HMS Benbow (1813)
| History | |
|---|---|
| United Kingdom | |
| Name | HMS Benbow |
| Ordered | 11 June 1808 |
| Builder | Brent, Rotherhithe |
| Laid down | July 1808 |
| Launched | 3 February 1813 |
| Fate | Broken up, 1895 |
| Notes | Coal hulk from August 1859 |
| General characteristics [1] | |
| Class & type | Vengeur-class ship of the line |
| Tons burthen | 1773 bm |
| Length | 176 ft (54 m) (gundeck) |
| Beam | 47 ft 6 in (14.48 m) |
| Depth of hold | 21 ft (6.4 m) |
| Propulsion | Sails |
| Sail plan | Full-rigged ship |
| Armament |
|
HMS Benbow was a 74-gun third rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy, built by Brent of Rotherhithe and launched on 3 February 1813.[1]
In 1840 Benbow saw action in the bombardment of the city of Acre under the command of Admiral Robert Stopford. At the height of the battle either Benbow or the naval steamer HMS Gorgon fired the shell that destroyed Acre's powder magazine, causing an explosion that greatly weakened the city's defences.[2]
Benbow was used for harbour service from February 1848 until August 1859, when she was converted to be used as a coal hulk. In 1892, after 79 years of service, she was sold out of the Navy, and was broken up in 1895 at Castle, Woolwich.[1]
Figurehead
The figurehead of Benbow is carved in the likeness of Vice Admiral John Benbow; a celebrated naval figure famed for seeing action against the Barbary corsairs, his exploits against the French and his death in active service.[3]
Carved in the form of a bust, Benbow is depicted in black armour. This was repainted metallic silver in the 1950s, before returning to the black the figurehead is seen in today.
Once removed from the ship in 1895, the figurehead became part of the collection at Chatham and featured in the Admiralty Catalogue of 1911. The figurehead did not join the Portsmouth collection until the 1940s.[4]
The figurehead is now part of the collection of the National Museum of the Royal Navy, Portsmouth.[5]
References
- ^ a b c Lavery, Ships of the Line, vol. 1, p. 189.
- ^ Kahanov 2014, p.152.
- ^ "John Benbow | Naval Commander, Privateer & Pirate Hunter | Britannica". www.britannica.com. Retrieved 27 June 2025.
- ^ Pulvertaft, David (2009). The Warship Figureheads of Portsmouth (1st Colour ed.). UK: The History Press. p. 36. ISBN 978-0752450766.
- ^ "Discover the Royal Navy like never before | National Museum of the Royal Navy". www.nmrn.org.uk. Retrieved 27 June 2025.
Bibliography
- Colledge, J. J.; Warlow, Ben (2006) [1969]. Ships of the Royal Navy: The Complete Record of all Fighting Ships of the Royal Navy (Rev. ed.). London: Chatham Publishing. ISBN 978-1-86176-281-8.
- Kahanov, Yaacov; Stern, Eliezer; Cvikel, Deborah; Me-Bar, Yoav (2014), "Between Shoal and Wall: The naval bombardment of Akko, 1840", The Mariner's Mirror, 100 (2): 147–167, doi:10.1080/00253359.2014.901699, S2CID 110466181
- Lavery, Brian (1983) The Ship of the Line - Volume 1: The development of the battlefleet 1650-1850. Conway Maritime Press. ISBN 0-85177-252-8.