HMS Plantagenet was a notable 74-gun third-rate ship of the line in the Royal Navy, launched on 22 October 1801 at Woolwich. Designed by Sir William Rule, she was part of the 'large class' 74s and uniquely built to her specific draught, distinguishing her from other ships of her class. As a large 74, she was equipped with 24-pounder guns on her upper gun deck, providing her with superior firepower compared to the middling and common class 74s, which carried 18-pounders. Her service record included several significant engagements. In 1803, she, alongside the vessel Rosario, captured the French privateer sloop Atalante after a nine-hour chase. Atalante was armed with sixteen 6-pounder guns and had a crew of 160 men. During the capture, Plantagenet took 90 French prisoners and placed a prize crew aboard Atalante. A subsequent attempt by French sailors to retake the vessel was thwarted, resulting in the death of one British sailor due to friendly fire. In June 1804, under Captain De Courcy, Plantagenet escorted the China Fleet of the British East India Company from Saint Helena to England, a fleet famously involved in the Battle of Pulo Aura that deterred a French squadron. She shared in the capture of the Danish schooner Toujours Fidele in September 1810 with HMS Daphne. During the War of 1812, Plantagenet was moored near Norfolk, Virginia, where American efforts to destroy her with torpedoes designed by Robert Fulton were unsuccessful. In 1813, her boats captured the American letter of marque schooner Rapid off Havana; Rapid was a small vessel of 115 tons, armed with a nine-pounder gun and crewed by 20 men. HMS Plantagenet's career concluded when she was broken up in 1817, marking the end of her service as a significant vessel in the Royal Navy’s line of battle during the Napoleonic Wars and the War of 1812.

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