HMS Proselyte was a Royal Navy vessel originally built as the Newcastle collier Ramillies in 1804. Purchased by the Navy in June 1804 and commissioned in September of the same year, she underwent significant modifications, being converted into a 28-gun sixth rate ship during July and August 1804. Between 1806 and 1808, she was further converted into a bomb vessel, reflecting her evolving role during the Napoleonic Wars and related conflicts. Constructed as a collier, Proselyte's design was adapted for naval service, equipped with 28 guns, and served as a versatile vessel capable of both escort and bombardment duties. Her commissioning was initially under Captain George Hardinge, followed by Captain George Sayer in January 1805. That year, she undertook a notable voyage to the West Indies, escorting a convoy of 150 merchant vessels and three regiments of infantry, successfully reaching Barbados while avoiding capture by the Rochefort squadron under Rear-Admiral Allemand. After her return to Portsmouth in November 1805, Proselyte was paid off into ordinary, indicating a period of decommissioning and refit. She was recommissioned in February 1808 under Captain Henry James Lyford for service in the Baltic during the Gunboat War. Her mission included acting as a lightvessel off the island of Anholt in the Kattegat, where the Danish lighthouse had been closed at the war's outbreak, to aid passing convoys. Tragically, Proselyte was wrecked on 5 December 1808 after becoming trapped in ice at the outer end of the Anholt reef. The ice pushed her onto her starboard beam, forcing her crew to abandon her with no loss of life. The wreck's occurrence prompted the British to later send a squadron in May to seize Anholt and restore the lighthouse, underscoring her strategic maritime role in the Baltic during the Napoleonic 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.