HMS Ardent
Captured
Royal Navy, then French Navy
| Type | Ship of the line |
|---|---|
| Rate | Third rate |
| Guns | 64 guns |
| War | American War of Independence |
Service
| 1764–1779 | Ardent | |
| 1779–1782 | Ardent Captured off Plymouth | |
| from 1782 | Ardent Retaken at the Saintes |
64-gun British ship captured by the Franco-Spanish fleet off Plymouth in August 1779. As a French ship she fought at Cape Henry and St Kitts, and was taken back at the Saintes. Renamed Tiger in 1783.
Armament and specifications
Armament
64 guns
- Gundeck: 26 × 24-pounders
- Upper gundeck: 26 × 18-pounders
- Quarterdeck: 10 × 4-pounders
- Forecastle: 2 × 9-pounders
| Builder | Blades, Hull |
|---|---|
| Laid down | 15 January 1762 |
| Launched | 13 August 1764 |
| Commissioned | October 1773 |
| Length | 160 ft (49 m) (gundeck) 131 ft 8 in (40.13 m) (keel) |
| Complement | 500 officers and men |
As built, from the ship's Wikipedia article. Figures there may cover later refits too.
Career
Launched
13 August 1764
Joined the French Navy
1779 · Captured off Plymouth
Battle of Cape Henry
Damaged
16 March 1781
Mainmast damaged
Battle of St Kitts (Frigate Bay)
Survived
25–26 January 1782
Battle of the Saintes
Captured
12 April 1782
Retaken by the Royal Navy
Joined the Royal Navy
1782 · Retaken at the Saintes
Fate
Captured
Sold out of the service, 10 June 1784