Centaur carried 32-pounders on her lower gun deck, 24-pounders above, and lighter guns on the quarterdeck and forecastle. That armament made her a British utility third rate, strong enough to trouble larger ships and overwhelming against anything smaller. Her later association with Diamond Rock involved a different use of naval power: landing men, guns, and supplies to turn a rocky outcrop near Martinique into a fortified obstacle. A well-supported third rate could therefore serve in fleet combat, pursuit, blockade, and improvised littoral operations.
Notable Point · 49:42-53:12
Centaur's broadside and littoral reach
HMS Centaur combines the heavy broadside of a versatile 74-gun ship with a later connection to the improvised British fortification of Diamond Rock.