HMS Africa was a 64-gun third-rate ship of the line belonging to the Essex class of the Royal Navy, launched in 1761. Designed by naval architect Thomas Slade, she was one of two Essex-class vessels constructed to be slightly larger than HMS Asia, which was also designed by Slade. Her construction was ordered on December 31, 1758, amid the Royal Navy’s expansion during the early stages of the Seven Years’ War, with building commencing on May 7, 1758, and completed by August 1, 1761. The vessel was named in November 1759, continuing a tradition of naming ships after prominent geographic features. HMS Africa was commissioned in September 1761 under Captain Alexander Hood. She was assigned to Britain's Mediterranean fleet under Admiral Edward Hawke, serving actively during the latter half of the Seven Years’ War against France and Spain. Throughout her service, she remained in the Mediterranean, playing a role in the naval operations of the period. Following the end of hostilities with the Treaty of Paris in 1763, she returned to England and was paid off at Portsmouth Dockyard, with her crew dispersed. After a brief period in port, she was recommissioned and transferred to the Caribbean, where she served until November 1765. In 1765, HMS Africa returned to Portsmouth and was paid off again. She remained at anchor for the next nine years, marking a relatively quiet period in her service life. By May 1774, she was declared surplus to the Royal Navy’s needs and was sold for £900, primarily for timber. Her service history reflects the typical lifecycle of a mid-18th-century ship of the line, serving during a major war and later being disposed of as part of naval downsizing efforts.

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