HMS Ambuscade

My latest writing project is about Royal Navy ships called HMS Ambuscade. I am a member of the Advisory Group for the Clyde Naval Heritage charity, planning to bring the latest vessel of that name, a Type 21 frigate, back to the Clyde where it was built. This HMS Ambuscade served in the Falklands War and was later sold to Pakistan. The Pakistan Navy has kindly agreed to donate the ship; we just have to get it home!

There have been five main ships called HMS Ambuscade in the Royal Navy. It gets a little more complex during the Napoleonic Wars when two captured French and one Dutch ship were briefly renamed Ambuscade. The Royal Navy's first steam-powered frigate was laid down in 1830 and was initially named HMS Ambuscade. However, it was renamed HMS Amphion when launched in 1846.

Book reviews

British Frigate vs French Frigate - Osprey introduction to frigate warfare during the Napoleonic Wars. It includes a section on the capture of HMS Ambuscade in 1798.

British Destroyers 1892-1918 - Osprey book on the development of Torpedo-Boat Destroyers before WW1. Includes the K-class HMS Ambuscade. 

Sailors, Ships and Sea Fights - the proceedings from Helion's 2022 Naval History Conference (1721-1815). There are 14 papers organised into three sections. Naval operations in Europe and North America and naval administration.

The Falklands Naval Campaign 1982 - a more recent 2021 study of the campaign in the Osprey campaign series.

Sources on the Pakistan Navy are discussed here.

Other posts

One of the early captains of HMS Ambuscade was Lucius O’Brien. He had previously commanded HMS Sheerness, which played a role in defeating the Jacobite Uprising by capturing the sloop Le Prince Charles (14) (the renamed Le Hasard) off the north coast of Scotland near the Kyle of Tongue on 25 March 1746. The French ship carried £13,000 in much-needed gold, weapons and supplies for the Jacobites. We refought the land action. 

Here is a video of the ship in Pakistan Navy service. Last of the Amazons