HMS Greenwich ( 1747 ) HMS " Greenwich " was a 50 - gun fourth rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy . She was built during the War of the Austrian Succession , and went on to see action in the Seven Years ' War , during which she was captured by the French and taken into their service under the same name . She was wrecked shortly afterwards . Built at Lepe , " Greenwich " was one of a number of 50 - gun ships designed to the dimensions laid down in the 1745 Establishment . She had only three British commanders during her career with the Royal Navy . Her first , John Montagu , commanded her during the end of the War of the Austrian Succession , after which she was surveyed and probably laid up . She was returned to active service under William Holburne with the outbreak of the Seven Years ' War , though he was soon succeeded by Robert Roddam . Roddam took her out to the Caribbean , where in 1757 he fell in with a French squadron under Joseph de Bauffremont . Despite being heavily outnumbered , Roddam fought his ship for 12 hours before surrendering her . Taken into French service , " Greenwich " formed part of a squadron under Guy François de Coetnempren , comte de Kersaint , which was attacked by a much smaller force of three British ships at the Battle of Cap - Français . The two sides inflicted heavy damage on each other before breaking off , with " Greenwich " having been left considerably leaky . She underwent some repairs before escorting a convoy to France . The escorting force was caught in a gale in January 1758 , and three ships were driven aground and wrecked , " Greenwich " among them . Construction and commissioning . " Greenwich " was ordered from Moody Janvrin on 3 October 1745 , and was laid down at his yard at Lepe on the Beaulieu River in Hampshire in November that year . She was built to the draught specified in the 1745 Establishment , and launched on 19 March 1747 . She was a development of designs from before the start of the War of the Austrian Succession , and her dimensions approached those of earlier 60 - gun ships , though the 50 - gun ships of the 1745 establishment sat deeper in the water . Despite this they had an improved freeboard , with a height of amidships from the waterline to the lower gunport s , and had increased headroom below decks . 50 - gun ships like " Greenwich " were armed with twenty - two 24 - pounder guns on the lower deck , twenty - two 12 - pounders on the upper deck , and four 6 - pounders on the quarterdeck . In addition they carried two 6 - pounders on the forecastle as bow chaser s . As completed " Greenwich " was 1 , 053 15 / 94 bm and measured long overall , and on her keel , with a beam of and a hold depth of . She had been named on 9 March 1747 , ten days before being launched , and was completed by 26 March 1748 , probably at Portsmouth . Her total cost to build came to £19 , 582 . 15 s . 2 d , a sum that probably included the cost of fitting her out . She was commissioned in 1748 under Captain John Montagu . British career . Commissioned too late to see any significant service in the War of the Austrian Succession , " Greenwich " was surveyed on 28 January 1749 , and was probably laid up for the next few years . She was recommissioned in March 1755 , shortly after the outbreak of the Seven Years ' War , under Captain William Holburne , though he was soon succeeded by Captain Robert Roddam . Roddam received orders to sail to the Caribbean and departed for Jamaica on 23 January 1757 . Capture . Roddam cruised for a while off Cape Cabron , San Domingo , but on 18 March 1757 mysterious sails were sighted , which were at first assumed to be a small fleet of merchant ships being conveyed by two frigates . This was in fact a squadron of French warships under Joseph de Bauffremont , consisting of the 84 - gun " Tonnant " , the 74 - gun ships " Diadème " and " Desauncene " , the 64 - gun ships " Éveillé " and " Inflexible " , the frigates " Sauvage " and " Brune " , and a 20 - gun storeship . The French were to windward , and Bauffremont , unsure of " Greenwich " s identity , sent one of his frigates to examine her . Realising that with the wind in the Frenchman ' s favour , he could not escape , Roddam attempted to lure the frigate towards him , hoping to capture her before the rest of the fleet could intervene , and then send her immediately to Rear - Admiral George Townshend , the commander at Jamaica , with news of the French movements . The frigate soon determined that " Greenwich " was a two - decked warship , and sailed back to the protection of the squadron , which then came up and attacked , with action commencing at 9 a . m . when " Diadème " opened fire . For the next twelve hours " Greenwich " was constantly engaged with one or other of the French ships . Roddam assembled his men in an attempt to board the 64 - gun " Éveillé " , but several of her consorts bore up and opened fire , damaging " Greenwich " s rigging and leaving her unmanageable . After consulting with his officers , Roddam expressed his desire to fight on , but eventually agreed to surrender " Greenwich " , as further resistance would only cause further casualties among his men . The colours were then struck to " Éveillé " , but Roddam refused her commander ' s demands that he come aboard his ship , instead insisting the French send a boat for him . Roddam threatened to rehoist the colours and defend the ship until she sank if this was not done , and eventually a French officer was sent across in a boat . The French took possession of " Greenwich " , ransacking her , then taking Roddam and his men to Hispaniola where they were imprisoned . French career and loss . " Greenwich " was taken into the French Navy under the same name , and appears to have been quickly pressed into service , as , under the command of a Captain Foucault she was part of a squadron under Guy François de Coetnempren , comte de Kersaint which engaged a British squadron at the Battle of Cap - Français on 21 October 1757 . The British force , under Commodore Arthur Forrest , had been sent from Jamaica by Rear - Admiral Thomas Cotes to intercept a homeward - bound French convoy . Forrest ' s force consisted of two 60 - gun ships ; , flying Forrest ' s broad pennant , and , under Captain Maurice Suckling , and the 64 - gun HMS " Edinburgh " , under Captain William Langdon . The recently reinforced French squadron , consisting of " Greenwich " , the 70 - gun " Intrépide " under Kersaint , the 70 - gun " Sceptre " under Captain Clavel , the 64 - gun " Opiniatre " under Captain Mollieu , the 44 - gun frigate " Outarde " and the 32 - gun frigates " Sauvage " and " Licorne " came out to meet them . Despite being outnumbered and outgunned , the British engaged the French squadron at 3 . 20 pm , with the fighting lasting for the next two and a half hours , until Kersaint signalled one of his frigates to tow his damaged flagship , " Intrépide " , out of the line . In doing so the French line fell into confusion , with " Intrépide " , " Superbe " and " Greenwich " falling aboard each other , and were heavily cannonaded by " Augusta " and " Edinburgh " until they were able to untangle themselves . The other French ships gradually broke away from the action and moved off . The British did not pursue , and the two sides returned to their respective ports . The French casualties in the action were estimated at between 500 and 600 killed and wounded , with " Greenwich " having been reduced to a very leaky condition . After repairing some of the battle damage Kersaint sailed for France with the convoy , but became caught in a storm in January 1758 as he neared the French coast . " Opiniatre " , " Greenwich " and " Outarde " attempted to anchor , but were driven ashore in the gale and were wrecked .