Viper captured several French privateers in the waters around Great Britain, and took part in a notable engagement.

Greyhound was commissioned in June 1780 under Lieutenant Richard Bridge for the Scilly Isles and Irish Sea.

[6] Later that month, on 28 April, Viper and the brig Antigua brought into Waterford a French privateer lugger and her prize.

She proved to be the Dutch privateer Sea Lion (or Zeuwsche Water Leuw), of Flushing, but out of Cherbourg.

[9][a] Viper was paid off in June 1783, but immediately recommissioned again under Lieutenant Arthur Webber for the Irish Sea.

On 19 January 1795, one day after stadtholder William V of Orange fled to England, the Bataafse Republiek (Batavian Republic) was proclaimed, rendering the Netherlands a unitary state.

In addition, there were seven homeward and two outward bound Dutch Indiamen, and from 50 to 60 merchant vessels, all lying in Plymouth Sound.

All the British vessels at Plymouth on 20 January 1795, including Viper, shared in the prize money arising from the seizure.

[14] On 13 March 1797, Pengelley and Viper were about seven leagues north-west from Alboran, as they were returning to Gibraltar from Algiers when she sighted a Spanish privateer.

During the action, the Spanish several times attempted to start fires on Viper by throwing over flasks filled with powder and sulphur.

Nuestra Señora de la Piedad had one man killed and seven dangerously wounded, one of whom died; Viper suffered no casualties.

[15] In 1799, Viper visited Sierra Leone, leaving on 1 April in company with Triton,[16] and returning on 3 August.

[19] The enemy turned out to be the French privateer Furet, of fourteen 4-pounder guns and 57 men under the command of Citizen Louis Bouvet.

[18] This was a sufficiently notable single-ship action that in 1847, the Admiralty awarded the Naval General Service Medal with clasp "Viper 26 Decr.

[23] Similarly, Viper shared in the proceeds of Vigilant, Menais, Industry (salvage for recapture), wreck of a vessel sold, Insolent, and Ann.

Pellew acceded to the proposal and gave Coghlan a cutter from Impetueux, Midshipman Silas H. Paddon, and 12 men.

Finally, the British succeeded in boarding, killing and wounding a large number of the French brig's crew, and taking control.

The brig was Cerbère, of three 24-pounder and four 6-pounder guns, with a crew of 87 men, 16 of them soldiers, all under the command of lieutenant de vaisseau Menagé.

The attack cost the British one man killed (a seaman from Viper), and eight men wounded, including Coghlan and Paddon.

[26] Earl St. Vincent personally gave Coghlan a sword worth 100 guineas,[26] in order to "prevent the city, or any body of merchants, from making him a present of the same sort".

Her cargo, for exportation, consisted of brandy, red and white wine, castile soap, tar, twigs, and whisk brooms.

[32] Viper shared in the proceeds of the capture of Adelaide and a brig on 8 August as part of Pellew's squadron.

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