Naïade was a 20-gun Coquette-class corvette. She took part in the Indian theatre of the Anglo-French War with the squadron under Suffren. The British Royal Navy captured her in 1783 but never commissioned her; it sold her in 1784.
| History | |
|---|---|
 France | |
| Name | Naïade |
| Ordered | 23 July 1779 [1] |
| Builder | Toulon [1] |
| Laid down | July 1779 [1] |
| Launched | 21 December 1779 [1] |
| Commissioned | April 1780 [1] |
| Captured | 1805 |
 United Kingdom | |
| Name | HMS Naiad |
| Fate | Sold 1784 |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type | Coquette-class corvette |
| Type | corvette |
| Tons burthen | 400 tonnes |
| Length | 38.7 metres |
| Beam | 9.9 metres |
| Draught | 4.9 metres |
| Armament | 18 × 8-pounder long guns |
French service
editOn 11 February 1782, Naïade departed Brest. She called Isle de France (Mauritius) and arrived at Cuddalore on 10 March 1782 to support the squadron under Suffren.[1]
In November 1782, she was at Ceylon under Costebelle.[2]
On 11 April, Captaine de Brûlot Villaret de Joyeuse was given command of Naïade.[3] Suffren sent her to Madras to warn the French blockading squadron, composed of the 74-gun Fendant,[4] the 64-gun Saint-Michel and the frigates Cléopâtre and Coventry, of the imminent arrival of a superior British force.[5] Three days after her departure, on 11 April 1783, Naïade spotted the 64-gun HMS Sceptre,[6] under Captain Graves;[7] after trying without success to elude his much stronger opponent, Villaret was forced into battle, and struck his colours after a five-hour fight.[8][9][5][7] When Villaret surrendered his sword, Graves allegedly told him "Sir, you have given us a fairly beautiful frigate, but you made us pay dearly for her!";[5] some authors add that Graves returned Villaret his sword.[1]
British service
editThe British armed Naïade with twenty-two 12-pounder guns, and two 18-pounder and six 12-pounder carronade, but never commissioned her. [10] From 26 April 1783, she was under Lieutenant Richard Strachan.
Fate
editNaïade was sold on 17 August 1784.[10]
Citations
edit- ^ a b c d e f g Roche (2005), p. 321.
- ^ Cunat (1852), p. 87.
- ^ Lacour-Gayet (1910), p. 542.
- ^ Cunat (1852), p. 274.
- ^ a b c Hennequin (1835), p. 214.
- ^ Levot (1866), p. 544.
- ^ a b "No. 12509". The London Gazette. 10 January 1784. p. 1.
- ^ Lacour-Gayet (1910), p. 660.
- ^ Cunat (1852), p. 381-382.
- ^ a b Demerliac (1996), p. 73, n°462.
References
edit- Cunat, Charles (1852). Histoire du Bailli de Suffren. Rennes: A. Marteville et Lefas.
- Demerliac, Alain (1996). La Marine De Louis XVI: Nomenclature Des Navires Français De 1774 À 1792. Nice: Éditions OMEGA. ISBN 2-906381-23-3.
- Hennequin, Joseph François Gabriel (1835). Biographie maritime ou notices historiques sur la vie et les campagnes des marins célèbres français et étrangers (in French). Vol. 2. Paris: Regnault éditeur.
- Lacour-Gayet, Georges (1910). La marine militaire de la France sous le règne de Louis XVI. Paris: Honoré Champion.
- Levot, Prosper (1866). Les gloires maritimes de la France: notices biographiques sur les plus célèbres marins (in French). Bertrand.
- Roche, Jean-Michel (2005). Dictionnaire des bâtiments de la flotte de guerre française de Colbert à nos jours. Vol. 1. Group Retozel-Maury Millau. p. 280. ISBN 978-2-9525917-0-6. OCLC 165892922.