Coventry-class frigate

The Coventry-class frigate HMS Carysfort retaking the Castor from the French on 29 May 1794
Thomas Whitcombe
Class overview
Name: Coventry class
Operators:  Royal Navy
Built: 1756–1787
In commission: 1787–1828
Planned: 20
Completed: 19
Cancelled: 1
Lost: 6
General characteristics
Class & type: Frigate
Tons burthen: 587 30/94 bm
Length: 118 ft 4 in (36.07 m)
Beam: 33 ft 8 in (10.26 m)
Depth of hold: 10 ft 6 in (3.20 m)
Sail plan: Full-rigged ship
Complement: 200
Armament:
  • As built :
  • UD: 24 × 9-pounder guns
  • QD: 4 × 3-pounder guns
  • FC: nil
  • From 1780 :
  • UD: 24 × 9-pounder guns
  • QD: 4 × 6-pounder guns and 18-pounder carronades
  • FC: 2 × 18-pounder carronades

These 28-gun sailing frigates of the sixth rate were designed in 1756 by Sir Thomas Slade "to the draught of the Tartar with such alterations withinboard as may be judged necessary". A total of twelve ships were built in oak during the Seven Years' War, all ordered from private shipyards; eleven of them were built over the relatively short period of three years; the twelfth was completed following the close of that war in a royal dockyard as its original contractor became bankrupt, and one further ship to this design was also built postwar in a royal dockyard.

A variant was designed for building with fir hulls rather than oak; this variant design, to which five further vessels were built (see second batch below), all in the royal dockyards, differed in some respects, notably by having a square tuck stern. The use of this material meant that they could be built much more rapidly than their oak near-sisters, but the fir deteriorated quickly, so that they had a considerably shorter life.

More than a quarter-century after the design was produced, two further oak-built ships to this design were ordered to be built by contract in October 1782. One of these was cancelled a year later when the builder became bankrupt.

Ships in class

First batch

4 oak-built ships

Second batch

5 fir-built ships

Third batch

9 oak-built ships

Final batch

2 oak-built ships, only 1 completed

References

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