HMS Amphitrite ( 1778 ) HMS " Amphitrite " was a 24 - gun " Porcupine " - class sixth - rate post ship of the Royal Navy . She served during the American Revolution primarily in the economic war . On the one hand she protected the trade by capturing or assisting at the capture of a number of privateers , some of which the Royal Navy then took into service . On the other hand , she also captured many American merchant vessels , most of them small . Unfortunately , " Amphrite " was wrecked early in 1794 . Construction and commissioning . " Amphitrite " was ordered on 8 January 1777 from Deptford Dockyard , and laid down there on 2 July 1777 . She was built under the supervision of Master Shipwright Adam Hayes , and was launched on 28 May 1778 . She was commissioned into navy service on 22 July 1778 , having cost a total of £12 , 737 . 6 . 6d to build , including the cost of fitting out and coppering . Career . She was commissioned in May 1778 under the command of Captain Thomas Gaborian . She initially operated as part of the squadron off the Downs . There she captured the French privateer " Agneau " on 15 August . " Amphitrite " shared with the sloop , and the cutters , , , and , in the capture on 24 May of the French privateers " Dunkerque " and " Prince de Robcq " , which had " eight ransomers " aboard . Then on 6 July " Amphitrite " and the cutter captured the shallop " Samuel and Elizabeth " . In 1780 " Amphitrite " passed under the command of Captain Robert Biggs . She was among the vessels sharing in the proceeds of the capture in January 1780 of the brig " Kitty " and the ship " Jolly Tar " . Biggs sailed " Amphitrite " to North America in May that year . On her arrival she joined Graves ' s squadron . In June 1781 Admiral Mariot Arbuthnot sent " Amphitrite " and several other vessels to attempt to intercept some French reinforcements from entering Boston . On 30 June " Amphitrite " captured the brig " Adventure " . One month later , on 30 July , , " Amphitrite " , and the armed ship " General Monk " shared in the capture of the schooner " Neptune " . The squadron that Arbuthnot sent to Boston recaptured the on 7 July . On 7 September 1781 " Medea " captured the " Belisarius " , " a fast sailing frigate of 26 guns and 147 men , belonging to Salem " . " Medea " captured her off the Delaware River . " Amphitrite " and shared in the capture . The Royal Navy took her into service as the sixth rate , but then sold her in 1783 , after the end of the war . On 10 September Admiral Graves received two letters from Biggs dated 10 September , at Boston . Biggs mentioned that together with the armed ship " General Monk " , " Amphitrite " had captured four prizes . Then on 4 September she had encountered a French ship of the line and a frigate off Cape Ann , but had escaped them . Lastly , Biggs reported that on 2 September had captured with " Magicienne " on 2 September off Cape Ann . Biggs reported that the French lost 60 men killed and 40 wounded ; the British lost one man killed and one man wounded . Between 20 August and 31 October " Amphitrite " made a number of captures : " Amphitrite " may have come under the command of Captain Robert George temporarily in November 1781 . Between 11 November and 23 March 1782 , " Amphitrite " took three vessels : the schooner " Betsey " ( 12 January ) , and the brigs " Sally " ( 13 February ) and " Peggy " ( 20 February ) . " Amphitrite " and then took the privateer " Franklin " on 3 April off the Chesapeake . She was in ballast . Five days later the same two captured the brig " Gale " , off Cape Henry . She was taking coffee to Amsterdam . Then on the 14th , they took the brig " Patty " , also off Cape Henry . She was carrying flour to Havana . That same day they took the brig " Nymphe " , also off Cape Henry , and also carrying flour to Havana . On 2 May " Amphitrite " and " Amphion " were off Match Springs when they captured three vessels on their way to Philadelphia . " Fair American " and the brig " Adriana " were carrying rum and dry goods . The sloop " Alpin " was carrying sugar and coffee . and the privateer " Digby " shared in the capture of the " Adriana " and the " Alpin " . , a sloop of 10 guns , was the Massachusetts privateer " Amsterdam " , which " Amphitrite " captured on 19 October . The British took " Observer " into the Royal Navy and sold her on 21 October 1784 . On 12 November , " Amphitrite " captured the brig " Adventure " , the schooner " Salisbury " , the ship " Rattlesnake " , and the sloop " Phoenix " . On 5 December she captured the ship " Bellisarius " , brig " Marianne " , and schooner " Neptune " . " Amphitrite " continued to take prizes in 1782 : " Amphitrite " , , , and captured the sloop " Lark " . " Amphitrite " alone captured the ship " Salem Packet " , the brigs " Amsterdam " , " Dolphin " , and " Minerva " , and the sloops " Dove " and " Fox " . American records show that in late January 1783 , " Amphitrite " , Captain Robert George , captured the former Massachusetts privateer and now letter of marque " Apollo " . She sent " Apollo " into New York where she was condemned and sold in March . Between the wars . After the end of the American War of Independence " Amphitrite " returned to Britain and was paid off in January 1784 . She underwent a small repair between 1783 and 1784 , followed by a larger one between 1790 and 1793 , after which she was fitted out at Woolwich . French Revolutionary Wars . " Amphitritie " was recommissioned in April 1793 with the outbreak of the French Revolutionary Wars , under Captain John Child Purvis . On 23 July 1793 she arrived at Portsmouth from Lymington under the command of Captain Bowyer . New Forest Military Archive She came under the command of Captain James Dickinson in April 1794 , and then Captain Anthony Hunt the following month . Hunt sailed her to the Mediterranean where she was on the Toulon station with Vice Admiral Hood . Fate . On 30 January 1794 " Amphitrite " was wrecked after striking an uncharted submerged shoal whilst entering Leghorn harbour . Efforts were made to save her , but they were futile and she was abandoned as a wreck . A court martial on 3 February acquitted Hunt of blame .