HMS Pique was a wooden fifth-rate sailing frigate of the Royal Navy, launched on 21 July 1834 at Devonport. Designed by Sir William Symonds, she was part of a new class of medium-sized frigates and measured 1,633 tons burthen, armed with 36 guns. As an experimental vessel, Pique was involved in testing innovative ship design, armament, and propulsion techniques during the 1830s and 1840s. Her early service included an incident in September 1835 when she ran ashore in the Strait of Belle Isle. She was refloated and transatlantic voyage ensued, despite being rudderless and taking on water. Repairs in Portsmouth revealed a large rock lodged in her hull, which was removed; the stone is now displayed in Portsmouth Historic Dockyard. Under Captain Edward Boxer (1837–1841), Pique undertook voyages to North America, the West Indies, and the Mediterranean. Notably, she participated in the bombardment of Acre in 1840, during the Egyptian–Ottoman conflict. Despite her position at the northern end of the line and being farther from the city than other ships, Pique's accurate gunnery resulted in several hits. Cannonballs fired from Pique during this engagement were later discovered embedded in Acre’s city wall. Between 1841 and 1846, Pique served on the North America and West Indies Station. In 1845, she contributed to experimental telegraph cable laying in Portsmouth Harbour alongside HMS Blake. From December 1853, under Captain Frederick Nicolson, she operated on the Pacific Station and participated in the 1854 Russian War, including the Siege of Petropavlovsk during the Second Anglo-Chinese War. Later, Pique served as a receiving ship from 1872 and was rented as a hospital hulk in Plymouth from 1882 to quarantine cholera victims. She was finally sold for scrap in 1910 for £2,300, marking the end of her lengthy maritime 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.