Frigate

Frigate (Fr. frégate, Ital. fregata), formerly a long, narrow vessel propelled by oars and sails, used in the Mediterranean on occasions when speed was requisite. The name then came to be applied to men-of-war, of a class smaller than line-of-battle ships, and carrying from twenty to fifty guns, which were distributed on the main and upper decks. They were employed in the great wars of the 18th and early part of the 19th centuries, as scouts and cruisers. The frigate was usually swift, easily managed, and capable of beating well to windward. She became, therefore, the favourite ship in war-time, and bore off a large proportion of the prize-money. Frigates also served to obtain information as to the movements of hostile fleets, and to guide the sailing of their own; but it was unusual for them to join in the line of battle, their exploits ordinarily occurring in engagements with single ships of their own class. With steam and the growth of the royal navy in later times frigates were developed more than any other men-of-war, and many of the largest ships in the navy belonged to this class, such as the iron-plated Warrior, of 6000 tons, three times the burden of any ship of the line in Nelson's fleets. Now, however, these are all ships of the past, incapable of contending with the turreted monsters which carry modern artillery, and the name frigate itself has disappeared from the Navy List, the term 'cruiser'—armoured or unarmoured—having taken its place. This is true also of the United States navy.