HMS Cambridge was an 80-gun third-rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy, launched on 21 October 1755 from Deptford Dockyard. Designed by Sir Joseph Allin and constructed by Adam Hayes, she was built according to the draught specified by the 1745 Establishment, amended in 1750. As a third-rate ship, she featured a formidable armament and was a key component of Britain’s naval power during the mid-18th century. Cambridge’s early service was marked by her deployment on the West Indies Station, where she served as the flagship for Commodore Sir John Moore. Her first captain was Sir Peircy Brett, who commanded her at the outbreak of hostilities with France during the Seven Years' War. After several short commands by Brett and Captain William Gordon, she was under Captain Thomas Burnet, who was promoted to Post-Captain in May 1757. During her service in the West Indies, Cambridge participated in notable military actions, including the attack on Guadeloupe in 1759, where her efforts contributed to silencing French defenses. In 1762, she was part of Sir George Pocock’s fleet during the capture of Havana from the Spanish. During this engagement, her captain William Goostrey was killed by rifle fire from Moro Fort, which resulted in casualties of 24 killed, including her captain, and 95 wounded. Throughout her career, she served various roles, including guardship at Plymouth and flagship for Vice-Admiral Thomas Graves during the Spanish armament of 1790. She was also involved in the detention of Dutch vessels in 1795 and served as flagship for Vice-Admiral Richard King from 1797, and later for Vice-Admiral Sir Thomas Pasley from 1800. Cambridge was reduced to harbor service in 1793 and continued as a guardship until she was broken up at Plymouth in July 1808. Her long service history highlights her importance in Britain’s naval operations across multiple conflicts, marking her as a significant vessel of her era.

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