HMS Unicorn (1776)

HMS ''Unicorn'' was a 20-gun sixth-rate of the Royal Navy. Serving in the American Revolutionary War, she was captured by the French in 1781 and renamed ''Licorne'', but was recaptured by the British a year later. Returned to Royal Navy service as ''Unicorn Prize'', she was decommissioned in 1786 and broken up in the following year.

Design and construction

''Unicorn'' was a 20-gun, 9-pounder ''Sphinx''-class post ship. The class was designed in 1773 by Surveyor of the Navy John Williams. A new class of post ship had not been implemented by the Royal Navy for almost twenty years, and Williams' changes were minor. The ''Sphinx''-class ships were similar to those of the ''Gibraltar'', ''Seaford'', and ''Squirrel'' classes of the 1750s, but with finer lines. Ten vessels were ordered to the new design between 1773 and 1776. Following peacetime practice, the first six ships of the class were ordered to Royal Dockyards, but in late 1775 wartime strategy came into place for the American Revolutionary War, and three of the last four ''Sphinx''-class ships were contracted out to civilian dockyards.

''Unicorn'', the eighth ship of the class, was ordered on 30 October 1775 to be built at Rotherhithe by the shipwright John Randall. ''Unicorn'' was laid down in November, and launched on 23 March 1776 with the following dimensions: along the upper deck, at the keel, with a beam of and a depth in the hold of . The ship measured 433 tons burthen. She was named after the mythical unicorn on 17 November 1775, being the ninth Royal Navy vessel to bear the name.

The fitting out process for ''Unicorn'' was completed on 25 May at Woolwich Dockyard, with the ship having cost a total of £8,524 to construct. With a crew complement of 140, the post ship held twenty 9-pounder long guns on her upper deck. With the carronade subsequently introduced to British warships, in 1794 ''Sphinx''-class post ships received four 12-pounder carronades on their quarterdeck, and another two on their forecastle. ''Unicorn'' did not survive long enough in service to receive these updates.

Service

''Unicorn'' was commissioned by Captain John Ford in April 1776. The ship escorted a troop convoy from Plymouth on 23 July, sailing for North America. She subsequently captured the American privateer ''Wolf'' on 20 September that year. Beginning a string of successes, ''Unicorn'' captured the American privateers ''Warren'' on 9 September 1777, ''McClary'' on 6 February 1778, ''Reprisal'' on 19 February, and ''Blaze Castle'' on 10 June. Serving alongside the 50-gun fourth-rate HMS ''Experiment'', she then captured the American 32-gun frigate USS ''Raleigh'' on 28 September. ''Unicorn'' returned to Britain to be paid off in August 1779, assisting in the recapture of the 14-gun brig HMS ''Hope'' on 19 August.

''Unicorn'' received a refit at Portsmouth Dockyard between September and November, and during this period was recommissioned under the command of Captain Thomas Frederick. Sent to the West Indies, ''Unicorn'' was sailing off Tortuga on 4 September 1780 when at 2:30 p.m. she investigated a ship sighting. As ''Unicorn'' closed with the unknown sail it was discovered that she had come across the full French fleet. The ship attempted to escape, and was chased by a frigate and two ships of the line. After two hours the French 32-gun frigate caught up with ''Unicorn'' and fired a single gun at her. Frederick responded by firing a broadside at ''Andromaque'', and the two ships engaged in an hour-long battle, during which ''Unicorn'' had much of her rigging destroyed and lost four guns.

''Unicorn'' surrendered when the French 74-gun ship of the line ''Palmier'' caught up and began firing at her as well. The British ship had four men killed and thirteen wounded during the battle. Frederick was imprisoned on Martinique and exchanged soon afterwards. Court martialled for the loss of ''Unicorn'', he was found not to be at fault.

The French took ''Unicorn'' into service with the French Navy, renaming her ''Licorne''. She continued to serve in the West Indies until she was recaptured by the 28-gun frigate HMS ''Resource'' on 20 April 1781. ''Licorne'' was not returned to her original name by the British, instead becoming ''Unicorn Prize''. She was refitted at Portsmouth between September 1782 and December 1783, having been recommissioned by Captain Benjamin Archer. Sent to serve in the English Channel and Irish Sea, ''Unicorn Prize'' continued there until the end of the American Revolutionary War, being paid off in August 1783.

''Unicorn Prize'' was recommissioned on 16 August, now under the command of Captain St Alban Roy, who was replaced two months later by Captain Charles Stirling. ''Unicorn Prize'' sailed to join the Leeward Islands Station on 2 June 1784. She was paid off for a final time in July 1786, and broken up at Deptford Dockyard in August the following year.

Citations

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External links

The original plans for part of ''Unicorn'' and one of her sister ships, HMS ''Perseus''

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1776 ships
Ships of the Royal Navy
Sphinx-class post ships
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