Africa was ordered and laid down in 1778 and launched in 1781. By the time Henry Digby commanded her at Trafalgar, she had already served in the American and French Revolutionary Wars. Her career continued after the damage suffered at Trafalgar, including operations against Danish gunboats. During the War of 1812 she belonged to the squadron that failed to catch USS Constitution, and was among the ships that came closest. Her service across these wars shows how long an older 64-gun ship could remain operationally useful.
Notable Point · 1:22:03-1:23:35
Africa's service extended to the pursuit of Constitution
The 64-gun Africa continued serving after Trafalgar, fighting Danish gunboats and joining the unsuccessful pursuit of USS Constitution.