HMS Dunkirk (1651)

For other ships with the same name, see HMS Dunkirk and HMS Worcester.

History
Great Britain
Name	Worcester
Namesake	Battle of Worcester (1651) Battle of Dunkirk (1658)
Builder	Burrell II, Woolwich Dockyard
Launched	1651
Renamed	HMS Dunkirk in June 1660
Fate	Broken up, 1749
General characteristics as built
Class and type	48-gun third rate frigate
Tons burthen	629 24⁄94 bm originally, 661 88⁄94 after girdling
Length	141 ft 5 in (43.1 m) (gundeck), 112 ft (34.1 m) (keel)
Beam	32 ft 6 in (9.9 m) (originally), 33 ft 4 in (10.2 m) (after girdling)
Depth of hold	14 ft (4.3 m)
Propulsion	Sails
Sail plan	Full-rigged ship
Armament	48 guns (at launch); 60 guns (1677)
General characteristics after 1704 rebuild
Class and type	60-gun fourth rate ship of the line
Tons burthen	906 bm
Length	141 ft 6 in (43.1 m) (gundeck)
Beam	38 ft 3 in (11.7 m)
Depth of hold	15 ft 7.5 in (4.8 m)
Propulsion	Sails
Sail plan	Full-rigged ship
Armament	60 guns of various weights of shot
General characteristics after 1734 rebuild
Class and type	1719 Establishment 60-gun fourth rate ship of the line
Tons burthen	966 bm
Length	144 ft (43.9 m) (gundeck)
Beam	39 ft (11.9 m)
Depth of hold	16 ft 5 in (5.0 m)
Propulsion	Sails
Sail plan	Full-rigged ship
Armament	60 guns: Gundeck: 24 × 24 pdrs Upper gundeck: 26 × 9 pdrs Quarterdeck: 8 × 6 pdrs Forecastle: 2 × 6 pdrs

The Worcester was a 48-gun Third rate frigate built for the navy of the Commonwealth of England at Woolwich Dockyard, and launched in 1651. She was named for the Parliamentary victory at the Battle of Worcester (which took place on 3 September 1651) and was the last major battle of the 1642 to 1651 Wars of the Three Kingdoms.

She had originally been ordered in late March 1649 as one of three Fourth rate frigates to carry 38 guns, but was altered while building and completed as a Third Rate (two-decker) with 48 guns. However she only measured 112 ft on the keel and so had only twelve pairs of gunports on the lower deck (most Third rates had thirteen) and eleven pairs on the upper deck (most Third rates had twelve); she eventually had six pairs of ports on the quarterdeck and one pair on the poop, allowing here to carry a maximum of 60 guns.

The Worcester took part in several battles during the First Anglo-Dutch War. She fought in the Battle of Dover in May 1652, the Battle of Dungeness in November 1652, and the Battle of Portland (the "Three Days' Battle") in February 1653. She also participated in the Battle of Santa Cruz off Tenerife in April 1657 during the Anglo-Spanish War of 1654-60.

After the Stuart Restoration in June 1660, the ship was renamed HMS Dunkirk. In 1692 she underwent a "Great Repair" at Blackwall shipyard, during which she was girdled, with her beam increasing to 33 ft 4 in. She was re-classed as a Fourth rate ship of the linein 1695-96, and then rebuilt at Blackwall Yard in 1704. On 12 September 1729 Dunkirk was ordered to be taken to pieces at Portsmouth, and rebuilt again by Joseph Allin the Younger, still as a 60-gun fourth rate but to the 1719 Establishment. She was relaunched on 3 September 1734.

Dunkirk was broken up in 1749.

References

• Lavery, Brian (2003) The Ship of the Line – Volume 1: The development of the battlefleet 1650–1850. Conway Maritime Press. ISBN 0-85177-252-8.