HMS Surprise (1774)

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HMS ''Surprise'' (or ''Surprize'') was a 28-gun ''Enterprise''-class sixth-rate frigate of the Royal Navy, which served throughout the American Revolutionary War and was broken up in 1783.

Service history

''Surprise'' was one of a batch of five ships ordered as part of a programme sparked by the diplomatic crisis of 1770 between Britain and Spain over the possession of the Falkland Islands. Based on a design by Sir John Williams, her keel was laid down on 5 September 1771 at Woolwich Dockyard. She was launched on 13 April 1774, commissioned in February 1775 under the command of Captain Robert Linzee, and completed on 15 April 1775.Winfield (2007)

Under Linzee's command ''Surprise'' sailed for Newfoundland on 23 May 1775. On 20 March 1776 ''Surprise'' and the sloop sailed from Plymouth, carrying supplies and troops for the relief of Quebec, then besieged by American forces. They rendezvoused with , which had sailed from Portland on 11 March, off the L'Isle-aux-Coudres in the St. Lawrence River on 3 May, and ''Surprise'' sailed ahead to give the British garrison notice of their arrival. The three ships landed their troops on the 6th, and the Americans began to withdraw. ''Surprise'' and ''Martin'' sailed upriver to "annoy" the retreating troops, captured an American schooner armed with four 6-pounder and six 3-pounder guns, and recovered the Royal Navy brig , which the Americans had captured the previous year.

''Surprise'' remained in North America, based at Newfoundland, and captured the American schooner ''Favourite'' on 3 May 1777, and the brig ''Live Oak'' on 4 September 1777.

In September 1778, following France's alliance with the Americans, Vice-Admiral John Montagu, Governor and Commander-in-Chief at Newfoundland, sent a squadron under the command of Commodore John Evans to capture the French islands of Saint Pierre and Miquelon. The squadron consisted of the flagship , commanded by Richard King, ''Surprise'', Robert Linzee; , George Montagu, ''Martin'', Charles Chamberlayn, and the sloop ''Bonavista'', Lt. Cheney H. Garrett, and carried an additional 200 Marines and artillery. They landed on 16 September, taking the islands and also capturing the French snow ''Charming Nancy'' and the ship ''Aimable Betsey'' in Saint-Pierre on 18 September. Soon after ''Surprise'' captured ''Harlequin'', a privateer from Salem, armed with ten 3-pounders and eight swivels, off Labrador, and on 16 December she captured the French snow ''Les Deux Freres''.

In February 1779 Samuel Reeve assumed command of ''Surprise'', and on 30 April she sailed for Newfoundland, where she made several captures:
* On 16 July 1779, the 12-gun brig ''Wildcat''. ''Wildcat'', of 14 guns and 75 men, ten weeks off the stocks, had just captured the schooner . ''Surprise'' was able to free Lieutenant Gardiner and 20 of his men from ''Egmont'' who were aboard ''Wildcat'', but the schooner herself had separated earlier.
* Two American privateers were brought into St. John's in early October 1779; ''Jason'' a 20-gun ship, commanded by John Manley, taken on the 1st, and the 14-gun brig ''Monmouth'', commanded by John Ravil, taken on the 5th.
* On 29 January 1780, the 20-gun French privateer was taken off the Dodman. ''Duguay Trouin'' was from Havre and the British took her into the Royal Navy under her existing name.
* On 6 October 1780, in company with , The Hon. George Berkeley, the brig ''Fair American''.
* On 15 July 1781, she recaptured ''Margaret Christiana''.
* On 3 September 1781 ''Surprise'' and arrived at St. John's, having convoyed a fleet of transports and merchant ships to Halifax, Nova Scotia, and brought with them three American privateers that they had captured during the passage; the 16-gun ''Venus'' and ''Independence'', and the 10-gun brig ''Diana''. On 21 July they had also retaken the ship ''Lockhart Ross'' of Quebec, which two French frigates had captured a few days before.
* On 27 September 1781, the brig ''Sturdy''.
* On 4 October 1781, the 14-gun ''Tiger''.
* On 9 January 1782, ''Les Sept Freres''.

James Ferguson took command of ''Surprise'' on 2 March 1782, sailing to Newfoundland as escort to a convoy. On 16 August 1782 ''Surprise'' and , Captain James Worth, captured the American privateer ''Raven''.

Fate

''Surprise'' was paid off in February 1783, and sold for breaking up on 24 April.

Citations

References

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Surprise (1774)
1774 ships
Sixth-rate frigates of the Royal Navy
Ships built in Woolwich