HMS Resistance was a 44-gun Roebuck-class fifth-rate ship of the Royal Navy, launched on 11 July 1782. Built at Limehouse by Edward Greaves, she measured approximately 140 feet in length along the gun deck, with a beam of just over 38 feet, and a draught of about 10 feet 2 inches, making her suitable for coastal operations. Her construction was based on the design of HMS Roebuck, a two-deck, heavily armed vessel intended for shallow waters off North America during the American Revolutionary War. Resistance was armed with eighteen 18-pounder guns, a heavier armament than earlier ships of the class, which were originally equipped with 9-pounders and later rearmed with 12-pounders. Initially commissioned in March 1782 under Captain James King, Resistance was deployed to the West Indies Station, where she participated in patrols and engagements including the capture of the corvette La Coquette on 2 March 1783. She also took part in the Battle of Grand Turk alongside Horatio Nelson, although that attempt to recapture the island was unsuccessful. Following a refit in Jamaica and a change of command to Captain Edward O'Bryen, she was paid off in 1784. In 1791, Resistance was repurposed as a troop ship, and in 1793 was converted back into a warship under Captain Edward Pakenham to meet the demands of the French Revolutionary Wars. Her service in the East Indies was notable for her participation in the capture of Dutch possessions, including Malacca, Amboyna, Banda Neira, and Kupang. During these campaigns, she engaged Dutch and local forces, sometimes firing on towns and destroying infrastructure. Her operational history ended abruptly on 24 July 1798 when she caught fire and exploded in Bangka Strait, killing 332 crew and passengers, with only 13 survivors. The explosion was possibly caused by a lightning strike; the ship sank on the seabed, and the survivors, after a perilous journey, were captured by pirates or rescued by local authorities. Resistance’s career highlights her versatility and active involvement in key colonial and naval conflicts of the late 18th century, though her final explosion marked a tragic and dramatic end to her service.

This description has been generated using GPT-4.1-NANO based on the Vessel's wikidata information and then modified by ShipIndex.org staff.