HMS ''Anglesea'' was a 44-gun

sixth-rate In the rating system of the Royal Navy used to categorise sailing warships, a sixth-rate was the designation for small warships mounting between 20 and 28 carriage-mounted guns on a single deck, sometimes with smaller guns on the upper works and ...

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 ...

which saw

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 ...

service between 1742 and 1745, during the

War of the Austrian Succession The War of the Austrian Succession () was a European conflict that took place between 1740 and 1748. Fought primarily in Central Europe, the Austrian Netherlands, Italy, the Atlantic and Mediterranean, related conflicts included King George's W ...

. In 1745 ''Anglesea'' was captured in an engagement with the 50-gun French ship of the line ''

Apollon Apollon may refer to: * Apollo, ancient Greek god of light, healing and poetry * Apollon (Formula One), Formula One constructor * Apollon Kalamarias, Greek football club * Apollon Athens, a Greek football club from Athens * Apollon Limassol B.C., ...

''.Clowes, Sir William Laird; Markham, Sir Clements Robert; Mahan, Alfred Thayer; Wilson, Herbert Wrigley; Roosevelt, Theodore; Laughton, Leonard George Carr (1898-01-01)
''The Royal Navy: A History from the Earliest Times to the Present''
S. Low, Marston and Company, limited. The capture of the vessel resulted in an amendment of the British Articles of War, regarding the responsibility of commanding officers to do their utmost to engage with the enemy. Following her capture, the ship was taken into French service as ''LAnglesea''. She was removed from the French Navy lists in 1753.Winfield 2007, p. 170

Engagement with ''Apollon''

On 28 March 1745 the 45 gun HMS ''Anglesea'' sailed out of

Kinsale Kinsale ( ; ) is a historic port and fishing town in County Cork, Ireland. Located approximately south of Cork City on the southeast coast near the Old Head of Kinsale, it sits at the mouth of the River Bandon, and has a population of 5,281 (a ...

under the command of Captain Jacob Elton. ''Anglesea'' was ordered to join other warships in the

English Channel The English Channel, "The Sleeve"; nrf, la Maunche, "The Sleeve" (Cotentinais) or ( Jèrriais), (Guernésiais), "The Channel"; br, Mor Breizh, "Sea of Brittany"; cy, Môr Udd, "Lord's Sea"; kw, Mor Bretannek, "British Sea"; nl, Het Kana ...

and patrol for French shipping. On the afternoon of 29 March a large sail was spotted windward (upwind) of ''Anglesea'', with the unknown vessel heading in the direction of the British warship. Captain Elton believed the ship to be the 60 gun HMS ''Augusta'', and took no action in response to the sail. The vessel was in fact the French 50 gun

''Apollon'', which had detected ''Anglesea'' and made ready for an engagement. When it was discovered that the approaching ship flew French colors, Captain Elton ordered ''Anglesea''s mainsail raised in preparation for a flight. The effect of this action was to blow the ship to one side and flood the lower gun decks of the vessel. ''Apollon'' laid down a withering fire onto ''Anglesea'', with the first broadside killing both Captain Elton and the ship's master, leaving Second Lieutenant

Baker Phillips Baker Phillips (1718 – 19 July 1745) was a lieutenant in the Royal Navy during the War of the Austrian Succession. During the conflict, he served as second lieutenant abroad . In 1745, an unprepared ''Anglesea'' was attacked and captured by a Fr ...

in command. ''Apollon's'' position granted it the advantage in maneuverability, and soon the British warship was crippled by repeated broadsides. Several more minutes saw ''Anglesea'' lose 60 men killed or wounded by French fire. Seeing no other option, Phillips surrendered the vessel, an action for which he would later be executed. Following her capture, the vessel was commissioned into the French Navy as ''LAnglesea''. She remained in French service for eight years, and was decommissioned in 1753.

References

Bibliography

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Anglesea (1745), HMS Ships of the line of the Royal Navy 1742 ships