HMS ''Dunkirk'' was a 60-gun

fourth-rate In 1603 all English warships with a complement of fewer than 160 men were known as 'small ships'. In 1625/26 to establish pay rates for officers, a six-tier naval ship rating system was introduced.Winfield 2009 These small ships were divided ...

ship of the line A ship of the line was a type of naval warship constructed during the Age of Sail from the 17th century to the mid-19th century. The ship of the line was designed for the naval tactics in the Age of Sail, naval tactic known as the line of battl ...

of the

Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the naval warfare force of the United Kingdom. It is a component of His Majesty's Naval Service, and its officers hold their commissions from the King of the United Kingdom, King. Although warships were used by Kingdom ...

, built by

Edward Allin Edward Allin (c.1720 – 1795) was an English shipwright to the Royal Navy mainly based at Portsmouth Dockyard and Chatham Dockyard. He is most notable as the master shipwright of HMS Victory Nelson's flagship. Life He first appears in Ro ...

Woolwich Dockyard Woolwich Dockyard (formally H.M. Dockyard, Woolwich, also known as The King's Yard, Woolwich) was an English Royal Navy Dockyard, naval dockyard along the river Thames at Woolwich - originally in north-west Kent, now in southeast London - whe ...

to the draught specified by the

1745 Establishment The 1745 Establishment was the third and final formal establishment of dimensions for ships to be built for the Royal Navy. It completely superseded the previous 1719 Establishment, which had subsequently been modified in 1733 and again in 1741 ...

as amended in 1750, and launched on 22 July 1754.

Career

HMS ''Dunkirk'' was sent to America in 1755, along with several other ships, under Vice-Admiral

Edward Boscawen Admiral of the Blue Edward Boscawen, Privy Council (United Kingdom), PC (19 August 171110 January 1761) was a Royal Navy officer and politician. He is known principally for his various naval commands during the 18th century and the engagements ...

. On 5 June she spotted four French ships which were bound for Canada under the command of Admiral Dubois de la Motte. ''Dunkirk'', and several other ships gave chase. ''Dunkirk'' came alongside the 64-gun and requested the captain meet with the vice admiral, who was then about away. After the captain of ''Alcide'' refused, ''Dunkirk'' opened fire. Soon afterwards, came alongside the French at which ''Alcide'' struck her colours. ''Alcide'' had been carrying 900 troops and the governor of

Louisbourg Louisbourg is an unincorporated community and former town in Cape Breton Regional Municipality, Nova Scotia. History The harbour had been used by European mariners since at least the 1590s, when it was known as English Port and Havre à l'An ...

. The general of those troops was killed and 30,000 pounds sterling captured. In the battle the French vessel was captured by . In 1778, ''Dunkirk'' was placed on harbour service under captain John Milligan, who had previously served as second lieutenant aboard . During Milligan's captaincy, and despite her harbor service status, she was among the vessels credited with the capture on 23 December 1781 of the Dutch ship ''De Vrow Esther'', being in company with , , and . Milligan left the ship in 1782, and ''Dunkirk'' was sold out of the navy in that same year.

Notes

References

* Lavery, Brian (1983) ''The Ship of the Line - Volume 1: The development of the battlefleet 1650-1850''. Conway Maritime Press. .

External links

* Ships of the line of the Royal Navy 1754 ships {{UK-line-ship-stub