USS Hancock ( 1776 ) The second Hancock was one of the first 13 frigate s of the Continental Navy . A resolution of the Continental Congress of British North America 13 December 1775 authorized her construction ; she was named for John Hancock . In her career she served under the American , British and French flags . As " Hancock " . " Hancock " was built at Newburyport , Massachusetts , and placed under command of Captain John Manley 17 April 1776 . After a long delay in fitting out and manning , she departed Boston , Massachusetts in company with Continental frigate , 21 May 1777 . On 29 May they captured a small brig loaded with cordage and duck . The next day they encountered a convoy of transports escorted by British 64 - gun ship which set sail to close " Hancock " . Manley was saved by clever and well - timed action of " Boston " , which forced " Somerset " to give up the chase by taking on the transports . After escaping from " Somerset " , the two frigates sailed to the northeast until 7 June when they engaged the Royal Navy ' s 28 - gun frigate , which tried to outsail her American enemies . " Hancock " gave chase and soon overhauled " Fox " , which lost her mainmast and suffered other severe damage in the ensuing duel . About an hour later , " Boston " joined the battle and compelled " Fox " to strike her colors . " Hancock " spent the next few days repairing the prize and then resumed cruising along the coast of New England . East of Cape Sable she took a British coal sloop which she towed until the next morning when the approach of a British squadron prompted Manley to set the coal sloop ablaze and leave her adrift . The British frigate recaptured " Fox " after a hot action . " Boston " became separated from " Hancock " , which tried to outsail her pursuers . Early in the morning 8 July 1777 the British were within striking distance . began to score with her bowchasers and followed with a series of broadsides . " Hancock " was thus finally forced to strike her colors after a chase of some 39 hours . She had 239 men of her crew aboard , 50 some being on " Fox " . She also had Captain Fotheringham of " Fox " and 40 of his people on board . The rest were on " Boston " and a couple of fishing vessels . As HMS " Iris " . " Hancock " , renamed " Iris " , served the British Navy so effectively that her new owners boasted of her as " the finest and fastest frigate in the world . " The most famous of the many prizes which made her officers wealthy men was the capture on 28 August 1781 of the American 28 - gun ship . " Trumbull " carried 32 guns and 200 men . " Iris " captured her after an engagement of about an hour in which " Iris " lost one man killed and six wounded , while " Trumbull " had two men killed and 10 wounded . In the aftermath of the Battle of the Chesapeake , admirals Graves and Hood left the Chesapeake waters ; the French set a solid screen of fast frigates to intercept enemy shipping . Prior to retreating , Hood dispatched two frigates , " Iris " and " Richmond " , to general Cornwallis in New York . On 9 September 1781 , four French frigates intercepted them ; " Richmond " fell back and surrendered first , then the French frigate " Heron " , under captain Traversay , captured " Iris " . Traversay boarded " Iris " , assumed command and held it till the end of war . As Royal French " Iris " . On 4 November 1781 , " Iris " , with the main French fleet , sailed from Annapolis to the Antilles . In January 1782 " Iris " took part in the Battle of St . Kitts . " Iris " captured a small British sloop . On the eve of Battle of the Saintes admiral de Grasse detached " Iris " to convoy unarmed troop transports ; " Iris " completed her mission while the main French force suffered a humiliating defeat . In the late stages of war " Iris " continued reconnaissance , bounty hunting , and finally performed a diplomatic mission , bringing an offer of ceasefire to British - occupied New York . As Republican French " Iris " . When the Royalist French surrendered Toulon to Lord Hood in 1793 " Iris " was found dismantled and being used as a powder hulk . As the republicans advanced on the town , the Anglo - Spanish forces evacuated , destroying the arsenal and as many ships as they could that could not be sailed out of the port . Captain Sidney Smith took charge of a party of other British officers , and armed with a small squadron of three English and three Spanish gunboats , went into the inner harbour to scuttle the ships . Against orders , instead of sinking one of the frigates , the Spanish crew of one gunboat set her alight . The vessel , possibly the " Iris " , was being used to store one thousand barrels of gunpowder . The resulting explosion nearly blew up the entire party of the British gun boat " Terrible " , commanded by Lieutenant Patey ; the boat was blown to pieces , but the men picked up alive . Another British gunboat , the " Union " , which was nearest to the Iris , suffered considerably ; her captain , Mr Young was killed , with three men , and the vessel shaken to pieces . At least one other powder hulk , French frigate " Montréal " , was also destroyed in the evacuation , and " Iris " was recorded as being one of those burnt in the retreat .