Perseverance-class frigate

Perseverance-class frigate Phoenix off Malta
Class overview
Name	Perseverance-class frigate
Operators	Royal Navy
Preceded by	Minerva class
Succeeded by	Pallas class
Built	1780–1783, 1801–1811
In service	1781–1874
Planned	12
Completed	11
Cancelled	1
Lost	5
General characteristics first iteration[1]
Type	Fifth-rate frigate
Tons burthen	871 42⁄94 (bm)
Length	137 ft (41.8 m) (gundeck) 113 ft 5+1⁄2 in (34.6 m) (keel)
Beam	38 ft (11.6 m)
Depth of hold	13 ft 5 in (4.1 m)
Propulsion	Sails
Complement	260, later 270
Armament	Gun deck: 26 × 18-pounder guns QD: 8 × 9-pounder guns + 4 × 18-pounder carronades Fc: 2 × 9-pounder guns + 4 × 18-pounder carronades + 14 × 1⁄2-pounder swivel guns
General characteristics second iteration[2]
Type	Fifth-rate frigate
Tons burthen	869 50⁄94 (bm)
Length	137 ft (41.8 m) (gundeck) 113 ft 2+1⁄2 in (34.5 m) (keel)
Beam	38 ft (11.6 m)
Depth of hold	13 ft 5 in (4.1 m)
Propulsion	Sails
Complement	260, later 264
Armament	Gun deck: 26 × 18-pounder guns QD: 2 × 9-pounder guns + 10 × 32-pounder carronades Fc: 2 × 9-pounder guns + 2 × 32-pounder carronades

The Perseverance-class frigate was a 36-gun, later 42-gun, 18-pounder fifth-rate frigate class of twelve ships of the Royal Navy, constructed in two batches. Designed by Surveyor of the Navy Sir Edward Hunt the first iteration, consisting of four ships, was constructed as a rival to the similar Flora-class frigate. Strongly built ships, the Perseverance class provided favourable gunnery characteristics and was highly manoeuvrable, but bought these traits with a loss of speed. The name ship of the class, Perseverance, was ordered in 1779 and participated in the American Revolutionary War, but her three sister ships were constructed too late to take part. The class continued in service after the war, but soon became outdated.

In 1801 the new First Lord of the Admiralty Admiral Lord St Vincent brought back the Perseverance class in an attempt to save money and resources in ship construction by producing older and less elaborate designs than those his predecessor Lord Spencer had built. Five new Perseverance-class frigates were initially ordered in 1801, but one of these was cancelled before construction had begun. A year later two frigates were ordered to be built on contract at Bombay Dockyard, and a final ship of the class was accidentally ordered in 1808. This second iteration of the class retained the earlier gunnery characteristics, but the sailing issues of the old design were not improved on and the ships were very slow when compared to other modern designs.

The ships of the class saw wide-ranging service throughout the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, serving on blockades, in fleets, and on cruises on a large variety of Royal Navy stations. Key actions of the class include Phoenix in the battle of Tellicherry, action of 12 May 1796, and battle of Cape Ortegal, and Iphigenia at the battle of Grand Port. Of the eleven completed ships of the class five were lost in shipwrecks, while Iphigenia was captured by the French at Grand Port but later recaptured. The last extant ship of the class was Salsette, one of the two Bombay ships, which was broken up in 1874 having spent almost forty years as a receiving ship.