Fleet Ledger

Naval wars from the age of sail to the present day

Ships
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Prince William

HMS Prince William

Survived

Spanish Navy, then Royal Navy

TypeShip of the line
RateThird rate
Guns64 guns
WarAmerican War of Independence

Service

1778–1780Guipuzcoano

Caracas Company armed ship

Spain
from 1780Prince William

Captured with the Caracas convoy

Britain

64-gun ship, at the Moonlight Battle, Fort Royal, St Kitts, the Saintes and the Mona Passage. Built as the Guipuzcoano, an armed ship of the Caracas Company, and captured with her convoy by Rodney eight days before the Moonlight Battle. Named for Prince William, who was with the fleet. Broken up in 1817.

'Prince William' (captured 1780) Scale: 1:48. Plan showing the body plan, sheer lines with some inboard detail, and longitudinal half-breadth for 'Prince William' (1780), a captured Spanish Third Rate, as taken off? at Portsmouth Dockyard. Signed by George White [Master Shipwright, Portsmouth Dockya Photo: Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain · Wikimedia Commons

Armament and specifications

Armament

  • Lower deck: 26 × 24-pdrs
  • Upper deck: 28 × 12-pdrs
  • Quarterdeck/Forecastle: 10 × 9-pdrs
BuilderGuipuzcoana Company's shipyards
LaunchedOctober 1778
Length153 ft 2.25 in (46.69 m) (overall) 130 ft 8 in (39.83 m) (keel)
Complement500

As built, from the ship's Wikipedia article. Figures there may cover later refits too.

Career

Launched as Guipuzcoano

October 1778

Battle of Cape St Vincent (the Moonlight Battle)
Survived

as Guipuzcoano

16–17 January 1780

Renamed HMS Prince William

Britain

1780 · Captured with the Caracas convoy

Battle of Fort Royal
Survived

29 April 1781

Battle of St Kitts (Frigate Bay)
Survived

25–26 January 1782

Battle of the Saintes
Survived

12 April 1782

Battle of the Mona Passage
Survived

19 April 1782

Fate

Survived

Broken up in September 1817