Hunter-class sloop

The Hunter class was a class of two sloops of wooden construction built for the Royal Navy between 1755 and 1756. Both were built by contract with commercial builders to a common design prepared by Thomas Slade, the Surveyor of the Navy.

Class overview
Operators Royal Navy
Preceded byBonetta class
Succeeded byAlderney class
Built1755-1756
In commission1756-1780
Completed2
Lost1
General characteristics (common design)
TypeSloop-of-war
Tons burthen223 6294 bm
Length
  • 88 ft 3 in (26.9 m) (gundeck)
  • 73 ft 0 in (22.3 m) (keel)
Beam24 ft 3 in (7.4 m)
Depth of hold7 ft 0 in (2.13 m)
Sail planSnow rig
Complement100
Armament
  • 10 × short 6-pounder guns;
  • also 12 x ½-pounder swivel guns

Both were ordered on 5 August 1755, and contracts with the builders were agreed on 8 August. They were two-masted (snow-rigged) vessels, although the Hunter was built with a 'pink' or very narrow stern (and a keel 3 feet longer than the original design), while her sister Viper had a traditional 'square' stern.

Hunter was captured by two American privateers off Boston on 23 November 1775, but was retaken by HMS Greyhound the following day.

Vessels

Name Ordered Builder Launched Notes
Hunter 5 August 1755 Thomas Stanton and William Wells,
Rotherhithe
28 February 1756 Sold by auction at New York City on 27 December 1780.
Viper 5 August 1755 Thomas West,
Deptford
31 March 1756 Wrecked 15 December 1779 in the Thames Estuary.

References

  • Colledge, J. J.; Warlow, Ben (2006) [1969]. Ships of the Royal Navy: The Complete Record of all Fighting Ships of the Royal Navy (Rev. ed.). London: Chatham Publishing. ISBN 978-1-86176-281-8.
  • McLaughlan, Ian. The Sloop of War 1650-1763. Seaforth Publishing, 2014. ISBN 978-1-84832-187-8.
  • Winfield, Rif. British Warships in the Age of Sail 1714-1792: Design, Construction, Careers and Fates. Seaforth Publishing, 2007. ISBN 978-1-84415-700-6.
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