French corvette Republicaine (1795)

The French corvette Républicaine (AKA Republican and Republique) was a merchant ship launched in 1793 that the French Navy requisitioned in 1795 at Grenada. On 14 October 1795 Mermaid captured her in the Leeward Islands. The Royal Navy took Republicaine into service as HMS Republican (or Republicaine), a lugger of 18 guns. It is not clear that Republican was ever commissioned. The Navy sold her at Grenada in 1803.

For other ships with the same name, see French ship Républicaine and French ship Républicain.

Républicaine
History
French Navy EnsignFrance
NameRépublicaine
BuilderLe Havre[1]
Launched1793[1]
Acquired1795 by requisition
CapturedOctober 1795
Great Britain
NameRepublican
Acquiredby capture October 1795
FateSold 1803
General characteristics [2][3]
Tons burthen200 (bm)
Complement
  • French service:10 officers and 240 men[4]
  • British service:100
Armament
  • French service: 18 x 4 or 6-pounder[4] guns
  • British service: 18 guns

French service

On 5 September 1794, Esther, Devonish, master, encountered Républicaine, which Devonish described as being armed with twenty 6-pounder guns and 18 swivel guns, and having a crew of 100-150 men.[lower-alpha 1] At 5p.m. a four-hour engagement commenced, that resumed the next morning, when after two-and-a-half hours Républicaine withdrew. Esther had one man fatally wounded, her mate, out of a crew of 18 men and three boys.[5]

Capture

On 10 October 1795 Mermaid captured the 10-gun French brig Brutus off Grenada.[6] Brutus had been in the company of a ship, which temporarily escaped. However, on 14 October Mermaid was able to find and capture the ship after a fight of half an hour that cost Mermaid one man killed and three men wounded. The French ship was the French corvette Républicaine, and she was armed with eighteen guns. She had some 250-260 men aboard at the start of the action, one of whom was a French general, with his staff, on his way to take command of Grenada. In the action, the French lost 20 men killed and some wounded.[6] Zebra shared by agreement.[7] The Royal Navy took Républicaine into service as HMS Republican.[2]

Notes
  1. Although this engagement occurred before the French Navy acquired Républicaine, Powell identifies Républicaine as the vessel the Royal Navy later captured.[5] She may have been a privateer at the time.

Citations
  1. Roche (2005), p. 378.
  2. Winfield & Roberts (2015), p. 178.
  3. Winfield (2008), p. 356.
  4. Demerliac (1999), p. 86, 507.
  5. Powell (1930), pp. 333–4.
  6. "No. 13849". The London Gazette. 2 January 1796. p. 9.
  7. "No. 15205". The London Gazette. 19 November 1799. p. 1201.

References
  • Demerliac, Alain (1999). La Marine de la Révolution: Nomenclature des Navires Français de 1792 A 1799 (in French). Éditions Ancre. ISBN 2-906381-24-1.
  • Powell, J. W. Damer (1930). Bristol privateers and ships of war. J.W. Arrowsmith: Bristol.
  • Roche, Jean-Michel (2005). Dictionnaire des bâtiments de la flotte de guerre française de Colbert à nos jours. Vol. 1. Group Retozel-Maury Millau. ISBN 978-2-9525917-0-6. OCLC 165892922.
  • Winfield, Rif (2008). British Warships in the Age of Sail 1793–1817: Design, Construction, Careers and Fates (2nd ed.). Seaforth Publishing. ISBN 978-1-86176-246-7.
  • Winfield, Rif; Roberts, Stephen S. (2015). French Warships in the Age of Sail 1786–1861: Design Construction, Careers and Fates. Seaforth Publishing. ISBN 978-1-84832-204-2.
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