in service until 1763. Designed by Thomas Slade, she was the prototype for six subsequent Infernal class bomb vessels which saw service in the Mediterranean and the West Indies during the Seven Years' War with France. In 1760 she was refitted as a sloop and returned to active service in the Caribbean.[1]
Infernal was paid off at the conclusion of the War in 1763, and sold out of Navy service in 1774.[1]
Construction
Infernal was the first of seven bomb vessels designed by Surveyor of the Navy Thomas Slade to strengthen the Navy's shore bombardment capacity during the Seven Years' War. An Admiralty Order for her construction was issued on 5 October 1756, followed by a contract to master shipwright Henry Bird to build the vessel at the civilian dockyard in Northam, Southampton. Under the contract, Infernal was to be launched within six months, in return for payment of £11.5.0 per ton. Neither requirement was met, though Bird was subsequently engaged to build a second similar vessel, HMS Blast.[2]
Her dimensions were in keeping with other vessels of her class, with an overall length of 91 ft 9 in (28.0 m), a beam of 27 ft 9 in (8.5 m) and measuring 30739⁄94 tons burthen. Construction costs were ₤3,355 with an additional ₤2,082 for fitting out.[1][a]
Infernal was ketch-rigged, and intended for a crew of 60 men. She was initially equipped with eight six-pounder cannons for ship defence, and twelve 1⁄2-pounder swivel guns to ward off boarding parties. Slade's design specified that two mortars be installed, one capable of 10-inch shot and the other of 13-inch.[1]
Bomb vessel construction ended on 11 July 1757, but by Admiralty Order the newly launched ship was immediately returned to Northam dockyard for refitting as a sloop. The mortars were removed and replaced with an additional six six-pounder cannons, and additional quarters constructed for an enlarged crew totaling 110 men.[1]
Naval service
Infernal was commissioned into the Navy in July 1757, as a 14-gun sloop under Commander James Mackenzie. She was immediately attached to Admiral Edward Hawke{{'}s fleet for the capture of Île-d'Aix on 23 September, and the subsequent Raid on Rochefort. In April 1758 she was sailed to Portsmouth and restored to her original function as a bomb vessel at a cost of ₤884. Six of her cannons were removed and the original 10-inch and 13-inch mortars and were restored. Her crew was reduced to 60 men, though Commander Mackenzie retained his command. A unit of Army gunners was brought aboard to oversee the use of the mortars.[1]
In May 1758 she engaged in bombardment of the French port of St Malo, followed by an assault on Cherbourg and later, the Battle of Saint Cast. On 12 November she was assigned to service off the Leeward Islands as part of British plans to seize the French naval base at Martinique. In 1759 she engaged in unsuccessful bombardments of both Martinique and Guadeloupe, but her long-term utility was hampered by Britain's defensive position in the Caribbean. By Admiralty Order, on 20 March 1760 she was again fitted out as a sloop and assigned to cruising the Caribbean in search of French merchant vessels. She was present during the British landings at Belleisle between April and June 1761, and raids on Martinique in January and February 1762.[1]
James Mackenzie was replaced by Commander Charles Roche in April 1762, with Infernal continuing her Caribbean service. In February 1763 the Treaty of Paris brought an end to the war, and Infernal was returned to Deptford where she was paid off and her crew assigned to other vessels. A marine survey was conducted on 19 May 1763, and another on 31 January 1770, but there were no orders for repairs.[1]
On 26 October 1774, after nine years at Deptford dockyard, the increasingly decrepit vessel was sold into private hands for ₤350. Her fate thereafter is unknown.[1]
cruising and naval support duties for the remainder of the year. She returned to England in 1763 following the declaration of peace with France, and was
.
to Caribbean warfare.
Britain on the defensive in the Caribbean there but was hampered by Britain's defensive strategy in the Caribbean, which limited the offensive utility of a bomb vessel.
defensive strategy in the region, which Britain's defensive approach in the Caribbean hampered her utility.
her utility was hampered by Britain's comparative inability to match naval assaults with land advances.
Notes
References
Bibliography
- Winfield, Rif (2007). British Warships of the Age of Sail 1714–1792: Design, Construction, Careers and Fates. Seaforth. ISBN 9781844157006.