HMS Latona was a 36-gun, fifth-rate frigate of the Royal Navy that served during the American Revolutionary War, the French Revolutionary Wars, and the Napoleonic Wars. Shortly after her launch in 1781, she participated in the Battle of Dogger Bank against a Dutch squadron in the North Sea. In September 1782, Latona took part in the relief of Gibraltar and was the first ship in the convoy to pass through the Straits, when Richard Howe sent her ahead, to spy on the condition of the Franco-Spanish fleet in Algeciras Bay.
Late in 1792, when the British began re-arming in anticipation of another war with France, Latona underwent a refit and was recommissioned for the Channel Fleet. On 18 November 1793, she spotted, chased and engaged a squadron of six ships-of-the-line and some smaller vessels. She was unable to detain the enemy ships for long and they escaped before the rest of the British fleet could catch up. Still with Howe's fleet in May 1794, Latona and her compatriots were waiting for a large grain convoy bound for France from the United States. The British eventually found what they were looking for off Ushant on 28 May, and began a running battle which ended three days later on the Glorious First of June. Latona escaped serious damage despite being actively involved in the battle, coming to the assistance of the ship-of-the-line and firing on two French 74s before towing her to safety.
Latona operated with a British squadron in the Anglo-Russian invasion of Holland during August 1799, and was present at the Vlieter Incident, when a Dutch squadron surrendered without resistance. She subsequently served in the Baltic before being decommissioned and laid up in ordinary, shortly after the Treaty of Amiens. Hostilities resumed in May 1803, but Latona was not brought back into service until the end of 1804. In April 1806, she was sent to the West Indies and was part of a small squadron of four frigates that captured Curaçao, on 1 January 1807. Sailing into the harbour second, behind , she helped the British frigate capture the 36-gun Kenau Hasselar before putting men ashore to storm the town and its defences.
When the 40-gun escaped a blockade of the Îles des Saintes in February 1809, she was pursued by Latona, a second frigate and two brigs. As the French frigate engaged the 14-gun , Latona caught up and forced her to strike. A French expedition to the Caribbean under Amable Troude in April also found itself trapped when it stopped at the Îles des Saintes. When the islands were captured by a force under Major-General Frederick Maitland, the French squadron was forced to flee. Latona, the ship-of-the-line and the frigate went after the 74-gun which struck two days later, when more British ships appeared on the horizon. Latona was converted to a troopship in May 1810 then hulked in 1813. In October that year, she began service as a receiving ship at Leith, then in December, she was recommissioned as a warship and used as the flagship of Admiral Sir William Johnstone Hope. She was sold in 1816.
Design Latona was a 36-gun frigate designed by the senior surveyor John Williams and ordered on 22 March 1779. Her keel, of was laid down at Limehouse in November 1782 by the shipwright company, Greaves and Purnell. When finished, she was along the gun deck, had a beam of and a depth in the hold of . She was 944 tons burthen and drew between and .Winfield (2007) p. 207
The frigate was initially designed to carry a main battery of twenty-eight guns, with a secondary armament of ten guns on the upperworks. On 30 September the armament was increased by the addition of ten 18-pounder carronades, although only eight were fitted, and fourteen swivel guns. Then on 25 April 1780, it was decided to upgrade the six-pound long guns with .
In this era it was common for each surveyor to produce independent designs for new ship types, and this design was a counterpoint to Edward Hunt's ; together the two draughts represent the prototype of the thirty-eight gun, 18-pounder armed frigate.
Latona was launched on 13 March 1781 and taken down the Thames to Deptford where she was fitted-out and coppered between 15 March and 21 April. Latonas build and first fitting cost the Admiralty £22,470.3.5d.
Early service Latona was commissioned in March 1781, and in the August following, she participated in the Battle of Dogger Bank under the command of Captain Hyde Parker. His father, Vice-Admiral Sir Hyde Parker, 5th Baronet, commanded the fleet at the battle. Great Britain had declared war on the Dutch Republic in December 1780, following the latter's refusal to cease trading with emerging United States. Since then, the British had been blockading the Dutch coast while protecting its own merchant shipping. Latona was one of the escorts accompanying a convoy of ships from the Baltic on 5 August.Clowes (Vol.III) p. 505 At 04:00, a Dutch fleet was seen. Admiral Hyde Parker immediately dispatched his convoy toward the English coast, and ordered a general chase.Clowes (Vol.III) p. 506 The Dutch admiral, Johan Zoutman, chose to keep his convoy under his lee. After a bloody battle with casualties high on both sides, the Dutch returned to Texel, whence they came.Clowes (Vol.III) p. 508
After November 1781, Latona was in the English Channel under Lord Hugh Conway, and on 25 April 1782 she captured a privateer, Bernardin. Latona was part of Richard Howe's fleet in the summer of 1782 and took part in the relief of Gibraltar in September.Clowes (Vol.III) p. 540 The supply ships left England on 11 September, escorted by Howe's 34 ships-of-the-line. While rounding Cape St Vincent, on 8 October, Latona was dispatched to report on the condition of the Franco-Spanish fleet in the bay of Algeciras. It was known that this force of about 48 ships-of-the-line was poised to attack Gibraltar and, even if no attack was forthcoming, would pose a significant obstacle to Howe's relief mission. She returned two days later with news that an attack had already taken place and had been beaten off.Clowes (Vol.III) p. 541 The convoy entered the straits, and successfully delivered the vital supplies, food, and ammunition to the besieged, between 16 and 18 October. The large combined French and Spanish fleet, which had been blown off station, appeared on 19 October but was lured away by Howe's fleet the following day.Clowes (Vol.III) pp. 541 - 542 The faster British ships, never intending to give battle, were easily able to withdraw after a short engagement.Clowes (Vol.III) p. 542
Latona paid off in April 1783 but was recommissioned the following month under Thomas Boston and, in November, she sailed for the Leeward Islands. Command passed successively to Charles Sandys in May 1784 then Lieutenant Velters Cornewall Berkeley in March 1786. The latter held the position until the ship paid off once again, in October. Latona was laid up for some time before, in November 1788, work began at Woolwich to make her ready for sea once more. £15,978.0.0d was spent on extensive repairs and a refit. She was recommissioned in May 1790 by Albemarle Bertie but by the end of the year, she had been removed from service.
Late in 1792, anticipating that it would soon be forced to enter the war in Europe, Britain began military preparations.Fremont-Barnes p. 27 In December, Latona was recommissioned under Edward Thornbrough and following a £12,644.0.0d refit, began service in The Channel in January 1793. She captured a French privateer, Amerique, in March and two more in May; Franklin and Ambitieux of ten guns apiece.
French Revolutionary Wars In July 1793, Latona was attached to Richard Howe's Channel fleet.James (Vol.V) p. 57 Howe's 22 ships-of-the-line and accompanying frigates were returning from a cruise in the Bay of Biscay on 18 November, when Latona signalled the presence of enemy ships in Cancale Bay. They turned out to be a French squadron of six ships-of-the-line, two frigates and two smaller craft out of Brest.Clowes (Vol.IV) p. 201 Mistaking the British for a convoy they were expecting, the French ships began to sail towards their foe but soon realised their error and fled. Using his frigates to keep the enemy in sight, Howe set off in pursuit, but only Latona got close enough to engage. Coming up on the rearmost ships in the afternoon, she was eventually driven off when two French ships-of-the-line joined the action. In an attempt to catch up, some off the British ships were carrying too much sail; causing their topmasts to break. The chase was therefore abandoned. Although the French squadron was seen again on 19 November, bad weather prevented Howe staying in touch and the French were soon lost from sight.Clowes (Vol.IV) p. 202 A few days later, on 27 November, Latona was in a squadron under the command of Captain Thomas Pasley of the 74-gun , which captured the 28-gun privateer, off Ushant.Fonds Marine p. 56
Still with the Channel fleet in May 1794, Latona and her compatriots were waiting for a large grain convoy bound for France from the United States.Clowes (Vol.IV) p. 215 Howe's fleet arrived off Ushant on 5 May and the frigates Latona and Phaeton were tasked with circumnavigating the island and looking in the Brest roads for the French fleet. When they returned to report the French were still in port, Howe set off to try and intercept the convoy before it could gain the protection of the Brest fleet. After almost two weeks spent searching the shipping lanes and finding nothing, the British fleet returned and on 19 May, Phaeton and Latona were again dispatched to monitor the roads.Clowes (Vol.IV) p. 216
After finding the anchorage empty, the two frigates stopped an American vessel and learnt from the crew that the French fleet had sailed three days earlier. On the same day (19 May), the frigate joined Howes' fleet with news that a British squadron, under George Montagu, desperately needed reinforcements.Clowes (Vol.IV) p. 217 The next day, after Latona and Phaetons return, Howes' fleet set off to rendezvous with Montagu and on the morning of 21 May, encountered a former Dutch convoy, taken by the French two days previous. Howe's ships managed to recapture about half, but unable to spare the men, Howe had his prizes burned. Realising now that the French fleet was nearby and that Montagu was safe, Howe abandoned his previous plan and set off in pursuit.Clowes (Vol.IV) p. 218
The British found their quarry on 28 May, some west of Ushant, and engaged in a running battle, culminating on 1 June 1794.Clowes (Vol.IV) pp. 222 - 227 And, although seven French ships were captured or sunk without the British losing any, the vital grain convoy arrived in France without significant loss.Clowes (Vol.IV) p. 228 The killed and wounded among the British fleet amounted to 2,048. Casualties from the six French prizes alone were upwards of 1,200 and it is estimated that among the French fleet, 7,000 men were killed, wounded or taken prisoner. Latona did not lose any of her crew despite being actively involved in the battle when, at 08:45 she came to the assistance of Bellerophon, firing on two French 74s before towing her to safety.Clowes (Vol.IV) pp. 229 - 230
There was a change of command and duty for Latona in September, when under Arthur Legge, she was part of a royal escort for Princess Caroline of Brunswick.
Then a few days later, on 3 December, Latona captured the French brig Intrepide west-north-west of Lisbon. She was pierced for 18 guns but carried twelve 6-pounders, an 18-pounder carronade, and a brass 12-pounder gun. During the chase she threw all her guns overboard except for the 12-pounder and one 6-pounder, both of which she used as stern chasers, firing, but without effect, until Latona was almost alongside. She had a crew of 83 men aboard, under the command of M. Jean Candeau. On her cruise she had captured only one vessel, a galliot belonging to Bremen, which had been sailing from Faro to Liverpool with a cargo of fruit.