HMS Fox (1773)
The capture of HMS Fox by the French frigate Junon
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| History | |
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 Great Britain
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| Name: | HMS Fox |
| Ordered: | 25 December 1770 |
| Builder: | Thomas Raymond, Northam, Southampton |
| Laid down: | May 1771 |
| Launched: | 2 September 1773 |
| Completed: | 12 February 1776 at Portsmouth Dockyard |
| Commissioned: | October 1775 |
| Fate: |
Captured by two American frigates off Brest, 11 September 1778 |
 United States of America
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| Name: | Fox |
| Acquired: | 7 June 1777 by capture |
| Captured: | 8 July 1777 |
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Great Britain
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| Name: | HMS Fox |
| Launched: | 8 July 1777 by capture |
| Captured: | 11 September 1778 |
.svg){kind=small} France
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| Acquired: | 11 September 1778 by capture |
| Fate: | Grounded March 1779 and could not be refloated |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type: | 28-gun Enterprise-class sixth-rate frigate |
| Tons burthen: | 599 83⁄94 (bm) |
| Length: |
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| Beam: | 33 ft 8 in (10.3 m) |
| Depth of hold: | 11 ft 0 in (3.35 m) |
| Sail plan: | Full-rigged ship |
| Complement: | 200 officers and men |
| Armament: |
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Captured by two American frigates
HMS Fox was a 28-gun Enterprise-class sixth-rate frigate of the Royal Navy. Fox was first commissioned in October 1775 under the command of Captain Patrick Fotheringham. The Americans captured her in June 1777, only to have the British recapture her about a month later. The French then captured her a little less than a year after that, only to lose her to grounding in 1779, some six months later.
On 7 June 1777 Fox was cruising off the Newfoundland banks when she sighted a strange vessel. Fox sailed towards the stranger until she sighted yet another strange vessel. Suspecting that these were both American frigates, Fox attempted to escape. However, Hancock, the first of the two, caught up with Fox and an engagement started that lasted for about a half-hour before Boston was able to join the combat. Fox again attempted to sail away, but Hancock caught up and opened fire. After Boston came up too and was able to shoot away Fox's mainmast and wheel, Fotheringham struck. Fox had lost four men killed and eight wounded.
One month later, on 7-8 July, Hancock, Boston, and Fox were in company when they encountered HMS Rainbow, under the command of Captain Sir George Collier, and HMS Victor. Rainbow had left Halifax in the morning of 6 July and in the afternoon sighted three sail. She gave chase, during which HMS Flora came up independently and proceeded to engage one of the unknown vessels. The next day Rainbow and Flora exchanged quarry, with Rainbow pursuing the largest enemy vessel, accepting that one of the three American vessels would necessarily escape. The brig Victor was a poor sailer and essentially played no role in the engagement. Ultimately, Rainbow captured Hancock after a 39-hour chase, but Boston escaped to the Sheepscot River on the Maine coast. (Captain McNeill, of Boston, was court-martialed in June 1779 for his failure to support Hancock and was dismissed from the U.S. Navy.)
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Wikipedia