HMS Amazon (1795)

HMS "Amazon", was a 36-gun frigate, built at Rotherhithe in 1795.

In 1796, commanded by Captain Robert Carthew Reynolds, she was part of the Inshore Squadron under Sir Edward Pellew watching the French port of Brest to report any attempt by the French fleet to leave port. On December 11, 1796, "Amazon" was despatched with news that seven French ships of the line had arrived in Brest. This was part of the preparation for an invasion of Ireland. The French fleet left harbour and evaded the main British blockade fleet and sailed for Bantry Bay. However, they were scattered by storms and most of the fleet returned to France having accomplished very little.

On January 13, 1797, "Amazon", in company with Pellew's ship "Indefatigable", encountered the French ship "Droits de l'Homme", a 74-gun ship of the line. Normally, frigates would not engage a ship of the line as they would be severely out-gunned. However, there was a heavy sea and the French ship could not open her lower deck gunports for fear of flooding. This reduced her broadside considerably. Pellew was seven miles ahead of "Amazon" when he first attacked the "Droits de l'Homme". An hour and a half later "Amazon" came up and poured a broadside into the Frenchman's quarter. The two frigates attacked her from either side yawing to rake her while avoiding much of her return fire. At 4.20 am on January 14, land was suddenly sighted ahead and the frigates broke off the attack and headed in opposite directions. "Amazon", going north, and more severely damaged, was unable to wear and ran aground on the sands at Adiant. Three crew had been killed during the battle and six more were drowned but the rest were able to reach shore and were captured. The ship was broken up by the heavy seas pounding her on the beach; the "Droits de l'Homme", badly damaged in the battle, was also wrecked, with heavy casualties. In a court martial on September 29 1797, Captain Reynolds and his officers were honourably acquitted of negligence in the loss of the ship.