Designed by Thomas Slade, she was the prototype for six subsequent Infernal class bomb vessels which saw service in the Mediterranean and the West Indies during the Seven Years' War with France.

Admiralty Orders for her construction were issued on 5 October 1756, followed by a contract to master shipwright Henry Bird to build the vessel at the civilian dockyard in Northam, Southampton.

While this time requirement was not met, Admiralty retained sufficient confidence in Bird's capacity that he was engaged to build a second vessel, HMS Blast, in 1759.

[1][a] Slade's design included a narrow stern, bluff bow and broad beam, creating a short, heavy vessel capable of supporting the recoil of the mortars.

Over the preceding decade the Navy Board had considered ways to improve the handling and seaworthiness of its bomb vessels, including using a three-masted ship rig instead of the ketch.

[6] Bomb vessel construction ended on 11 July 1757, but by Admiralty Order the newly launched ship was immediately returned to Northam dockyard for refitting as a sloop.

[1] Disease had broken out on board, and a substantial part of the crew were offloaded to the Haslar Hospital, suffering from what surgeon James Lind described as "fevers of the most malignant kind.

[9] In February 1763 the Treaty of Paris brought an end to the war, and Infernal was returned to Deptford where she was paid off and her crew assigned to other vessels.