HMS Romulus was a 44-gun ship of the Royal Navy, built during the late 18th century. Her construction details are not specified in the provided content, but she was originally a British vessel serving during the American Revolutionary War. Under Captain George Gayton, Romulus was part of a British squadron off the coast of America. On 19 February 1781, she was captured in Chesapeake Bay by a French force consisting of the 64-gun Éveillé, along with the frigates Surveillante and Gentille, and the cutter Guêpe. Following her capture, the French Navy recommissioned her as Romulus under Rear-Admiral Sochet-Destouches. She served in this capacity during the ongoing conflict, notably participating in the Siege of Yorktown in September 1781, where she ferried troops to Annapolis as part of a division under Le Saige de La Villèsbrunne. In 1784, the ship was razeed—meaning her upper works were removed—to transform her into a frigate, and she was renamed Résolution. As Résolution, she was involved in an important exploration voyage to China in 1786, under the command of Bruni d'Entrecasteaux, together with the corvette Subtile. The expedition reached Macao on 7 February 1787, shortly after the departure of Lapérouse, marking her role in significant maritime exploration. By 1788, Résolution was decommissioned at Brest, and in June 1789, she was repurposed as a hulk at Isle de France. A model of this vessel is displayed at Snowshill Manor in Gloucestershire, highlighting her historical importance. Throughout her service, HMS Romulus/Résolution played a notable role in both naval warfare and exploration, reflecting the maritime ambitions of the late 18th century.

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