HMS Centurion ( 1774 ) 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 . Construction . " Centurion " was ordered on 25 December 1770 and laid down in May 1771 at the yards of Barnard & Turner , of Harwich . She was launched on 22 May 1774 and had been completed by 9 September 1775 . She cost a total of £20 , 537 . 17 . 9d , including masts and rigging , with a further £4 , 205 . 16 . 10d spent on fitting her out for sea . " Centurion " was commissioned in July 1775 under her first commander , Captain Richard Braithwaite . American War of Independence . Under Braithwaite , " Centurion " sailed to North America in late 1775 , and was present at the occupation of Rhode Island in December of the following year . " Centurion " was part of Richard Howe ' s fleet at its encounter with the comte d ' Estaing on 11 August 1778 , after which she briefly became Howe ' s flagship between 14 and 15 August . By November , she was in the West Indies with William Hotham ' s forces , where she supported the landings on St . Lucia on 14 and 15 December . Remaining in the Leeward Islands throughout 1779 , " Centurion " took part in the Battle of Martinique on 17 April 1780 , followed by periods of action in the indecisive clashes that took place on 15 and 19 May . " Centurion " , then returned to Britain and was paid off in September 1780 . After a period spent being repaired and refitted at Portsmouth , she returned to North America in July 1781 under the command of Captain Samuel Clayton . On 22 January 1783 , she came upon a battle between the frigate and the 36 - gun French frigate " Sibylle " off the $ 3 , prompting " Sybille " surrender . At the end of the American War of Independence " Centurion " returned home , where she was paid off in October 1783 and fitted to be laid up in ordinary at Sheerness . Inter - war period . After a year spent laid up , " Centurion " began a Great Repair at Woolwich in December 1784 , which was completed in December 1787 . She returned to active service in February 1789 , as the flagship of Rear - Admiral Philip Affleck , with William Otway as her captain . Otway sailed her to Jamaica in May 1789 , returning to Britain in August 1792 , where she underwent another repair and refit , this time at Chatham . She was recommissioned during this work , in November 1792 , under Captain Samuel Osborn . With the dockyard completed by January 1793 she sailed to the Leeward Islands in February . French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars . After some time spent on the Leeward islands , " Centurion " sailed to the East Indies in November 1793 and was present at the Action of 5 May 1794 . On 22 October the following year , she and fought an action with the 44 - gun French frigates " Prudente " and " Cybèle " , plus the 22 - gun " Jean - Bart " and 14 - gun " Coureur " off Mauritius . She went on to take part in the capture of Ceylon in July and August 1795 , and of Amboyna and Baada in February 1796 . Captain John Sprat Rainier took command in April 1797 , remaining initially in the East Indies , but shifting to the Red Sea in 1799 and 1800 . The British had received information that the French had transferred warship frames to Suez to build some warships for the Red Sea . " Centurion " sailed to Mocha , where she met up with and sailed with her to Suez . During 1799 William Hugh Dobbie , first lieutenant of " Centurion " , surveyed the Jeddah and Crossire ( aso " Cossir " and " Kossir " ) roads , the harbour at the Jaffatine islands , and several other anchorages . His efforts would prove of use to a later British expedition under Sir David Baird and Rear - Admiral Blanket . " Centurion " returned to Batavia in August 1800 . She came under the command of Captain James Lind , in an acting capacity , in 1804 . On 23 August 1800 , " Centurion " , with " Sybille " , " Daedalus " , and " Braave " captured or destroyed several Dutch vessels at Batavia Roads . One vessel , a Dutch brig , the Royal Navy took into service as " Admiral Rainier " . Battle of Vizagapatam . By September 1804 , Admiral Peter Rainier , the commander of the fleet " Centurion " was attached to , had become concerned about the presence of a French squadron in the area under Contre - Admiral Charles - Alexandre Durand Linois which was raiding British shipping . He therefore substituted the small frigate HMS " Wilhelmina " with the " Centurion " as a convoy escort for a small convoy of two East Indiamen . The convoy was anchored at Vizagapatam early on 15 September when Linois ' s squadron approached the harbour . The " Centurion " s commander , James Lind was ashore , leaving Lieutenant James Robert Phillips in command . Phillips sighted the approaching ships and , suspecting them to be French , opened fire . Linois continued to approach , causing one of the East Indiamen to run ashore , where she was wrecked , while Lind hurried to return to his ship . The three main French ships , the 74 - gun " Marengo " and the frigates " Sémillante " and " Atalante " , continued to approach under fire from " Centurion " and the shore batteries protecting the harbour . When the French frigates came within , Phillips opened fire on " Atalante " as " Sémillante " attempted to reach the other side of the British ship and surround her . Linois did not want to risk the " Marengo " when there might be uncharted shoals about , and so he fired from a longer range . After several hours of fighting " Centurion " had suffered severe damage . She had been severely holed , with her rigging wrecked and her anchor cable shot through , which caused her to slowly drift away from the shore , out of control . The French took the opportunity to capture the remaining East Indiaman and withdraw from the harbour . The " Centurion " lost one man killed and nine wounded . The French suffered slightly heavier losses , " Marengo " losing two men killed and an officer wounded and " Atalante " three killed and five wounded . " Sémillante " , which had not been closely engaged in the battle , suffered no casualties . Damage to the French ships was severe , and Linois was forced to abandon further operations . Both nations claimed the encounter as a victory , the French for the capture of the East Indiaman and the British for the survival of " Centurion " in the face of overwhelming French numerical superiority . Retirement from active service . " Centurion " did not remain much longer in the East Indies , being sent home in November as needing an extensive repairs , due at least in part to the damage inflicted by an infestation of white ants . The letter sent back with her from the commanding officer of her station declared that he was sending her home as she " will require an expensive repair if detained any longer in this Country ; in her present state she may be converted by the Navy Board to some useful inferior establishment , as I know of no other mean of effectively getting rid of the White Ants onboard her , who have at times discovered themselves by serious depredations aloft " . " Centurion " was duly fitted at Chatham for service as a hospital ship , and sailed to Halifax in 1808 under the command of Lieutenant Edward Webb . She became a receiving ship and stores depot there under Captain George Monke , followed by a return to being a hospital ship in 1809 . She was back in use as a receiving ship under Captain William Skipsey in June 1813 , during which time she served as flagship of Rear - Admiral Edward Griffith . Captain Justice Finley took over command in June 1814 , followed by Captain David Scott from October 1814 . Fate . " Centurion " was finally hulked in 1817 , in which state she spent the next seven years . She sank at her moorings on 21 February 1824 ; was raised and broken up in 1825 .