HMS Kingfisher
Sloop-Of-War · Great Britain · Lost 1778 · Narragansett Bay & the Rhode Island Coast
A British sloop-of-war blown up by her own crew in the Sakonnet River as French warships threatened to trap her in 1778.
The Vessel and Her Loss
HMS Kingfisher was a 16-gun British sloop stationed in the Sakonnet Passage during the occupation of Newport. As the French fleet advanced in late July 1778, two French frigates moved to attack Kingfisher and her accompanying galleys; before they could be taken, the British set the sloop ablaze. She broke loose from her anchorage and exploded off High Hill Point, Tiverton, on 5 August 1778.
Vessel
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- Wood
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- Sail, sloop rig
- Royal Navy
Loss
- August 5, 1778
- Intentional sinking
- Off High Hill Point, Tiverton, Rhode Island, Sakonnet River
- Sakonnet River
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The Wreck Today
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Position
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- Tiverton, Rhode Island
Evidence
Overall confidence: Partially documented (55/100)
A specific wreck position, depth, and present condition are not established in the sources reviewed.
portsmouthhistorynotes.com (Portsmouth, RI local history research)
Loss circumstances, location, date, citing period British dispatches.
morethannelson.com (Napoleonic and 18th-century naval history research)
Context of French frigates threatening Kingfisher in the Sakonnet Passage.
