AH-WR-0970

HMS Charon

Frigate · United Kingdom · Lost 1781 · Chesapeake Bay

A Royal Navy frigate burned to the waterline in the York River during the climactic siege that ended British hopes at Yorktown.

Artistic recreation based on recorded historical documents. See the documented evidence.

Historically Reconstructed. Drawn from partial documentation of this vessel together with her known class and configuration. See the documented evidence.

The Vessel and Her Loss

HMS Charon was a 44-gun Royal Navy frigate serving in the Yorktown anchorage in October 1781. During the Franco-American siege, heated shot set her ablaze and she burned in full view of both armies. Her destruction was among the most visible naval losses of the siege. Her remains lie among the cluster of Revolutionary War wrecks in the York River.

Vessel

Built: 1778
Builder: Not established
Yard: Not established
Material: Wood
Length: Not established
Beam: Not established
Tonnage: Not established
Propulsion: Sail
Owners: Royal Navy

Loss

Date: October 10, 1781
Cause: Enemy action
Location: York River off Yorktown, Virginia
Water: York River
Voyage: Not established
Cargo: Not established
Aboard: Not established
Lives lost: Not established
Master: Not established

The Wreck Today

Depth: Not established
Condition: Partially surveyed remains in the York River
Orientation: Not established
Discovered: 1970s
Protection: Studied under Virginia state archaeological programs

Position

Coordinates: Not established
Accuracy: Position not established
Nearest: Yorktown, Virginia
Region: Chesapeake Bay

Evidence

Overall confidence: Documented (75/100)

Exact wreck position and present condition are not established in the sources reviewed.

National Park Service, Colonial National Historical Park
Circumstances and date of loss during the Siege of Yorktown.
Virginia Department of Historic Resources
Yorktown shipwreck archaeological survey context.