Active-class frigate

This article is about the British frigate class. For other ship classes, see Active class.

The Active-class frigate was a 32-gun fifth-rate frigate class of eight ships designed by Edward Hunt to replace the Amazon class design, which they resembled with a distinct midsection. Due to poor performance of the Active class, orders continued for the Amazon class.

HMS Astraea captures the Gloire, a print by Thomas Whitcombe
Class overview
Builders	John Fisher, Liverpool J. Pollard, Sheerness Dockyard George Parsons, Bursledon, Hampshire Robert Fabian, East Cowes
Operators	United Kingdom
Preceded by	Amazon class
Succeeded by	Hermione class
Built	1780–1784
In commission	1780–1830
Planned	8
Completed	8
Lost	3
Scrapped	5
General characteristics
Type	32-gun fifth-rate frigate
Tons burthen	68929⁄94 (bm)
Length	126 ft 6+1⁄2 in (38.6 m) (overall) 104 ft 7+1⁄2 in (31.9 m) (keel)
Beam	35 ft 2+1⁄4 in (10.7 m)
Draught	8 ft (2.4 m)
Depth of hold	12 ft 1+1⁄2 in (3.7 m)
Sail plan	Full-rigged ship
Complement	220
Armament	Upper deck: 26 × 12-pounder guns QD: 4 × 6-pounder guns + 4 × 18-pounder carronades Fc: 2 × 6-pounder guns + 2 × 18-pounder carronades

Description

The Active class was designed with a 126-foot (38 m) gundeck, measuring 103 ft 9+5⁄8 in (31.639 m) at the keel, 35 ft 4 in (10.77 m) at the beam, and a draught of 12 ft 2 in (3.71 m). They displaced 689+25⁄94 tons burthen. The class was designed with an armament of 26 12-pounder (5.4 kg) cannon on the gundeck, four 6-pounder (2.7 kg) guns on the quarterdeck with four 24-pounder (11 kg) carronades, and two 6 pdr guns and two 24 pdr carronades on the forecastle.

Ships in class

• HMS Cerberus (1779) - wrecked attempting to exit Castle Harbour, Bermuda, via Castle Roads
• HMS Active (1780) – wrecked on Anticosti Island in the St Lawrence estuary 13 July 1796, abandoned 30 July 1796.
• HMS Daedalus (1780) - broken up July 1811.
• HMS Fox (1780) – broken up 1816
• HMS Astraea (1781) – wrecked on Anegada Island in the Virgin Islands 23 March 1808.
• HMS Ceres (1781) – broken up 1830.
• HMS Quebec (1781) – broken up 1830.
• HMS Mermaid (1784) - broken up November 1815.

References

• Winfield, Rif (2014). British Warships in the Age of Sail 1793–1817: Design, Construction, Careers and Fates. ISBN 978-1-84415-717-4.