HMS Orpheus
Frigate · Great Britain · Lost 1778 · Narragansett Bay & the Rhode Island Coast
One of four British frigates scuttled by their own crews in Narragansett Bay in August 1778 to keep them from a French fleet.
The Vessel and Her Loss
HMS Orpheus was a 32-gun British frigate stationed at Newport during the Royal Navy's occupation of Rhode Island. When a French fleet allied with the Americans arrived off Narragansett Bay at the end of July 1778, Orpheus was run aground near Melville on Aquidneck Island and set afire on 5 August rather than let her fall into French hands. Her guns had already been unloaded ashore in preparation. Recovered relics from the wreck are displayed at the Naval War College Museum in Newport.
Vessel
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- Wood
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- Sail, full-rigged ship
- Royal Navy
Loss
- August 5, 1778
- Intentional sinking
- Off Melville, Portsmouth, Rhode Island, Narragansett Bay
- Narragansett Bay
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The Wreck Today
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- 20th century
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Position
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- Position not established
- Melville, Portsmouth, Rhode Island
Evidence
Overall confidence: Partially documented (60/100)
A precise wreck position, depth, and current condition are not established in the sources reviewed.
New England Historical Society
Narrative of the scuttling, date, general location, artifact recovery.
portsmouthhistorynotes.com (Portsmouth, RI local history research)
Specific loss location (off Melville) and list of scuttled vessels, citing period British dispatches.
