HMS Cynthia (1796)
| History | |
|---|---|
 United Kingdom
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| Name: | HMS Cynthia |
| Ordered: | 16 September 1795 |
| Builder: | Wells & Co., Rotherhithe, London |
| Laid down: | October 1795 |
| Launched: | 23 February 1796 |
| Commissioned: | March 1796 |
| Honors and awards: |
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| Fate: | Broken up in October 1809 |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type: | 16-gun sliding-keel sloop-of-war |
| Tons burthen: | 407 65⁄94 (bm) |
| Length: |
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| Beam: | 28 ft 6 in (8.69 m) |
| Depth of hold: | 12 ft (3.7 m) |
| Sail plan: | Full-rigged ship |
| Complement: | 121 |
| Armament: | 16 x 6-pounder guns + 14 x ½-pounder swivel guns |
HMS Cynthia was a ship sloop of unusual design, launched in 1796. She took part in one medal-worthy boat action and participated in captures of a number of merchant vessels, was present at two notable occasions, the surrender of the Dutch fleet in the Vlieter Incident and the capture of Alexandria, and her crew participated in two land attacks on forts. She was broken up in 1809.
Wells & Co. of Rotherhithe built Cynthia with a shallow draught and three daggerboards (John Schank's sliding keels) for stability. She was rated for 18 guns but during construction her rating was reduced to sixteen 6-pounder guns; she also carried fourteen half-pound swivels, although the latter were probably replaced by a much smaller number of carronades during her career.
Cynthia was commissioned in March 1796 under Commander Micajah Malbon. Thirteen months later, Cynthia, in company with Diamond, Minerva, Camilla, and the hired armed cutter Grand Falconer captured the American ship Favourite on 19 April 1797. On 5 October Cynthia was in company with Diamond, Syren and Melampus when they captured the Spanish ship Nostra Senora Del Carmen.
Cynthia, Cormorant and St Fiorenzo recaptured the American vessel Betty. Then on 24 Nov 1797 she was in company with Cormorant and Grand Falconer when they captured the French merchant sloop Necessaire.
On 15 February 1798 Cynthia was in company with Cormorant when they captured the Prussian galiot Welwaert. On 28 August 1799, Cynthia was with the British fleet that captured the Dutch hulks Drotchterland and Brooderschap, and the ships Helder, Venus, Minerva, and Hector, in the New Diep, in Holland. A partial pay-out of prize money resulted in a payment of 6s 8d to each seaman that had been in the fleet that day. The capture of these vessels was part of the Anglo-Russian Invasion of Holland and preceded by two days the Vlieter Incident in which a large part of the navy of the Batavian Republic, commanded by Rear-Admiral Samuel Story, surrendered to the British navy on a sandbank near the Channel known as De Vlieter, near Wieringen. Cynthia was also among the vessels sharing in the prize money from the Dutch vessels of the Vlieter Incident.
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