- 1794 Razees
In
1794 , three 64-gun Third Rate ships were cut down to 44-gun Fifth Rate frigates with a primary armament of 24-pounder guns, in a process known asrazee ing. This was in response to rumours then circulating of very large French frigates supposed to be under construction. By Admiralty Order of11 August 1794 , two 64-gun ships of the "Intrepid" Class - "Anson" and "Magnanime" - were to be cut down by one deck level. By a subsequent Admiralty Order of8 September 1794 , a third 64-gun ship - the "Indefatigable" of the "Ardent" Class - which had been launched but never commissioned in 1784, was similarly to be cut down.The conversion retained the primary armament of twenty-six 24-pounder guns on the gun deck (but this deck became the upper deck rather than the lower deck), while the secondary armament became eight 12-pounder guns and four 32-pounder carronades on the quarter deck, and four 12-pounder guns and two 32-pounder carronades on the forecastle; the complement was reduced to 310 men.
Razeed Ships of 1794
*HMS "Anson"
** Built at: Plymouth Dockyard
** Launched:4 January 1781
** Converted at:Chatham Dockyard
** Converted: July to December1794 (for £8,426)
** Re-rated:8 October 1794
** Fate: Wrecked in Mounts Bay29 December 1807 *HMS "Magnanime"
** Built at:Deptford Dockyard
** Launched:14 October 1780
** Converted at: Plymouth Dockyard
** Converted: June1794 to February1795 (for £17,066)
** Re-rated:8 November 1794
** Fate: Broken up at Sheerness Dockyard in July1813 *HMS "Indefatigable"
** Built at: Henry Adams's yard, Bucklers Hard
** Launched: July1784
** Converted at:Portsmouth Dockyard
** Converted: September 1794 to February 1795 (for £8,764)
** Rerated:29 November 1794
** Fate: Broken up at Sheerness Dockyard in August1816 References
* Robert Gardiner, "Frigates of the Napoleonic Wars", Chatham Publishing, London 2000.
* Rif Winfield, "British Warships in the Age of Sail", Chatham Publishing, London 2005.
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