HMS Formidable

HMS Formidable
Rating: 3rd-rate

Class: Wenden-Class Ship of the Line

Date of Commission: October 7th, 1721

Shipyard: McDella & Silver Yards

Guns: 72

Crew: 650

Status: In commission.

History:
Fast and nimble for her size, she was built by the French in 1704 at Fort-de-France in order to strenghten the their navy's position in the French West Indies during Queen Anne's War. She was assigned to a small squadron under Contre-amiral Frédéric de Boniface, who used her as his flagship. During a particular cruise off Roseau in January 1705, the Boniface Squadron came across a convoy of San Juan merchantmen under attack by a group of small pirate vessels. As the pirates were wholly engaged in boarding and slow in spotting the approaching French warships, the squadron with the Formidable at its tip were able to sail into the midst of the Spanish convoy before the pirate vessels were ready to set sail. It was during the attempted escape by a pirate corvette that the Formidable, at full sails, rammed into its side, cutting it clean in half. After this action she became known among French sailors as L'imparable, "the Unstoppable". The Boniface Squadron managed during the course of 9 months to effectively secure the north-eastern trade route to Europe from pirate vessels and Royal Navy cruisers.

In 1709, after a fierce four-day blow off Vieux Fort, Boniface unluckily found himself severely crippled and separated from the rest of his squadron. Even more unluckily, the British frigates Culverin and Diligence, having spotted the mastless hull to leeward at the break of dawn, were only a few hundred yards away. After a chaotic and bloody boarding action, in which Admiral Boniface tragically lost his life, the Formidable recieved an "HMS" prefix and was towed to Carlisle Bay for refitting. Due to problems regarding finding her a full complement of crewmembers and a capable captain to command, she spent the rest of the war there. After the war she was moved to Port Royal where she was commissioned to Captain John Watson in 1714. For two years she saw nothing but lying at anchor and some convoy duty, before she was drydocket in Turtling Bay in 1716. In 1721, she was relaunched by the McDella & Silver Shipyards and commissioned to Post-Captain Sir Nathaniel Blatchford.

Captains:

 * 1704-1709: Contre-amiral Frédéric de Boniface
 * 1714-1716: Captain John Watson
 * 1721-present: Captain Sir Nathaniel Blatchford