Protector (1779 frigate)

''Protector'' was a frigate of the Massachusetts Navy, launched in 1779. She fought a notable single-ship action against a British privateer ''General Duff'' before the British Royal Navy captured her in 1781. The Royal Navy took her into service as the sixth-rate post ship HMS ''Hussar''. ''Hussar'' too engaged in a notable action against the French 32-gun frigate ''Sybille''. The Royal Navy sold ''Hussar'' in 1783 and a Dutch ship-owner operating from Copenhagen purchased her. She made one voyage to the East Indies for him before he sold her to British owners circa 1786. She leaves ''Lloyd's Register'' by 1790.

Career

Massachusetts Navy

Captain John Foster Williams received command of the new 20 or 28-gun frigate ''Protector'' in the spring of 1780 and took her to sea in June. In accordance with instructions from the Board of War, the new warship cruised in the vicinity of the Newfoundland Banks, on the lookout for British merchantmen. Her vigilance was rewarded early in June.

At 0700 on 9 June 1780, ''Protector'' spotted a strange ship bearing down on her, flying British colors. At 1100, ''Protector'', also flying English colors, hailed the stranger and found her to be the 32-gun letter-of-marque ''Admiral Duff'', bound for London from St. Kitts. When the enemy's identity had been ascertained, ''Protector'' hauled down British colors and ran up the Continental flag—opening fire almost simultaneously. The action ensued for the next hour and one-half, until ''Admiral Duff'' caught fire and exploded, leaving 55 survivors for ''Protector'' to rescue soon thereafter.

In May 1781, ''Lloyd's List'' reported that the rebel frigates and ''Protector'' had captured ''John'', Ashburner, master, from Lancaster to St. Kitts, and a ship sailing from Glasgow to Jamaica with 900 barrels of beef and a quantity of dry goods, and had taken them into Martinique.

In June, ''Lloyd's List'' reported that the American privateer ''Protector'', of 28 guns and 179 men, had captured ''Sally'', Townsend, master, which had been sailing from St Kitts to New York.

Notification of these captures took some months to get to Britain. In the meantime, on 5 May 1781, and captured ''Protector'' off Sandy Hook. The Royal Navy took her into service as the sixth-rate HMS ''Hussar''.

Royal Navy

The Royal Navy commissioned ''Hussar'' under Captain Thomas McNamara Russell (or Thomas Macnamara Russell).

On 3 May 1782, ''Hussar'' ''Hussar'' captured the brig ''Boston Packet'', which was carrying flour and rum.

''Hussar''s most famous engagement was the action with the French frigate ''Sybille''.

In the action ''Hussar'' emerged victorious, having lost only two men killed and five or six wounded. However, the actions of the French captain gave rise to controversy.

''Hussar'' arrived at Deptford on 3 June 1783 and was paid off. The Royal Navy sold ''Hussar'' on 14 August 1783 for £1540, at Deptford.

Danish ownership

Frédéric de Coninck, who was a Dutch trader with a fleet of 64 ships operating from Copenhagen, purchased her. At purchase, the ship was already fitted with a desalination plant which was ideal for the long voyages envisaged to the East Indies and the Danes made contemporary technical drawings of the distilling machine.

Her captain was A. M'Intosh (or Mackingtosh, or MacIntosh), and her trade was initially London-Copenhagen. In 1784-5 she sailed to Bengal and back to Denmark. When she sailed up the Hooghly to Calcutta the British East India Company suspected that she was American, even though she was flying Danish colours. M'Intosh himself died in late 1785 as there is a call in the '' London Gazette'' of 3 January 1786 for claimants against his estate.

Danish records show ''Hussaren'' as making only one voyage for De Connick.Skibe hjemmehørende i København.
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British ownership

''Lloyd's Register'' for 1787 shows a new master, R. Wilson, a new owner, and a new trade, Honduras-Bristol.''Lloyd's Register'' (1787), Seq. №H364.
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''Lloyd's Register'' did not publish in 1788, and the relevant pages are missing from the volume for 1789. ''Hussar'' is not listed in the volume for 1790.

Notes

Citations

References

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Protector (1779 frigate)
1779 ships
Massachusetts in the American Revolution
History of the United States Navy
Captured ships
Post ships of the Royal Navy
Age of Sail merchant ships
Merchant ships of Denmark
Merchant ships of the United Kingdom