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Ajax-class ship of the line

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Class overview
NameAjax
Operators Royal Navy
Preceded byMars class
Succeeded byPompée class
In service17 January 1798–1881
Completed2
General characteristics
TypeShip of the line
Length
  • 182 ft 3 in (55.5 m) (gundeck)
  • 149 ft 8 in (45.6 m) (keel)
Beam49 ft 3 in (15.0 m)
PropulsionSails
Armament
  • 74 guns:
  • Gundeck: 28 × 32-pounders
  • Upper gundeck: 30 × 24-pounders
  • Quarterdeck: 12 × 9-pounders
  • Forecastle: 4 × 9-pounders
NotesShips in class include: Kent, Ajax

The Ajax-class ships of the line were a class of two 74-gun third rates of the Royal Navy. They were grouped in with the large class of 74s, as they carried 24-pounders on their upper gun decks, rather than the 18-pounders of the middling and common class 74s. The design of the Ajax class was a lengthened (by 11 ft (3.4 m)) version of the Valiant class, the lines of which were taken from the French Invincible, captured in 1747.

Ships

[edit]
Builder: Perry, Blackwall Yard
Ordered: 10 June 1795
Launched: 17 January 1798
Fate: Broken up, 1881
Builder: Randall, Rotherhithe
Ordered: 10 June 1795
Launched: 3 March 1798
Fate: Accidentally burnt, 1807

References

[edit]
  • Lavery, Brian (2003) The Ship of the Line – Volume 1: The development of the battlefleet 1650–1850. Conway Maritime Press. ISBN 0-85177-252-8.