HMS Ariadne 1776 (based on HMS Sphinx) by wvdhee – Vanguard Models – 1:64 - after 1793 refit as 24 gun 6th rate

[wvdhee]

Hello y'all and a very happy, ship building filled, new year!

 

 

I have been busy with life, which prevented me to be busy with ships (I hate it when I mix up my priorities), but it's a new year and time for a new ship 🙂

 

With HMS Flirt done, it’s time for something a little bigger, one more mast, few more guns, carronades to top it off and that awesome well-known, yellow-black paintjob. Wanting another ship from Vanguard Models (you all know why) that would leave me with just one choice, the Indefatigable. But time, space and budget are preventing me from doing that one for now. And with HMS Surprise (which may tick all the boxes 😉) on the (maybe far?) horizon, I have only one option; a slightly modified version of the ship I always wanted to do anyway, HMS Sphinx .

Of all the 10 Sphinx class ships built, I think Ariadne had the most lustrous career. Launched in 1776, she sailed straight for North America to fight the revolution. She took several American ships, including the Alfred, the first flagship of the Colonial navy. She was present in a couple of sea battles against the French in the Caribbean (she even got her own St Lucia stamp).

 

 

After some time in home waters, she underwent a major refit in 1792/1793 and sailed for the Mediterranean to fight the French again. Probably not in time for the destruction of the French fleet at Toulon, she ended however up in the squadron of a certain H. Nelson, who then was the captain on the Agamemnon. She was present and played an important role in the Battle of Hyères Islands (1795), cruised the Med with Nelson’s flotilla, joined now by HMS Speedy (yes, that one) before sailing back to home waters, where she remained active until her end in 1814. One fun fact is that in 1798, while participating in an action at Ostend, she came across the now also well-known HMS Harpy 😉

 

During the major refit HMS Ariadne underwent in 1792/1793, 4 more guns (4-pounders) were added, 2 on the forecastle and 2 on the quarterdeck. The Bulwarks were heightened and some (4 or 6 depending on source) carronades were added as well. My take is 4 and all of them on the quarterdeck. A drawing with a proposal to change HMS Sphinx in much the same way, only shows one gun opening on the forecastle and it’s probably a bit tight there as well to place more guns/carronades. (https://www.rmg.co.uk/collections/objects/rmgc-object-83709)

The guns and carronades I ordered already a while back from Vanguard Models and I have enough wood and scrap pieces left from the Flirt for the higher bulwarks, I just don’t know yet how to do it 😊

Sad thing is that I won’t be using the photo etched decorations from the Sphinx kit, but they might be used in another build some day.

And of course I need a new figurehead, preferably Ariadne 😉 but 3D printing makes everything possible these days.

In theory, I guess the stern decorations weren’t identical to the Sphinx’s, but I am hoping history will forgive me for using them anyway 😊

 

Well, I ordered the Sphinx today, so in a few days, a week maybe I will start normally! 😃

There’s plenty examples of how to build a Sphinx here already, so I won’t be posting every step, but I plan to share where I deviate from the original.

[TJM]

The very best of luck with this project, I am sure it will be great! And I will follow your journey with great interest! 

[wvdhee]

And there we go 😁

 

[Thukydides]

Good luck, I will be following along.

 

On 1/4/2025 at 6:57 PM, wvdhee said:

During the major refit HMS Ariadne underwent in 1792/1793, 4 more guns (4-pounders) were added, 2 on the forecastle and 2 on the quarterdeck. The Bulwarks were heightened and some (4 or 6 depending on source) carronades were added as well. My take is 4 and all of them on the quarterdeck.

I assume you got this info from Winfield. I am not sure I trust him on this one in any case it is certainly missing some info. The Sphinx class were ordered to be modified to include 8 12-pdr carronades in 1779, but the actual implementation was a bit more varied. The earliest Ariadne could have been given them is 1780, but at the very least Ariadne was equipped with 8 carronades in 1782 as she appears on the Middleton list (see the appendix of my Perseus draft document). She also appears on a 1793 list (which is much smaller as many ships had gotten rid of carronades) showing her still with the 8 12-pdr carronades (again see the appendix).

 

In 1797 there is was a request to replace 4 of the carronades with 4-pdr long guns though it is not clear from the catalog description (I don't have the actual document) if this meant going down to 2 carronades or 4. You could probably make an argument for either and it might be worth your while getting the original document as it shouldn't cost that much (being likely only a few pages). In any case the rating change to a 24 gun ship likely didn't occur till 1797.

 

Edit: if you are getting your info from threedecks.org, I am in the process of revising many of the Sphinx class there so you may see some changes as I get round to making edits.

 

On 1/4/2025 at 6:57 PM, wvdhee said:

A drawing with a proposal to change HMS Sphinx in much the same way, only shows one gun opening on the forecastle and it’s probably a bit tight there as well to place more guns/carronades. (https://www.rmg.co.uk/collections/objects/rmgc-object-83709)

This is actually the survey done before Sphinx's breakup. Though it likely reflects what many of the ships looked like late in their careers. Earlier they tended to only have the quarterdeck built up while the forecastle was left as it originally was. This was true of Perseus at least up until 1790 and may very well have been true of Ariadne.

 

On the question of the figurehead, there is a lines plan for Ariadne, just not digitized. If you have the money it might be worth ordering a digital copy from the RMG as it may very well have the figurehead and decorations on it. If it was me I would give it a shot.

https://www.rmg.co.uk/collections/objects/rmgc-object-83731

 

If you have any specific questions I am happy to share some of my research with you. I have a lot more done behind the scenes, it is just not yet fully complete and ready for release.

Edited Tuesday at 12:43 PM by Thukydides

[brunnels]

Looking forward to seeing a later version of the Sphinx class with built up bulwarks and more guns, I will definitely be following along. 

[wvdhee]

One of our great researchers; Thukydides showed me this painting (called "Ships of the line off Dover"). It's made by Samuel Atkins, somewhere between 1787 and 1808. It clearly shows one (or two) 6th rates. A quick deduction, like what 6th rate classes were active in that time frame and number of windows and gun ports, leads to the conclusion that it is, or are, most probably Sphinx class ships! If true, it's imho the best depiction out there of these ships, albeit the inaccuracies. Anyway, it shows the forecastle bulwarks still original, so I will probably don't heighten them then.

 

 

[mtbediz]

Great start, I will be following.