1646 Programme Group

Class of ships

Class overview
Name| 1646 Programme Group
Builders|

* Woolwich Dockyard
* Deptford Dockyard

Operators|

* Commonwealth Of England
* Kingdom of England
* Royal Navy

Preceded by| 1637 Group
Succeeded by| 1647 Programme Group
Built| 1645 - 1646
In service| 1646 - 1709
Completed| 3
Lost| 2
Retired| 1
General characteristics
Type| 34-gun Fourth Rate
Sail plan| ship-rigged
Armament| 32 to 34 guns

The 1646 Programme of fourth-rate vessels were basically three individual ships built to differing dimensions. With Parliament approving the disposal of six elderly ships, instructions were issued for the speedy building of other vessels in their place. The main specification was to build vessels to carry 32 to 34 guns. Each vessel would have 11 pairs lower deck gun ports and five or six pairs on the quarterdeck. The vessels would actually have varying number of guns and the dimensional data would vary considerably. Three vessels were ordered in December 1645.[1]

## Design and specifications[edit]

The construction of the vessels was assigned to Woolwich and Deptford dockyards. The ships would be built under the supervision of Peter Pett I at Deptford and Peter Pett II at Woolwich. As with most vessels of this time period only order and launch dates are available. The dimensional data was so varied that it will be listed on the individual vessels along with their gun armament.[2]

## Ships of the 1646 Programme Group[edit]

Name | Builder | Launch date | Remarks

|
|
|

Adventure (1646) | Woolwich Dockyard | 1646 |

* Rebuilt as Fifth Rate 1691
* taken by French 1709

Assurance (1646) | Deptford Dockyard | 1646 |

* Reduced to Fifth Rate 1690
* Sold 1698

Nonsuch (1646) | Deptford Dockyard | 1646 |

* Wrecked at Gibraltar 3 December 1664

## Citations[edit]

1. ^ Winfield 2009
2. ^ Winfield 2009

## References[edit]

* British Warships in the Age of Sail (1603 – 1714), by Rif Winfield, published by Seaforth Publishing, England © Rif Winfield 2009, EPUB ISBN 978-1-78346-924-6, Chapter 4, The Fourth Rates - 'Small Ships', Vessels acquired from 24 March 1603, 1646 Programme
* Ships of the Royal Navy, by J.J. Colledge, revised and updated by Lt-Cdr Ben Warlow and Steve Bush, published by Seaforth Publishing, Barnsley, Great Britain, © the estate of J.J. Colledge, Ben Warlow and Steve Bush 2020, EPUB ISBN 978-1-5267-9328-7

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1646 Programme Group

* Adventure
* Assurance
* Nonsuch

* Preceded by: 1637 Group
* Followed by: 1647 Programme Group

* List of frigate classes of the Royal Navy

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