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Coog
06-16-2014, 18:32
I've noticed the Hebe-class frigates being referred to in some posts as "heavy frigates." I was thinking that the Hebe-class were "medium frigates", "heavy frigates" being larger and armed with 24-pounder long guns instead of 18-pounder long guns such as HMS Endymion, the razeed HMS Indefatigable, and the American 44-gun frigates. If this belief is wrong and if so what does determine whether or not a frigate is heavy or medium?

Diamondback
06-16-2014, 20:30
I'm not sure, they're really kinda borderline--the Hebe-Virginie-Hortense-Pallas line started out as 38's, Virginie stepped up to 40 class-wide along woth some of the older ships being upgunned, and the Pallas group were 44's along with many Virginies and Hortenses being similarly upgraded, all on the same basic hull if I recall right.

To me, what makes the Humphreys 44's "Heavy" isn't their number or size of guns, but the fact that they have hull strength equal to many full Ships of the Line.

David Manley
06-16-2014, 21:55
Its more of a modern convention akin to the descriptors for WW2 cruisers than one of the period. And in our context the Hebes are "heavy" compared with the series 1 releases. But I'd not consider them "heavy", that's something I've only really considered applicable to the US 44s, the razees and similar