page_title: HMS Dunkirk (1754)
section_title: Career
hierarchical_section_title: HMS Dunkirk (1754) / Career
caption_attribution_description: English: Attack on Goree, 29 December 1758 The island fortress of Goree lay off Dakar on the west coast of Africa. Its position gave the French a base from which to menace the English trade route to India and the East. It was therefore strategically important for the English to capture it every time they were at war with France. On the occasion recorded in this painting, the task was entrusted to Commodore the Honourable Augustus Keppel, who had been sent out after Commodore Marsh’s failure against Goree in May 1758. Against Keppel’s more powerful squadron the French surrendered the after a short bombardment. Goree was returned to French control at the conclusion of peace in 1763. The island with its mole on the right occupies the left background. Visible over the mole are the upper galleries and spars of the ‘Nasau’ and ‘Dunkirk’, engaging the batteries to port. Astern of them is the ‘Torbay’, also bombarding the mole. Beyond her and to the right is the ‘Prince Edward’ with smoke and flame issuing from her stern caused by a shot early in the action which blew up an ammunition box, killed two marines and sent the ensign staff over the side. In the right foreground a transport ship is at anchor starboard bow view disembarking troops for a landing. Astern of her is the ‘Fougueux’ port quarter view, sailing in towards the mole, and in the background beyond her two bomb ketches are in action. In the left background is another transport at anchor, almost stern on. One of a pair with BHC0388, this shows the island being retaken by Admiral Keppel. Attack on Goree, 29 December 1758
context_page_description: HMS Dunkirk was a 60-gun fourth-rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy, built at Woolwich Dockyard to the draught specified by the 1745 Establishment as amended in 1750, and launched on 22 July 1754.
context_section_description: HMS Dunkirk was sent to America in 1755, along with several other ships, under Vice-Admiral Edward Boscawen. On 5 June she spotted four French ships which were bound for Canada under the command of Admiral Bois de la Mothe. Dunkirk, HMS Defiance and several other ships gave chase. Dunkirk came alongside the 64-gun Alcide and requested the captain meet with the vice admiral, who was then about three miles (4.8 km) away. After the captain of Alcide refused, Dunkirk opened fire. Soon afterwards, HMS Edgar came alongside the French at which Alcide struck her colours. Alcide had been carrying 900 troops and the governor of Louisbourg. The general of those troops was killed and 30,000 pounds sterling captured. In the battle the French vessel Lys  was captured by HMS Fougueux.
  In 1778, Dunkirk was placed on harbour service under captain John Milligan, who had previously served as second lieutenant aboard Eagle. During Milligan's captaincy, and despite her harbor service status, she was among the vessels credited with the capture on 23 December 1781 of the Dutch ship De Vrow Esther, being in company with Squirrel, Antigua, and Cambridge. Milligan left the ship in 1782, and Dunkirk was sold out of the navy in that same year.
caption: Attack on Gorée, 29 December 1758. Nassau and Dunkirk are on the far side of the fort's mole showing only their upper galleries and spars as they engage the fort's batteries on their port sides
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