HMS Apollo (1794)

HMS Apollo, the third ship of the Royal Navy to be named for the Greek god Apollo, was a 38-gun Artois-class fifth rate frigate of the Royal Navy. She served during the French Revolutionary Wars, but her career came to an end after just four years in service when she was wrecked on the Haak sands off the Dutch coast.

Construction
Apollo was ordered on 28 March 1793 and was laid down that month at the yards of John Perry & Hanket, at Blackwall. She was launched on 18 March 1794 and was completed at Woolwich Dockyard on 23 September 1794. She cost £13,577 to build; this rising to a total of £20,779 when the cost of fitting her for service was included. The Apollo was commissioned in August 1794 under her first commander, Captain John Manley.

Career
In June 1796, she and HMS Doris (1795) captured a French ship - the Légère of 22 guns - which was taken into service by the Navy as HMS Legere. In 1798 Captain Peter Halkett was appointed to the command of Apollo; on 7 January 1799 she was wrecked on the Haak Sands, off the coast of Holland, whilst chasing a Dutch vessel. In a subsequent court martial, the pilot was found guilty of negligence and Captain Halkett exonerated; he was appointed to a newly completing 36-gun frigate, which was also named HMS Apollo (1799).