When war with France became increasing likely towards end of 1792, the guardships at the three naval seaports were ordered to rendezvous at Spithead.

They then were fitted for service in the West Indies and on 24 March left with the fleet under Rear-Admiral Sir Alan Gardner.

[2][5] Hannibal returned to Britain in early 1794, and underwent fitting at Plymouth from March to December.

On 21 October, while on the West Indies station, Hannibal captured the 8-gun French privateer schooner Grand Voltigeur.

[12] Captain Solomon Ferris commissioned Hannibal in March 1801,[2] and under his command she sailed from Spithead on 6 June 1801.

She joined Rear-Admiral Sir James Saumarez in Cawsand Bay on 12 June, ready to sail for the Mediterranean.

At about 10 o'clock Saumarez ordered Hannibal to cut her cables and move to support HMS Pompee by engaging Formidable, Linois's flagship.

Ferris consulted with his officers and decided that further resistance was pointless and that the only way to save the lives of the remaining crew was for Hannibal to strike.

By this point Hannibal's fire had dwindled to almost nothing so Ferris ordered his men to shelter below decks.

[14] The French and Spanish were unable to repair Hannibal quickly enough for her to take part in the eventual defeat of the Franco-Spanish squadron at the Second Battle of Algeciras several days later.

[15] A court martial in HMS Gladiator in Portsmouth on 1 September honourably acquitted Captain Ferris, his officers and crew for the loss of their ship.

[16] Later, on 9 February 1802, Annibal (along with Intrépide and Formidable), sailed from Cadiz for Toulon where she underwent a refit between March and June.

[1] This article includes data released under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported UK: England & Wales Licence, by the National Maritime Museum, as part of the Warship Histories project.