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Coventry-class Royal Navy frigate From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
HMS Trent was a 28-gun Coventry-class sixth-rate frigate of the Royal Navy.
![]() Trent | |
History | |
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Name | HMS Trent |
Ordered | 5 May 1757 |
Builder | Woolwich Dockyard |
Laid down | 19 May 1757 |
Launched | 31 October 1757 |
Completed | 23 November 1757 |
Commissioned | September 1757 |
Fate | Sold to be taken to pieces at Portsmouth 26 January 1764 |
General characteristics | |
Class and type | 28-gun Coventry-class sixth-rate frigate |
Tons burthen | 587 30⁄94 bm |
Length |
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Beam | 33 ft 8 in (10.3 m) |
Depth of hold | 10 ft 6 in (3.20 m) |
Sail plan | Full-rigged ship |
Complement | 200 officers and men |
Armament |
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Trent was one of five frigates of the class built of fir rather than oak. Fir was cheaper and more abundant than oak and permitted noticeably faster construction, but at a cost of a reduced lifespan; the four fir-built Coventry-class vessels that did not get captured lasted an average of only nine years before being struck off.
The vessel was named after the River Trent, England's third-longest waterway. In selecting her name the Board of Admiralty continued a tradition dating to 1644 of using geographic features for ship names; overall, ten of the nineteen Coventry-class vessels were named after well-known regions, rivers or towns.[1][2] With few exceptions the remainder of the class were named after figures from classical antiquity, following a more modern trend initiated in 1748 by John Montagu, 4th Earl of Sandwich in his capacity as First Lord of the Admiralty.[1][2][lower-alpha 1]
In sailing qualities Trent was broadly comparable with French frigates of equivalent size, but with a shorter and sturdier hull and greater weight in her broadside guns. She was also comparatively broad-beamed with ample space for provisions and the ship's mess, and incorporating a large magazine for powder and round shot.[lower-alpha 2] Taken together, these characteristics would enable Trent to remain at sea for long periods without resupply.[4][5] She was also built with broad and heavy masts, which balanced the weight of her hull, improved stability in rough weather and made her capable of carrying a greater quantity of sail. The disadvantages of this comparatively heavy design were a decline in manoeuvrability and slower speed when sailing in light winds.[6]
Her designated complement was 200, comprising two commissioned officers – a captain and a lieutenant – overseeing 40 warrant and petty officers, 91 naval ratings, 38 Marines and 29 servants and other ranks.[7][lower-alpha 3] Among these other ranks were four positions reserved for widow's men – fictitious crew members whose pay was intended to be reallocated to the families of sailors who died at sea.[7]
Bien Aimé was a merchant frigate of 20 guns and 85 men. She was on her way to Martinique when on 5 January 1761 she encountered Trent about 10 leagues off Cape Tiburon. Trent captured Bien Aimé after a single-ship action that left Bien Aimé with 40 men killed and wounded. Trent had one man killed and five wounded.[8]