My Workbench

Sunday, February 8, 2015

GHQ 100 Gun 1st Rate HMS Britannia

 This is the next member of my fleet, the GHQ 100 Gun 1st Rate Ship of the Line HMS Britannia. Britannia was ordered on April 25, 1751 from Portsmouth Dockyard to the draught specified in the 1745 Establishment. She was launched on October 19, 1762. First commissioned in September 1778, she saw service during the American Revolutionary War during which she took part in the Battle of Cape Spartel. From 1793-1795 she was the flagship of Vice-Admiral Hotham, She fought at the Battle of Cape St Vincent and at the Battle of Trafalgar, where she carried the flag of Rear-Admiral of the White William Carnegie, Earl of Northesk. The ship was renamed on January 6, 1810 as HMS Princess Royal, then again on January 18, 1812 as HMS St George and once more on June 2, 1819 as HMS Barfleur. She was finally broken up at Plymouth in Fevruary of 1825. She was known as "Old Ironsides" long before USS Constitution.

Stats:
Length of gun deck: 178'
Beam: 51'
Depth of hold: 21'6"
Tons Burthen: 2116
Crew: 850 men and boys

Armament:
Gun deck: 28 x 42 pounders
Middle gun deck: 28 x 24 pounders
Upper gun deck: 28 x 12 pounders
Quarter deck: 12 x 6 pounders
Forecastle: 4 x 6 pounders

The main gun deck armament was later replaced by 32 pounders. In the 1790's ten of her quarter deck guns and two of her forecastle guns were replaced by the same number of 32-pounder carronades.















Langton Queen Charlotte 100 gun on the left, GHQ Britannia on the right.

1 comment:

Unknown said...

After all these years of miniature gaming I am just now starting my 1/1200 ships (which have languished on my hobby table for a LONG time!). Your blog is quite an inspiration. Britannia looks great!