A gun-brig was a small brig-rigged warship that enjoyed popularity in the Royal Navy during the Napoleonic Wars, during which large numbers were purchased or built. In general these were vessels of under 200 tons burthen, and thus smaller than the more common s or the even larger s. The gun-brigs generally carried 12 guns, comprising two long guns in the chase position and ten carronades on the broadsides.

For brig-rigged sloops, see List of corvette and sloop classes of the Royal Navy. For gunboats, see List of gunboat and gunvessel classes of the Royal Navy.

Development

The earliest gun-brigs were shallow-draught vessels. Initially they were not brigs at all, but were classed as 'gunvessels' and carried a schooner or brigantine rig. They were re-rigged as brigs about 1796 and re-classed under the new term 'gun-brig'. They were designed as much to row as to sail, and carried their primary armament firing forward - a pair of long 18-pounders or 24-pounders, weapons which in any practical sense could only be trained and fired with the vessel under oars.

The 1797 batch introduced means to improve their sailing ability. Each was fitted with a Schank drop keel, and lighter bow chasers replaced the heavy pair of guns firing forward over the bows; in later vessels one of the bow chasers would be moved aft to become a stern chaser, both of these guns then being mounted on the centreline and able to pivot. The broadside weapons consisted of 18-pounder carronades mounted on slides along both sides.

The later gun-brigs developed from this beginning into smaller versions of the brig-sloops with increased draught and seaworthiness, but were less suited for inshore warfare. Compared with the flat-bottomed hulls of the 1794-1800 designs, by the time of the Confounder class the hulls had achieved a relatively sharp cross-section, as performance under sail had become a more important consideration than ease of rowing. By now they were clearly seen as small versions of the brig-sloop rather than enlarged gunboats.

Deployment The early gun-brigs were seen as inshore and coastal vessels, and saw their first service in coastal operations, notably in the Channel, where they sought out French coastal shipping. As their numbers grew and more seaworthy designs emerged, they were deployed worldwide, notably in the Baltic where many were involved in confrontations with the myriad of Danish gunboats during the Gunboat War, but also on such distant stations as the East Indies.

Complement The purpose-built gun-brigs were all established with a complement of 50 men, and maintained this level throughout their main period of operation, although the actual number carried varied with availability. The final batch saw the complement raised to 60. Each gun-brig had a lieutenant in command (unlike brig-sloops, which were under commanders), and while he was the only commissioned officer aboard, he was assisted by a midshipman and a number of warrant officers - a master's mate (ranked as 'master and pilot') to share the watches, carpenter's mate, gunner's mate, boatswain's mate and surgeon's mate. Other petty officers included a ropemaker, sailmaker, clerk, quartermaster and quartermaster's mate. There were fifteen marines on board - a sergeant to command, a corporal, and thirteen privates. The rest of the crew were ranked as seamen - able seamen, ordinary seamen or landsmen.

Historical evaluation The naval historian and novelist C. S. Forester commented in relation to the gun-brigs that:

In this criticism of the gun-brig, Forester was perhaps being a little unfair; the class had been designed largely as convoy escorts for coastal operations and it is little wonder they rolled heavily in the open sea. They performed sterling service in a wide range of conditions not envisaged by their designers, making them analogous in this respect to the of World War II; cheap, uncomfortable, over-crowded, and lightly armed but completely essential.

List of gun-brig classes and their evolution

The following sub-sections describe the sequence of the gun-brigs built to individual designs from the earliest acquisitions of 1793 until the last gun-brigs joined the Navy in 1813.

1793 purchases Three vessels of about 140 tons each were purchased in 1793, and armed with two 18-pounder long guns and ten 18-pounder carronades. They were numbered (not named) GB No. 1, GB No. 2 and GB No. 3.The letters "GB" were never stated to be an abbreviation for "gunboat". Certainly by 1797 the term "gun-brig" was used, and the letters "GB" more likely represented that title, but still the letters were not explicitly an abbreviation. No further details were recorded, but their existence probably explains why the initial numbering of the Acute class below (prior to their being given names) began with GB No. 4.

Conquest class

The first batch of twelve gun-brigs were all built by contract to a design by Surveyor of the Navy Sir John Henslow, and ordered on 6 March 1794; they were all named and registered on 26 May. They were designed to be rowed (with 18 oars) as well as sailed, for which purpose they carried a brig rig, though it was originally planned to rig them as schooners or brigantines. The initial plan was that they would mount a main armament of 4-pounder long guns, but this was rapidly substituted by a broadside battery of ten 18-pounder carronades, with two 24-pounders as chase guns in the bow and two 4-pounders as chase guns in the stern. The 4-pounders were soon deleted, making them all 12-gun vessels.

From March 1795 all twelve of the class were attached to the Inshore Squadron commanded by Captain Sir Sidney Smith.

Name Ordered Builder Launched Fate Aimwell 6 March 1794 Perry & Hankey, Blackwall 12 May 1794 Broken up November 1811 Pelter 6 March 1794 Perry & Hankey, Blackwall 12 May 1794 Sold October 1802 Borer 6 March 1794 Randall & Co., Rotherhithe 17 May 1794 Sold 1810 Plumper 6 March 1794 Randall & Co, Rotherhithe 17 May 1794 Sold January 1802 Teazer 6 March 1794 John Dudman & Co, Deptford 26 May 1794 Sold October 1802 Tickler 6 March 1794 Hill & Mellish, Limehouse 28 May 1794 Sold May 1802 Swinger 6 March 1794 Hill & Mellish, Limehouse 31 May 1794 Sold October 1802 Force 6 March 1794 Thomas Pitcher, Northfleet May 1794 Sold October 1802 Piercer 6 March 1794 Thomas King, Dover 2 June 1794 Sold June 1802 Attack 6 March 1794 John Wilson & Co, Frindsbury 28 June 1794 Sold September 1802 Fearless 6 March 1794 William Cleverley, Gravesend June 1794 Wrecked 20 January 1804 Conquest 6 March 1794 Josiah & Thomas Brindley, Frindsbury 29? July 1794 Sold April 1817

Acute class

A further design by John Henslow, to which fifteen vessels were ordered on 7 February 1797. In this design, the breadth was increased by a foot from the Conquest class, and the depth of the hold was increased by eleven inches. All were brig-rigged and received Schank sliding or drop keels.

Initially these were intended to be classed as gunboats, and were given numbers (nos. GB No. 4 to GB No. 18) rather than names, but on 7 August they were re-classed as gunbrigs and given names. They carried the same armament as their predecessors.

Name Ordered Builder Launched Fate Assault(ex GB No. 4) 7 February 1797 John Randall, Rotherhithe 10 April 1797 Sold June 1827 Asp(ex GB No. 5) 7 February 1797 John Randall, Rotherhithe 10 April 1797 Sold July? 1803 Acute(ex GB No. 6) 7 February 1797 John Randall, Rotherhithe April 1797 Sold October 1802 Sparkler(ex GB No. 7) 7 February 1797 John Randall, Deptford April 1797 Sold September 1802 Bouncer(ex GB No. 8) 7 February 1797 John & William Wells, Deptford 11? April 1797 Sold April 1802 Boxer(ex GB No. 9) 7 February 1797 John & William Wells, Deptford 11 April 1797 Sold July 1809 Biter(ex GB No. 10) 7 February 1797 John & William Wells, Deptford 13 March 1797 Sold May 1802 Bruiser(ex GB No. 11) 7 February 1797 John & William Wells, Deptford 11 April 1797 Sold January 1802 Blazer(ex GB No. 12) 7 February 1797 John Dudman & Co, Deptford 14 April 1797 Sold January 1803 Cracker(ex GB No. 13) 7 February 1797 John Dudman & Co, Deptford 25 April 1797 Sold December 1802 Clinker(ex GB No. 14) 7 February 1797 John Dudman & Co, Deptford 28 April 1797 Sold October 1802 Crash(ex GB No. 15) 7 February 1797 Mrs Frances Barnard & Co, Deptford 5 April 1797 Sold September 1802 Contest(ex GB No. 16) 7 February 1797 Mrs Frances Barnard & Co, Deptford 11 April 1797 Wrecked 29 August 1799 Adder(ex GB No. 17) 7 February 1797 Mrs Frances Barnard & Co, Deptford 22 April 1797 Broken up February 1805 Spiteful(ex GB No. 18) 7 February 1797 Mrs Frances Barnard & Co, Deptford 24 April 1797 Broken up July 1823

Courser class

At the same time as John Henslow was designing the Acute class, his colleague, fellow-Surveyor Sir William Rule, was ordered to produce an alternative design. Rule's design too incorporated a Schank drop or sliding keel.Winfield (2008), pp.332-3.

Fifteen vessels to this design - the Courser class - were ordered at the same time as those to the Acute class. A sixteenth unit was added to the order a month later. Originally numbered GB No. 19 to GB No. 33, plus GB No. 45, the following sixteen vessels were all given names on 7 August 1797.

Name Ordered Builder Launched Fate Steady(ex GB No. 19) 7 February 1797 Hill & Mellish, Limehouse 24 April 1797 Renamed Oroonoko in 1805; sold 1806 Courser(ex GB No. 20) 7 February 1797 Hill & Mellish, Limehouse 25 April 1797 Sold (probably to HM Customs) August 1803 Defender(ex GB No. 21) 7 February 1797 Hill & Mellish, Limehouse 21 May 1797 Sold September 1802 Eclipse(ex GB No. 22) 7 February 1797 Perry & Co, Blackwall 29 March 1797 Sold September 1802 Furious(ex GB No. 23) 7 February 1797 Perry & Co, Blackwall 31 March 1797 Sold October 1802 Flamer(ex GB No. 24) 7 February 1797 Perry & Co, Blackwall 30 March 1797 Sold April 1802 Furnace(ex GB No. 25) 7 February 1797 Perry & Co, Blackwall 10 April 1797 Sold October 1802 Growler(ex GB No. 26) 7 February 1797 Thomas Pitcher, Northfleet 10 April 1797 Captured by French privateers 21 December 1797 Griper(ex GB No. 27) 7 February 1797 Thomas Pitcher, Northfleet 10 April 1797 Sold October 1802 Grappler(ex GB No. 28) 7 February 1797 Thomas Pitcher, Northfleet April 1797 Wrecked on Chausey Islands 30 December 1803 Gallant(ex GB No. 29) 7 February 1797 Thomas Pitcher, Northfleet April 1797 Sold October 1802 Hardy(ex GB No. 30) 7 February 1797 William Cleverley, Gravesend 10 April 1797 Sold May 1802 Haughty(ex GB No. 31) 7 February 1797 William Cleverley, Gravesend April 1797 Sold May 1802 Hecate(ex GB No. 32) 7 February 1797 John Wilson & Co, Frindsbury 2 May 1797 Sunk as breakwater 1809 Hasty(ex GB No. 33) 7 February 1797 John Wilson & Co, Frindsbury June 1797 Sold December 1802 Tigress(ex GB No. 45) March 1797 Josiah & Thomas Brindley, King's Lynn 11 September 1797 Sold January 1802

1797 purchases

The first ten of these small mercantile brigs were all purchased at Leith and fitted there for naval service, being registered on the Navy List on 5 April 1797. An eleventh vessel (Staunch) was purchased in frame in Kent and registered on 15 April 1797. These assorted vessels did not constitute a single class, but as procured as a group they are here treated similarly. Originally numbered GB No. 34 to GB No. 44, the following eleven vessels were all given names on 7 August 1797.