1647 Programme Group

From Wikipedia the free encyclopedia

Class overview
Name1647 Programme Group
Builders
Operators
  • Royal Navy Ensign Commonwealth Of England
  • Royal Navy Ensign Kingdom of England
  •  Royal Navy
Preceded by1646 Programme Group
Succeeded by1649 Programme Group
Built1647
In service1647 - 1709
Completed4
Lost2
Retired2
General characteristics
Type32 to 38-gun fourth rate
Tons burthen370 tons bm
Sail planship-rigged
Complement150/1652, 160/1653
Armament32 to 38 guns

The 1647 Programme of four 370 ton fourth-rate vessels was approved by Parliament on 9 January 1647. The ships were to carry a minimum of 32 guns in peacetime and 38 guns in wartime. Each vessel would have 11 pairs lower deck gun ports and eventually an equal number on the upper deck with two pairs on the quarterdeck. The vessels would actually have varying number of guns and the dimensional data would vary considerably. Three vessels were ordered in December 1645.[1]

Design and specifications[edit]

The construction of the vessels was assigned to Chatham, Woolwich and Deptford dockyards. The ships would be built under the supervision of the master shipwrights of each Dockyard. As with most vessels of this time period only launch years are available. The dimensional data was so varied that it will be listed on the individual vessels along with their gun armament.[2]

Ships of the 1647 Programme Group[edit]

Name Builder Launch date Remarks
Dragon (1647) Woolwich Dockyard 1647
  • Rebuilt at Deptford 1689-90
  • Rebuilt Deptford 1706
  • Wrecked 15 March 1712
Elizabeth (1647) Deptford Dockyard 1647
  • Burnt in action with two Dutch warships 5 June 1667
Phoenix (1647) Woolwich Dockyard 1647
  • Wrecked at Gibraltar on 3 December 1664
Tiger (1647) Deptford Dockyard 1647
  • Rebuilt at Deptford in 1681
  • Rebuilt at Rotherhithe 1702
  • Rebuilt at Sheerness 1718-22
  • Wrecked 12 January 1742

Citations[edit]

  1. ^ Winfield
  2. ^ Winfield

References[edit]

  • British Warships in the Age of Sail (1603 – 1714), by Rif Winfield, published by Seaforth Publishing, England © Rif Winfield 2009, EPUB ISBN 978-1-78346-924-6, Chapter 4, The Fourth Rates - 'Small Ships', Vessels acquired from 24 March 1603, 1647 Programme
  • Ships of the Royal Navy, by J.J. Colledge, revised and updated by Lt-Cdr Ben Warlow and Steve Bush, published by Seaforth Publishing, Barnsley, Great Britain, © the estate of J.J. Colledge, Ben Warlow and Steve Bush 2020, EPUB ISBN 978-1-5267-9328-7