HMS ''Alcide'', the French and Italian version of "Alcides", another name for

Heracles Heracles ( ; grc-gre, Ἡρακλῆς, , glory/fame of Hera), born Alcaeus (, ''Alkaios'') or Alcides (, ''Alkeidēs''), was a divine hero in Greek mythology, the son of Zeus and Alcmene, and the foster son of Amphitryon.By his adoptive ...

, was a 74-gun

third-rate In the rating system of the Royal Navy, a third rate was a ship of the line which from the 1720s mounted between 64 and 80 guns, typically built with two gun decks (thus the related term two-decker). Years of experience proved that the third r ...

ship of the line A ship of the line was a type of naval warship constructed during the Age of Sail from the 17th century to the mid-19th century. The ship of the line was designed for the naval tactic known as the line of battle, which depended on the two colu ...

of the

Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by English and Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were fought in the Hundred Years' War against F ...

, designed by

Sir Thomas Slade Sir Thomas Slade (1703/4–1771) was an English naval architect, most famous for designing HMS ''Victory'', Lord Nelson's flagship at the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805. Early life He was the son of Arthur Slade (1682–1746) and his wife Hannah ...

and built by

Adam Hayes Adam Hayes (1710–1785) was an 18th century shipbuilder to the Royal Navy. A great number of his models survive. He was responsible for the selection of the ship the "Earl of Pembroke" and was the wright who converted it into HMS Endeavour ...

Deptford Dockyard Deptford Dockyard was an important naval dockyard and base at Deptford on the River Thames, operated by the Royal Navy from the sixteenth to the nineteenth centuries. It built and maintained warships for 350 years, and many significant events a ...

being launched on 30 July 1779.

Service history

On launch she was under command of Captain

John Brisbane John Brisbane (d. 1776 ?) was a Scottish physician. Brisbane graduated M.D. at Edinburgh in 1750, and was admitted licentiate of the College of Physicians in 1766. He held the post of physician to the Middlesex Hospital Middlesex Hospital ...

. She had a huge crew of 550 men. Under Brisbane she was part of the major British attack on the

Caracas Caracas (, ), officially Santiago de León de Caracas, abbreviated as CCS, is the capital and largest city of Venezuela, and the center of the Metropolitan Region of Caracas (or Greater Caracas). Caracas is located along the Guaire River in the ...

convoy in January 1780. She fought at the battles of

Cape St Vincent Cape St. Vincent ( pt, Cabo de São Vicente, ) is a headland in the municipality of Vila do Bispo, in the Algarve, southern Portugal. It is the southwesternmost point of Portugal and of mainland Europe. History Cape St. Vincent was already sacr ...

and

Martinique Martinique ( , ; gcf, label=Martinican Creole, Matinik or ; Kalinago: or ) is an island and an overseas department/region and single territorial collectivity of France. An integral part of the French Republic, Martinique is located in th ...

in 1780, and the battles of

St. Kitts Saint Kitts, officially the Saint Christopher Island, is an island in the West Indies. The west side of the island borders the Caribbean Sea, and the eastern coast faces the Atlantic Ocean. Saint Kitts and the neighbouring island of Nevis cons ...

and the Saintes in 1782. On 12 September 1780 ''Alcide'' captured the letter of marque ''Pocahontas''. The Royal Navy took her into service as . In January 1782 she took part in the

Battle of St Kitts The Battle of Saint Kitts, also known as the Battle of Frigate Bay, was a naval battle fought on 25 and 26 January 1782 during the American Revolutionary War between a British fleet under Rear Admiral Sir Samuel Hood and a larger French fleet u ...

(aka the Battle of Frigate Bay). On 12 April 1782 ''Alcide'' was third in line of attack against the French fleet at the

Battle of the Saintes The Battle of the Saintes (known to the French as the Bataille de la Dominique), also known as the Battle of Dominica, was an important naval battle in the Caribbean between the British and the French that took place 9–12 April 1782. The Brit ...

, under the command of Captain Charles Thomson. ''Alcide'' took part in operations against Corsica in September 1793, where she served as flagship to Commodore

Robert Linzee Admiral Robert Linzee (1739 – 4 October 1804) was an officer of the Royal Navy who served during the American War of Independence, and the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars. Linzee entered the navy and was promoted to lieutenant during ...

Notable commanders

* Captain John Brisbane 1779/80 *Captain

Benjamin Caldwell Admiral Sir Benjamin Caldwell, (31 January 1739 – November 1820) was a senior and experienced British Royal Navy officer of the eighteenth century. His many victories and achievements were overshadowed by his acrimonious departure from the ...

1787/8 *Sir

Andrew Snape Douglas Sir Andrew Snape Douglas (8 October 1761 – 4 June 1797) was a distinguished Scottish sea captain in the Royal Navy during the American War of Independence and French Revolutionary Wars. Family and early life Andrew Snape Douglas was born in ...

1790 to 1792 *Captain

1792/3 (raised to Rear Admiral) *Captain

John Woodley John Woodley (born Brisbane, Queensland, 9 February 1938) is an ordained Methodist minister and was a Senator representing the state of Queensland, Australia, in the Australian Senate. Life before politics Woodley was briefly in the Australia ...

1793/4 *Captain Thomas Revell Shivers briefly in 1794 *

Sir Thomas Byard Captain Sir Thomas Byard (bapt. 25 September 1743 – 30 October 1798) was an officer of the British Royal Navy during the French Revolutionary Wars. He is best known for his service in two significant battles, fighting at the Battle of Camperd ...

briefly in 1794 *Vice Admiral

Phillips Cosby Admiral Phillips Cosby (1729 – 10 January 1808) was a Royal Navy officer who fought in the American Revolutionary War. Naval career Cosby joined the Royal Navy as an ordinary seaman in 1747. He was given command of a schooner at the Siege of ...

1794

Notable crew

* Lord Robert Manners - 2nd lieutenant 1779/80 * Thomas Revell Shivers - flag captain (commodore) 1794

Fate

She was paid off in

Portsmouth Portsmouth ( ) is a port and city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire in southern England. The city of Portsmouth has been a unitary authority since 1 April 1997 and is administered by Portsmouth City Council. Portsmouth is the most dens ...

in 1794 and a survey had found her uneconomic to repair."Advertisements & Notices". ''Hampshire/Portsmouth Telegraph'', Leeds, England, 26 January 1801, issue 68. She was used as a receiving ship in Portsmouth Dock from 1802 until 1817, having had all guns removed. ''Alcide'' was broken up at Portsmouth in April 1817.

Citations and notes

References

* Lavery, Brian (2003) ''The Ship of the Line - Volume 1: The development of the battlefleet 1650-1850.'' Conway Maritime Press. . {{DEFAULTSORT:Alcide (1779) Ships built in Deptford Albion-class ships of the line (1763) 1779 ships