HMS ''Atlas'' was a 98-gun

second-rate In the rating system of the Royal Navy used to categorise sailing warships, a second-rate was a ship of the line which by the start of the 18th century mounted 90 to 98 guns on three gun decks; earlier 17th-century second rates had fewer guns ...

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 ...

, launched on 13 February 1782. She was a built at

Chatham Dockyard Chatham Dockyard was a Royal Navy Dockyard located on the River Medway in Kent. Established in Chatham, Kent, Chatham in the mid-16th century, the dockyard subsequently expanded into neighbouring Gillingham, Kent, Gillingham; at its most extens ...

by Nicholas Phillips.

History

For some of the period between 1798 and 1802, she was under the command of Captain Theophilus Jones. In 1802 she was reduced to a 74-gun ship. In 1798, some of her crew were court-martialed for

mutiny Mutiny is a revolt among a group of people (typically of a military or a crew) to oppose, change, or remove superiors or their orders. The term is commonly used for insubordination by members of the military against an officer or superior, ...

. She participated in the naval

Battle of San Domingo The Battle of San Domingo was a naval battle of the War of the Third Coalition fought on 6 February 1806 between squadrons of First French Empire, French and United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, British ships of the line off the southern ...

on 6 February 1806, when she suffered eight killed and 11 wounded. Her captain was

Samuel Pym Admiral Sir Samuel Pym KCB (1778–1855) was a British admiral, brother of Sir William Pym. In June 1788, Pym joined the Royal Navy as captain's servant of the frigate ''Eurydice''. He was promoted to lieutenant of the sloop ''Martin'', und ...

, who had joined her the year before. In 1808, while off Cadiz and serving as the flagship of Rear Admiral Purvis, she came under fire from French batteries on many occasions. In all, she lost about 50 men killed and wounded. She was responsible for the destruction of Fort Catalina. ''Atlas'' was fitted as a temporary prison ship at

Portsmouth Portsmouth ( ) is a port city status in the United Kingdom, city and unitary authority in Hampshire, England. Most of Portsmouth is located on Portsea Island, off the south coast of England in the Solent, making Portsmouth the only city in En ...

from 1813 to 1814. She then spent some months as a powder magazine. She was finally broken up in 1821.

Citations and notes

References

* Lavery, Brian (1983) ''The Ship of the Line - Volume 1: The development of the battlefleet 1650-1850.'' Conway Maritime Press. . * Ships built in Chatham Ships of the line of the Royal Navy Duke-class ships of the line 1782 ships {{UK-line-ship-stub