Fourth Rate 50 gun ships of the Royal Navy.

[Bligh]

HMS Europa (1783)


Europa approaching Port Mahon, Minorca, by Anton Schranz

HMS Europa was a John Williams designed Portland Class 50 gun fourth rate ship, built by M/shipwright George White until the April of 1779, then John Jenner until the December of 1782 when he died, and completed by Henry Peake at Woolwich Dockyard. Ordered on the 12th of January, 1778, and laid down on the 26th of September in that year, she was launched on the 19th of April, 1783, and completed on the 10th of September in that year already fully coppered and fitted at a total cost of £29,351.14.7d.

History
GREAT BRITAIN
Name:	HMS Europa
Ordered:	12 January 1778
Builder:	Woolwich Dockyard
Laid down:	26 September 1778
Launched:	19 April 1783
Completed:	By 10 September 1783
Honours and awards:	Naval General Service Medal with clasp "Egypt"
Fate:	Sold for breaking up on 11 August 1814
General characteristics
Class and type:	Portland Class 50 gun fourth rate ship
Tons burthen:	1,046 ​91⁄94 (bm)
Length:	145 ft 11 in (44.5 m) (overall) 119 ft 8 in (36.5 m) (keel)
Beam:	40 ft 71⁄4 in (12.4 m)
Depth of hold: Draught:	17 ft 51⁄2 in (5.32 m) 10ft 4in x 16ft 101⁄2 in
Propulsion:	Sails
Sail plan:	Full rigged ship
Armament:	LD: 22 × 24 pdr guns UD: 22 × 12 pdr guns QD: 4 × 6 pdr guns Fc: 2 × 6 pdr guns

Service.

HMS Europa was commissioned in the June of 1783 and sailed for the West Indies on the 6th of November in that year, and became the Flagship based out of Jamaica until paid off in the September of 1789. During her commission, Europa ran aground at Montego Bay in 1785, but was not seriously damaged.

The French Revolutionary Wars.

When reports of the outbreak of the French Revolutionary Wars reached the British in Jamaica, Europa was sent into action along with the entire British squadron based there, consisting of several 12 pounder frigates and a number of smaller vessels, under the command of Commodore John Ford.

On her return to Plymouth in the June of 1790 Europa was decommissioned and underwent Middling repairs which were completed in the June of 1791 costing £18,223. In the following year she was fitted for service between the September and the November of 1792, having first been recommissioned under Captain George Gregory in the September of that year.
With the commencement of the War of the First Coalition Europa returned to the naval squadron based at Jamaica on the !0th of September, 1792, which was still under the command of Commodore John Ford, who would be promoted to a Rear Admiral in the May of 1794.

In the January of 1794, Commodore Ford detached the Penelope, 32, Captain Bartholomew Samuel Rowley offering terms of capitulation to Port au Prince. These were refused; and, in consequence, the Commodore blockaded the harbour. On February 3rd, Cape Tiburon was taken, after slight resistance; and on the 11th Aoul was carried. On May the 31st, the Europa, under Captain Gregory, and acting as flagship to Commodore Ford, HMS Irresistible, 74, Captain John Henry, Belliqueux 64, Captain James Brine, Sceptre 64, Captain James Richard Dacres, plus three frigates and three sloops, with 1465 effective troops on board under Brigadier-General White, arrived in the Bay of Port au Prince from Cape Nicolas Mole. On the 1st of June, the Belliqueux, Sceptre and Penelope opened fire on Fort Brissoton, with the Europa and Irresistible, under sail, lending occasional assistance; and, in the course of the day, troops were disembarked under the direction of Commander Thomas Affleck, of the Sloop Fly. The operations were interrupted at 6 P.M. by a most tremendous storm, but in the consequent confusion and obscurity the fort was rushed and carried. On the 3rd of June, the Hermione, 32, Captain John Hills, and the Iphigenia, 32, Captain Patrick Sinclair, bombarded a work at Bernadou to make a diversion during the advance of the troops; and, on the 4th, possession was taken of Port au Prince. There was little loss of life, the Hermione suffering 5 killed and 6 wounded, and the Belliqueux 10 wounded. In the December of 1794 Europa came under the command of Captain Thomas Surridge, still as Ford’s flagship at Jamaica until she returned home escorting a convoy in the July of 1795. She was then paid off in the November of that year.

From the January to the April of 1798 Europa was fitted as a troopship at Portsmouth at a cost of £9,124. During the refit she was recommissioned under the command of Captain James Stephenson, and under him she served in the Quiberon operations during1800.

In 1801 she again served as a troopship during the British expedition to Egypt. Whilst there she participated in the landing at Aboukir Bay, for an overwhelming attack that defeated the French and led to the British capture of Cairo. Because Europa served in the navy's Egyptian campaign between the 8th of March, and the 2nd of September 1801, her officers and crew qualified for the clasp "Egypt" to the Naval General Service Medal, which the Admiralty issued in 1847 to all surviving claimants.

From the September of the year command of Europa devolved onto Captain John Stewart until she paid off in the June of 1802.

Fate.

In 1805 Europa was fitted as a Prison ship for POWs at Plymouth, but by 1807 she had gone into Ordinary at Portsmouth where in 1814, “The Principal Officers and Commissioners of His Majesty's Navy offered the "Europa, of 50 guns and 1047 tons", lying at Portsmouth, for sale”. The buyer had to post a bond of £3,000, with two guarantors to ensure that they would break up the vessel within a year of purchase. Europa was sold on these conditions on the 11th of August in that year.