HMS Centurion (1774)

Defence of the Centurion in Vizagapatam Road, 15 September 1804, by Francis Sartorius (the younger) after a sketch by Sir James Lind
History
Great Britain
Name	HMS Centurion
Ordered	25 December 1770
Builder	Barnard & Turner, Harwich
Laid down	May 1771
Launched	22 May 1774
Completed	By 9 September 1775
Fate	Sank at moorings on 21 February 1824 Raised and broken up in 1825
General characteristics
Class and type	50-gun Salisbury-class fourth rate
Tons burthen	1,044 11⁄94 (bm)
Length	146 ft (44.5 m) (overall) 120 ft 2 in (36.6 m) (keel)
Beam	40 ft 5 in (12.3 m)
Depth of hold	17 ft 3+1⁄2 in (5.27 m)
Propulsion	Sails
Sail plan	Full-rigged ship
Complement	350
Armament	Upper deck: 22 × 12-pounder guns Lower deck: 22 × 24-pounder guns QD: 4 × 6-pounder guns Fc: 2 × 6-pounder guns

HMS Centurion was a 50-gun Salisbury-class fourth rate of the Royal Navy. She served during the American War of Independence, and during the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars.

During the war with America, Centurion saw action in a number of engagements and supported British forces in the Caribbean and the North American coasts. Spending the period of peace either serving as a flagship in the Caribbean or laid up or under refit in British dockyards, she was recommissioned in time to see action in the wars with France, particularly in the East Indies.

Her most important action came in the Battle of Vizagapatam in 1804, in which she fought against the French squadron of Contre-Admiral Charles-Alexandre Durand Linois that consisted of a 74-gun ship, and two frigates. Despite sustaining severe damage, she continued fighting, and survived the assault by the considerably heavier forces.

Returning to Britain shortly afterwards, she was refitted and transferred to Halifax, where she served as a hospital and receiving ship for the rest of her career. She sank at her moorings there in 1824, and was raised the following year and broken up, ending 50 years of Royal Navy service.