HMS Enterprise (1770)

Shotline Diving Wreck Profile

• Name: HMS Enterprise
• Type: Armed Sloop-of-War
• Year Built: Early 1770s (exact year undocumented)
• Builder: Presumed built by the Royal Navy, possibly in Quebec or another North American naval yard serving the British fleet
• Dimensions: Length: 70-80 ft (21-24 m); Beam: 22-25 ft (6.7-7.6 m); Depth of hold: Unknown
• Registered Tonnage: Approximately 100-120 tons
• Location: Lake Champlain, near Fort Ticonderoga
• Coordinates: Estimated historical position near 44°07'N, 73°26'W
• Original Owners: Royal Navy, later Continental Navy
• Number of Masts: Unknown

Wreck Location Map

Vessel Type

Armed Sloop-of-War
HMS Enterprise was a small but heavily armed naval sloop, designed to provide quick maneuverability while packing a serious punch for her size. Armed sloops were ideal for patrol work, convoy escort, and suppressing rebel movements in confined inland waters like Lake Champlain.

Description

Enterprise was originally part of the Royal Navy presence on Lake Champlain, ensuring British control over this strategically crucial waterway. She was captured by American forces under Benedict Arnold in 1776, during the audacious seizure of Fort Ticonderoga and Crown Point.

Once in American hands, the Enterprise became a key player in Arnold’s newly formed “Lake Champlain Fleet,” tasked with delaying the British advance from Canada into New York.

History

After her capture, Enterprise served the Continental Navy as a patrol vessel and gun platform during the lead-up to the Battle of Valcour Island in October 1776. While other vessels (such as Royal Savage and Philadelphia) directly engaged the British, Enterprise played a supporting role during the retreat south.

In July 1777, following the American evacuation of Fort Ticonderoga, the Enterprise was deliberately destroyed by retreating American forces to prevent her recapture. This was part of a broader strategy to deny the British any usable vessels, slowing their advance down the lake.

Her destruction likely took the form of burning at anchor or scuttling near shore, making any surviving wreckage highly fragmented or deeply buried in sediment near Ticonderoga or Crown Point.

Significant Incidents

• Captured by American forces under Benedict Arnold in 1776.
• Served in the Continental Navy during the Battle of Valcour Island.
• Deliberately destroyed by American forces in July 1777 to prevent recapture.

Final Disposition

No confirmed physical wreck site exists for Enterprise.
Historical records indicate destruction occurred near military docks or anchorage points at Ticonderoga or Crown Point.

Current Condition & Accessibility

• Depth: Likely very shallow (3-10 metres / 10-33 feet)
• Bottom Composition: Mud and sediment overlying any potential remnants
• Visibility: Poor due to natural silting and river-fed sediment load
• Condition: Likely completely disarticulated and heavily degraded

Resources & Links

[shotline_reference_links slug=”hms-enterprise-1770″ title=”References & Links”]

Though her physical remains are lost to time, Enterprise was a critical part of the first American naval fleet, representing both the resourcefulness of Benedict Arnold’s forces and the desperation of early American naval strategy. Even if never found, Enterprise’s story belongs in the Revolutionary War section of Shotline Diving’s Historical Archive, ensuring her role in shaping Great Lakes and American naval history is preserved for future divers and researchers.