HMS Swift (1741)  HMS "Swift" was an 8-gun snow-rigged sloop of the Royal Navy, the last of three "Drake" class sloops constructed during the Anglo-Spanish War of Jenkins' Ear. Launched in 1741, her principal service was as convoy escort and patrol off North Carolina and in the North Sea. She was lost at sea on 31 October 1756. "Swift" was the third of three small, fast vessels designed by Surveyor of the Navy Jacob Acworth to guard merchant shipping between North America and Britain after the declaration of war against Spain in 1739. She was ordered in December 1740 to be constructed by civilian shipwright Robert Carter on the waterfront at Limehouse, then fitted out, armed and commissioned at Deptford Dockyard. Her dimensions were in keeping with other vessels of her class, with an overall length of , a beam of and measuring 203  tons burthen. Construction costs were low, being £1,475 in shipwright fees and building expenses and a further £1,626 for fittings. An additional sailroom was added amidships in 1750. "Swift" had two square-rigged masts, supported by a third trysail mast aft of the main. She was built with seven pairs of gunports along her upper deck, but initially armed with only eight four-pounder cannons with the remaining ports left unused. Twelve lightweight half-pounder swivel guns (anti-personnel weapons) were mounted on posts along the sides of the deck, and two more four-pounder cannons were added by Admiralty Order in 1744. The vessel was established with a complement of 80 men. "Swift" was commissioned in May 1741 under Commander William Bladwell, and assigned to the protection of British shipping off the Carolinas station in North America. In July 1741 she sailed to the aid of the British colony on St Simons Island, which was besieged by a Spanish army from Florida. She came within sight of the Spanish fleet in St Simons harbour on 13 July, accompanied by her sister ship "Hawk" and the ageing 24-gun post-ship . However, "Flamborough"s captain Joseph Hamar refused to engage the larger Spanish fleet, and all three British vessels promptly returned to Charlestown. Their appearance unnerved the Spanish, who abandoned their assault and retreated first to Jekyll Island and then back to Florida. After three years service off North Carolina she was recommissioned in June 1744 for patrol and convoy escort in the North Sea under Commander Peter Denis.