WAK 11-2017 HMS Badger

HMS Badger was a late 18th century British sailing ship (brig) that went down in Royal Navy history as the first vessel commanded by Horatio Nelson - later victorious from Trafalgar in 1805. Most likely, HMS Badger was a captured vessel that became part of the British fleet in mid-1776 or in November 1777, i.e. during the War of Independence of the United States (1775-1783). Perhaps the ship was seized at the expense of the French, as indicated by the red painting of the sides of the vessel - very rare in the Royal Navy, and much more common at that time in the French Navy. The unit was probably armed with 12 4-pounder guns and two railing half-pounder cannons. He commanded the Horatio Nelson unit in 1777-1779, after which he was transferred to HMS Hinchinbroke. HMS Badger, on the other hand, served until the end of the US Independence War and was sold in 1783.