Royal Oak-class ship of the line

The Royal Oak-class ships of the line were a class of six 74-gun third rates, designed for the Royal Navy by Sir John Williams. The Alfred class were an enlarged version of the Royal Oak class.

HMS Vengeance
Class overview
Name	Royal Oak
Operators	Royal Navy
Preceded by	Elizabeth class
Succeeded by	Culloden class
In service	13 November 1769 - 1818
Completed	6
General characteristics
Type	Ship of the line
Length	168 ft 6 in (51.4 m) (gundeck) 138 ft 2 in (42.1 m) (keel)
Beam	46 ft 9 in (14.2 m)
Propulsion	Sails
Armament	74 guns: Gundeck: 28 × 32 pdrs Upper gundeck: 28 × 18 pdrs Quarterdeck: 14 × 9 pdrs Forecastle: 4 × 9 pdrs
Notes	Ships in class include: Royal Oak, Conqueror, Bedford, Hector, Vengeance, Sultan

Ships

• HMS Royal Oak

Builder: Plymouth Dockyard

Ordered: 16 November 1765

Launched: 13 November 1769

Fate: Broken up, 1815

• HMS Conqueror

Builder: Plymouth Dockyard

Ordered: 12 October 1768

Laid Down: October 1769

Launched: 18 October 1773

Completed for Sea: 12 July 1777

Fate: Broken up, November 1794

• HMS Bedford

Builder: Woolwich Dockyard

Ordered: 12 October 1768

Launched: 27 October 1775

Fate: Broken up, 1817

• HMS Hector

Builder: Adams, Deptford

Ordered: 14 January 1771

Launched: 27 May 1774

Fate: Broken up, 1816

• HMS Vengeance

Builder: Randall, Rotherhithe

Ordered: 14 January 1771

Launched: 25 June 1774

Fate: Broken up, 1816

• HMS Sultan

Builder: Barnard, Harwich

Ordered: 14 January 1771

Launched: 23 December 1775

Fate: Broken up, 1816

References

• Lavery, Brian (1983) The Ship of the Line - Volume 1: The development of the battlefleet 1650–1850. Conway Maritime Press. ISBN 0-85177-252-8.
• Winfield, Rif. British Warships of the Age of Sail 1714-1792: Design, Construction, Careers and Fates, pub Seaforth, 2007, ISBN 1-86176-295-X