HMS Fearless

HMS Fearless
Rating: Fifth Rate

Class: Mercy

Date of Commission: 2nd February 1721

Current captain: Robert Middlemore

Guns: 44

Crew: 350

Status: Active service

Overview
HMS Fearless is a 44-gun, Fifth Rate frigate of the Royal Navy. Originally ordered as a 32-gun ship of the new Defiant class inspired by the 1719 Establishment, her keel was laid down at Deptford Royal Dockyard on 6th December 1719 and she was christened on 12th August and launched on 25th October the following year.

However before she could see commissioning and active service the decision was taken to upgrade the Fearless to match the draft of the HMS Mercy, a highly successful Defiant-class refit bearing thicker armour, streamlined dimensions, and greater gun count. Thus she was drydocked at Chatham Dockyard in November 1720 to undergo the necessary refit work, and finally re-launched and officially commissioned on Candlemas 1721.

Now bearing a formidable 28 guns of 18lbs on her gundeck and the additional bite of 16 guns of 8lbs on her quarter deck - placing her in the heaviest bracket of Fifth Rates - the Fearless was placed under the command of newly-promoted Post Captain Robert Middlemore with orders to sail to the West Indies Station, there to aid the Royal Navy's efforts to control shipping lanes, harrass French and Spanish merchants, eliminate the local pirate threat, and extend British control of key ports whilst protecting existing assets. Upon arrival at Antigua the Fearless was assigned to the St. George Squadron of the White, one of the most famous and formidable British naval divisions in the West Indies.

After a year of extensive service, seeing action in a number of engagements, Fearless was laid up in drydock for over a year for extensive repairs and refitting, finally relaunching in mid-1723 for a fresh tour of duty.