HMS ''Lys'' was a 24-gun

sloop-of-war During the 18th and 19th centuries, a sloop-of-war was a warship of the Royal Navy with a single gun deck that carried up to 18 guns. The rating system of the Royal Navy covered all vessels with 20 or more guns; thus, the term encompassed all u ...

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 ...

which saw active service between 1745 and 1748, during the

War of the Austrian Succession The War of the Austrian Succession was a European conflict fought between 1740 and 1748, primarily in Central Europe, the Austrian Netherlands, Italian Peninsula, Italy, the Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea. Related conflicts include King Ge ...

. Originally the French privateer ''Le Lis'', she was captured by the Royal Navy in 1745 and refitted as a privateer hunter. In this role she secured a single victory at sea with the capture of a 10-gun French vessel in 1747. She was declared surplus to Navy requirements in 1748 and sold into private hands in 1749.

Construction

The privateer ''Le Lis'' was constructed at the French port of

Saint-Malo Saint-Malo (, , ; Gallo language, Gallo: ; ) is a historic French port in Ille-et-Vilaine, Brittany (administrative region), Brittany. The Fortification, walled city on the English Channel coast had a long history of piracy, earning much wealth ...

in 1745. As built, the vessel was long with a keel, a

beam Beam may refer to: Streams of particles or energy *Light beam, or beam of light, a directional projection of light energy **Laser beam *Radio beam *Particle beam, a stream of charged or neutral particles **Charged particle beam, a spatially lo ...

of and a

hold Hold may refer to: Physical spaces * Hold (compartment), interior cargo space * Baggage hold, cargo space on an airplane * Stronghold, a castle or other fortified place Arts, entertainment, and media * Hold (musical term), a pause, also called ...

depth of .Winfield 2007, p. 259 Her armament as a privateer is unrecorded; when

fitted out Fitting out, or outfitting, is the process in shipbuilding that follows the float-out/launching of a vessel and precedes sea trials. It is the period when all the remaining construction of the ship is completed and readied for delivery to her o ...

for Royal Navy service she carried 20 six-pounder cannons along her upper deck, and four three-pounder guns on the quarterdeck. Her designated complement was 160 officers and ratings.

Active service

The French privateer ''Le Lis'' was put to sea in 1745 to hunt British merchant ships returning home through the English Channel. On 18 December 1745 she encountered the 70-gun British ship of the line . Her crew surrendered at once, and on 31 December ''Le Lis'' was brought into Portsmouth with a British prize crew. She was formally purchased by Admiralty on 15 January 1746 and renamed ''Lys''. Between January and March 1746 she fitted out for Navy service at a cost of £2,575. The newly rebuilt vessel was then commissioned under Captain William Bateman, but did not enter active service. In August 1747 Bateman was replaced by Captain Thomas Knowler and ''Lys'' went to sea to hunt privateers off

Dunkirk Dunkirk ( ; ; ; Picard language, Picard: ''Dunkèke''; ; or ) is a major port city in the Departments of France, department of Nord (French department), Nord in northern France. It lies from the Belgium, Belgian border. It has the third-larg ...

. In company with the 24-gun she chased several small French craft before making her sole capture, the 10-gun privateer ''La Charlotte'', in April. The captured vessel was described by contemporary sources as "a very rich prize" with a substantial cargo of trade goods; it was brought into

the Nore The Nore is a long bank of sand and silt running along the south-centre of the final narrowing of the Thames Estuary, England. Its south-west is the very narrow Nore Sand. Just short of the Nore's easternmost point where it fades into the cha ...

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in the

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, and turned over to Navy authorities. War with France ended with the Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle in 1748. ''Lys'' was now surplus to the Navy's requirements and she was sailed to Woolwich Dockyard for decommissioning and the removal of her guns and crew. By Admiralty Order she was listed for sale in January 1749, and sold into private hands in April for £451.

Notes

References

Bibliography

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Lys (1745) Sloops of the Royal Navy 1744 ships