HMS Spartan



Rating: Fifth Rate

Class: Mercy Heavy Frigate

Date of Commission: July, 1720

Current Captain: Roderick Morrow

Armament
Guns: 46

Upper Deck: 16 x 8lbs

Gun Deck: 28 x 18lbs

Aft: 2 x 18lbs

Crew: 350

Status: Sunk in action at Portobello on June 2, 1721.

Notable Actions
May 11, 1721- Helped to defend Turtling Bay from French attack along with other Captains of the St. Georges Squadron.

June 1, 1721- Particpated in the actions to retake Turtling Bay from the French, along with Captains Middlemore, Lafite, and Berret. Caught two French warships near Belize, however, the French had set a trap and soon three more joined the action and came across the Brtish stern. HMS Spartan was severly damaged in the action and limped back to the Yucatan. In a miraculous feat of repair and engineering she was back out to sea that evening and was soon fighting again. It would have been better had she stayed where she was...

June 2, 1721- In action around Portobello, HMS Spartan joined a squadron of British ships and together they began to sink Spanish shipping at a high rate. Captain Morrow took the Spartan against a fleet of 12 to hold them off while the rest of the squadron finished off other Spanish enemies. Unfortunately the repairs done the night and day before did not hold and picked this moment to break. The ship lost its rudder and its speed as holes in the hull, hastily repaired from before and now failing, filled her up with water, not a lot but enough to dip her bow into the ocean, slowing her greatly. This allowed the Spanish warships to close and then reduce her to nothing more than splinters floating on the sea. Captain Morrow was able to get most of his crew into the boats and they were picked up shortly after by British frigates.