The Hunter class was a class of two sloops of wooden construction built for the Royal Navy between 1755 and 1756. Both were built by contract with commercial builders to a common design prepared by Thomas Slade, the Surveyor of the Navy.
| Class overview | |
|---|---|
| Operators |  Royal Navy |
| Preceded by | Bonetta class |
| Succeeded by | Alderney class |
| Built | 1755-1756 |
| In commission | 1756-1780 |
| Completed | 2 |
| Lost | 1 |
| General characteristics (common design) | |
| Type | Sloop-of-war |
| Tons burthen | 223 62⁄94 bm |
| Length |
|
| Beam | 24 ft 3 in (7.4 m) |
| Depth of hold | 7 ft 0 in (2.13 m) |
| Sail plan | Snow rig |
| Complement | 100 |
| Armament |
|
Both were ordered on 5 August 1755, and contracts with the builders were agreed on 8 August. They were two-masted (snow-rigged) vessels, although the Hunter was built with a 'pink' or very narrow stern (and a keel 3 feet longer than the original design), while her sister Viper had a traditional 'square' stern.
Hunter was captured by two American privateers off Boston on 23 November 1775, but was retaken by HMS Greyhound the following day.
Vessels
edit| Name | Ordered | Builder | Launched | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hunter | 5 August 1755 | Thomas Stanton and William Wells, Rotherhithe |
28 February 1756 | Sold by auction at New York City on 27 December 1780. |
| Viper | 5 August 1755 | Thomas West, Deptford |
31 March 1756 | Wrecked 15 December 1779 in the Thames Estuary. |
References
edit- Colledge, J. J.; Warlow, Ben (2006) [1969]. Ships of the Royal Navy: The Complete Record of all Fighting Ships of the Royal Navy (Rev. ed.). London: Chatham Publishing. ISBN 978-1-86176-281-8.
- McLaughlan, Ian. The Sloop of War 1650-1763. Seaforth Publishing, 2014. ISBN 978-1-84832-187-8.
- Winfield, Rif. British Warships in the Age of Sail 1714-1792: Design, Construction, Careers and Fates. Seaforth Publishing, 2007. ISBN 978-1-84415-700-6.