| Main Purpose: | Truculence |
|---|---|
| Length: | 23 m |
| Breadth: | 7 m |
| Capacity: | 175 |
| Armament: | 6 Swivels, 16 Guns |
The class of ship termed sloop-of war is probably the most ambiguous class ever catalogued. The term sloop generally refers to a small craft with one mast. The first purpose-built naval sloops were launched in 1666. They had single masts, carried four guns (not counting swivels), and were generally about 50 feet long and weighed about 50 tons. However, over the years the term sloop was applied to a wide range of craft from small pleasure boats to ship-rigged warships. To confuse things even further, the British Admiralty lumped brigs, brigantines, snows, and even the odd ketch or two into the class. For our purposes, we will consider the sloop-of-war to be a single-decked ship. Some were flush decked and some had small quarterdecks but virtually none had a forecastle. The ship-rigged sloop-of-war had the three masts, mizzen, main, and foremast required to be called a ship. Armament ran from 14 to 20 cannon in the 4 to 8 pound range. Later ship sloops also carried 12-pound carronades.
Sloops-of war -- "ship-sloops" for brevity's sake -- were much likened in appearance to miniature frigates. They were used as cruisers, convoy escorts, priority-dispatch messengers, and scouts. In fact, they were used exactly the same as frigates when there were no frigates to be had or when it was not strategically feasible to release available frigates for those same duties.
One of the earliest ships that could be classed as a sloop-of war was the Berlin. The Berlin was one of the first "charter ships" that the organizers of the Brandenburg Navy put at the disposal of Prince Frederick William -- who started Brandenburg on its transformation into Prussia -- and the ship was, in those days, called a frigate. Built in 1674 at the Zeeland dockyards, she had a length of only 80 feet, a width of 22 feet, and an armament of 16 guns, and so was too small to be classified as what we now think of as an 18th-century frigate.
The Berlin was, however, highly successful in her day. With her crew of between 70 - 100 men, the Berlin, commanded by the Dutch Captain C. Reers, performed remarkable service between 1675 and 1680: an attack on the Swedish fortress of Karlsburg; the pursuit and overpowering of the French corsair frigate La Royale de Dunquerque; the capture of the Swedish ships Leoparden, Diederik, and Maria in the Baltic Sea; the defeat of another Swedish ship, Enhorn; escort duty to protect the transit of the Brandenburg Army from Peenemunde to the Rugen islands; and then the momentous capture of the 50-gun Spanish vessel Carolus 2nd. For a 16-gun ship to capture a 50-gun ship was unheard of at that time, and is an amazing feat in any era. The Berlin proved the worth of her design and the merits of her crew again and again.
Prior to the 18th century, the British Admiralty either purchased or hired the vessels that would become their sloops-of-war. In 1709 the Navy Board finally convinced the Admiralty that better ships could be built by the Navy Dockyards. That year, a series of seven ship-sloops were built. A typical example was the Seahorse: 76 feet in length, 22 feet in width, a draught of nine feet, and a burthen of 161 tons. She was armed with 14 4-pounders and was classed as a Sixth Rate. In the period of the Naval Establishments, roughly 1719 to 1750, the British navy maintained an average of 18 sloops-of-war on the lists of a broad range of sizes and designs.
The first purpose-built ship-rigged sloop-of-war, the HMS Favorite, was completed in 1757. Designed by Thomas Slade, the adoption of ship rig extended the quarterdeck and produced a more accommodating hull, enabling the Favorite to keep the sea longer. Favorite was 96 feet in length, 27 feet in width, had a draught of 8 feet, and a burthen of 309 tons. She was armed with 16 six-pound cannon. Another version, the Swan, was built with only 14 guns. Swan was 96 feet long, 27 feet wide, had a draught of 13 feet, and a burthen of 300 tons. On September 6, 1776 the Favorite was captured by the American, John Paul Jones, aboard the colonial government ship Providence -- his first command.
For a generation, ship-sloops were fairly consistent in size and design. In the 1790s the Navy Board finally listened to the designers who maintained that British ships were proportionally too short, and many designs were lengthened. The ship-sloop in particular benefited from this long-overdue hull extension. The most successful class, the Cormorant, was to become the standard for the British well into the 1800s. Cormorant was built in Rotherhithe and was 108 feet in length, 30 feet in width, had a draught of 9 feet, and a burthen of 422 tons. She was originally armed with 16 6-pounders. By 1805 and against the advice of the designers, this had been raised to 26 guns. The added weight of these extra guns -- totaling around 10 tons -- made her much less handy to sail.
For most of the 18th century and beyond, the lowest rated warship in the navy was the 6th rate frigate, which had an armament of at least 20 guns. Sloops-of-war, being smaller and more lightly armed than their frigate cousins, were therefore among the largest of the 'unrated' vessels in the navy. It is interesting to note, however, that an officer was not eligible to command a rated warship until they had achieved the rank of Post Captain, nor could a rated warship be commanded by anyone of lesser rank. Who then commanded these sloops-of-war?
In order to answer this question, the history of the term 'Master' must first be explored. The roots of this term go back at least as far as medieval England, where the title described the commander of a merchant vessel. When the army converted these vessels to men-of-war, they wisely retained the men who actually knew how to navigate � the civilian Masters. In this capacity, their rank was subordinate to that of the military captain, but they were the ones responsible for the actual running of the ship. As the navy evolved, captains became more knowledgeable in the technical aspects of seafaring, but the Master remained as the man in charge of navigating, keeping the ship's log, and stowing the hold.
Rated warships were commanded by post-captains, and were large enough to warrant having a Master aboard. Sloops-of-war were not. They were small enough that they required neither a Captain nor a Master, so the two roles were combined into one rank: Master and Commander.
In Pirates of the Burning Sea, the sloop-of-war is a small but powerful warship: a tiny, ferocious package, eager to rain iron death on those who mistake its size for weakness.
A workhorse for the navy, it is often treated as a mini-frigate when using real frigates is impossible, unwise, or impractical. The ship-sloop packs sixteen guns onto its small but sturdy gundeck, making it a fierce opponent in long-range battles. Its sail plan is extensive, carrying topgallants on its fore and main, and though it pays for this complexity with the crew required to sail it, the result is the admirable sailing qualities of the ship-rig on a vessel small enough to still be quick and maneuverable.
Though the design of the 16-gun sloop of war is becoming somewhat old, like its ancestor -- the galleon -- it still has many qualities which should not be overlooked. The high poop deck of the galleons is still visible in this design, and this translates into a height advantage for the swivels mounted on those rails. Even the hull design compensates for its comparative top-heaviness with the resulting shallow draft and high gun-platforms.
All told, the sloop-of-war is a ship fit for its name: a light warship more than capable in its varied roles of scouting, raiding enemy commerce, escorting friendly convoys, and supporting larger frigates and lineships.
Though ferocious for its size, the sloop-of-war should understand its limitations. It's not a frigate, however much it acts like one, and will be at a severe and obvious disadvantage when in combat with larger warships. This is only natural, however, and should not be taken as a slight of the ship-sloop's abilities.
Sloops-of-war are in the enviable position of being able to escape from those vessels they cannot defeat. They are more than a match for similarly sized vessels, and they have almost all the maneuverability and draft advantages of the agile sloops and schooners. It does not, however, have a fore-and-aft rig, and should be aware of this difference. Though the sloop-of-war will be faster running downwind than a similar fore-and-aft vessel, it cannot sail nearly as close to the wind, and should assiduously avoid situations where escape from a fore-and-aft rigger is to windward.
In fact, xebecs are probably the vessels that Master and Commanders should be most concerned with. The xebec, despite its larger size, is equally fast and nimble, and its comparable armament demands vigilance. Though larger, the xebec's hull is more fragile, and sloops-of-war would do well to keep the engagement at cannon-ranges, preventing their sleek opponents from closing to boarding range where their large crew capacity could come to bear.
Arch-rival aside, the sloop-of-war is a fierce and capable light warship, able to capture and sink both smaller warships and larger merchantmen. Its solid construction allows it to stand up and support larger comrades in attack and defense, and its shallow draft and excellent sailing qualities give it the ability to both ambush and flee. In all respects it is a fine vessel, and is the perfect stepping stone for any Master and Commander working to make Captain.
The sloop-of-war has many relatives. As a ship-rigged vessel, it is directly related to its galleon ancestors. The older 16-gun design bears a strong family resemblance, though it has lost the characteristic exposed stern balcony. Those who think they would enjoy commanding a sloop-of-war but would like to focus on trading should seek out a small galleon.
In its size, armament, and temperament, it is akin to the xebec, though the sloop-of-war is ship-rigged and far more robust in construction, while the xebec bears a distinctive three-masted lateen rig. Though the sloop-of-war is a far more versatile warship than the xebec, the xebec's shallower draft and fore-and-aft rig may appeal to some captains.
Finally, the raison d'etre of the ship-sloop is shared by its larger cousin, the frigate. In almost all ways, the sloop-of-war is simply a smaller variant of the strong and glamorous frigate. Master and Commanders hoping to make Captain will find frigates to be very familiar vessels after a tour of duty on a sloop-of-war, and though they are a bit deeper and less maneuverable, frigates are, of course, larger and more heavily armed.
Lazlo, Veres and Woodman, Richard (1999) The Story of Sail
Lavery, Brian (1983) The Ship of the Line, Vol I: The Development of the Battlefleet 1650 � 1850. Annapolis: Naval Institute Press
Enclosure in Captain Stephen Decatur to Secretary of the Navy Benjamin Crowninshield, dated May 1814, National Archives, Record Group 45, Captain's Letters Sent, 1815, Vol. 3, No. 93.
"Why is the Colonel Called 'Kernal'? The Origin of the Ranks and Rank Insignia Now Used by the United States Armed Forces." Retrieved 12/11 from www.history.navy.mil