HMS Anson (1781)

HMS Anson was a 64-gun third rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy, launched at Plymouth on 4 September 1781 by Georgina, Duchess of Devonshire.

History

She fought at the battle of Les Saintes on 9 April 1782 under the flag of Admiral Sir George Rodney against Admiral de Grasse. She was in the rear division, which was undeer the command of Rear-Admiral Francis Samuel Drake. In this engagement, Captain William Blair was one of the two Royal Navy post captains killed. In all Anson lost three men killed (including Blair), and 13 men wounded.

In 1794, Anson was razéed to a large frigate of 44-guns by removing her prior forecastle and quarterdeck and altering the former upper deck (now weather or spar-deck) to give her a new forecastle and quarterdeck.

Leviathan, Anson, Pompee, Melpomene, and Childers shared in the proceeds of the capture on 10 September of the Tordenshiold.

At the Action of 16 July 1797, Anson and Sylph drove the French corvette Calliope on shore, where Sylph proceeded to fire on her. When Pomone checked a week later, Calliope was wrecked; her crew were camped on shore trying to salvage what stores they could. Pomone confirmed that the flute Freedom and a brig that had also been driven ashore too were wrecked.

HMS Anson

Eight ships of the Royal Navy have been named HMS Anson, after Admiral George Anson:

HMS Anson (1886)

HMS Anson was a pre-dreadnought battleship of the British Royal Navy, and was the last member of the Admiral class to be laid down.

In common with Rodney, Howe, Camperdown and Benbow, she was a progressive development of the design of Collingwood and was an exact sister ship of Camperdown.

Design and description

Armament

She was armed with 13.5 in (340 mm) guns, which was a significant advance on earlier ships; this gun was chosen because it was of virtually the same weight and power as the guns which the French naval architects were shipping in their Formidable and Amiral Baudin. It was a much more powerful weapon than the 12 in (300 mm) gun mounted in Collingwood and in some earlier ships, and would in theory penetrate the thickest armour carried on any warship then afloat. Tests indicated that a charge of 630 lb (290 kg) of gunpowder or 187 lb (85 kg) of cordite would fire a 1,250 lb (570 kg) shell through an iron plate 27 in (69 cm) thick at a range of 1,000 yd (910 m). Because of delays in the manufacture of these weapons the completion of Anson, and of all of her sisters, was vastly prolonged. Delays spanned six or seven years between laying-down and commissioning.

HMS Anson (1747)

HMS Anson was a 60-gun fourth rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy, built at Bursledon by Philemon Ewer to the draught specified by the 1745 Establishment, and launched on 10 October 1747.

Anson served until 1773, when she was sold out of the navy.

Today, a model of the ship appears on a monument to Ewer in Bursledon parish church.

Notes

References