Spanish brig Infante (1787)

The French navy captured the Spanish brig Infante in December 1793, and brought into French service under her existing name.[1] In January 1794, she was recommissioned in Toulon under Lieutenant Girardias,[6] and renamed Liberté.[1] In May 1795, she was returned to her original name of Infante.[1]

In June 1797, Infante sailed together with the frigates Sensible and Artémise to seize Venetian ships;[1] the prizes included the frigates Muiron and Carrère.

On 10 May 1798, she was renamed to Salamine.[1] As part of the fleet of Toulon, Salamine participated in the Mediterranean campaign of 1798.

During the Battle of the Nile, she took refuge under the forts of Abukir, and formed up with Rear-admiral Villeneuve's squadron, which comprised the two 74-gun Guillaume Tell and Généreux, and the frigates Diane and Justice. Villeneuve then entrusted Salamine with the report of the battle for General Bonaparte, before sailing to Malta with his four ships.[7]

On 8 May 1799, Salamine encountered the xebec HMS Fortune, under the command of Lieutenant Lewis Davis, and her consort Dame de Grace.[1][Note 1] Salamine and Fortune exchanged fire for two hours until Fortune had expended all her ammunition, had three guns dismounted, and had had two men killed and four wounded.[10] Then Salamine also recaptured the Dame de Grace. This was the Vierge de Graces, which Commodore Sir Sidney Smith in Tigre captured when he took a flotilla of seven vessels at Acre on 18 March 1799.[11] Salamine took out her crew and scuttled Dame de Grace.[9][10]

Under Lieutenant Landry[1][12] Salamine was part of the Syrian naval station under Rear-admiral Perrée.[13] She ferried artillery and ammunition to the French Army besieging Acre. Sidney Smith's squadron chased Perrée's division, but it evaded him and sailed for Toulon.[14]

Sixty miles off Toulon, on 17 June, Perrée's division met Lord Keith's fleet, who dispatched a force consisting of three 74-gun ships and two frigates, all under Captain John Markham, to intercept it.[5]

In weak winds, a 28-hour chase began, and the French division dispersed. By the evening of the 18th, Alerte was racing ahead, Salamine following three miles behind, and the French frigates four miles further behind her. At 19:00, the British 74-guns had subdued the frigates and Markham's force started chasing the two remaining brigs. The frigate HMS Emerald eventually caught up with Salamine, which struck to her much stronger opponent.[5][13][14] The entire British squadron, not just the vessels under Markham's command, shared in the prize money.[15]

At the time of her capture, Salamine was under the command of "Sandry, Lieutenant", presumably a misprint for "Landry".[16]

The Royal Navy commissioned Salamine in January 1800 under Commander Thomas Briggs.[3] He immediately took her out on patrol off the coast of Spain and France.

Her first prize was actually a share in a prize. On 29 March, Salamine was among the ships that shared in the capture of the Courageux. The other captors were Renown, Dragon, Gibraltar, Haerlem, Alexander, Athenian, Mercury, and Salamine.[17]

On 9 April Salamine captured a Genoese settee that was sailing from Languedoc to Nolle [sic] with a cargo of wine. (This may have been the Madona del Fortuno.[18]) Then two days later Salamine captured the French tartan, the Madona de Montenero, which was carrying salt fish, sugar, and similar cargo.[19]

The next month, on 3 May, Salamine captured the Swedish brig Waragtigheten, which was sailing from Benicarló to Leghorn with a cargo of wine.[20][Note 2] About six weeks later, on 14 June, Salamine and Cameleon captured the Genoese brig Anima Purgatoria, which was sailing from Bastia to Saleolight [sic].[19]

On 20 August Salamine captured an unnamed French privateer of four guns, six swivel guns, and 56 men.[22] Then on the day after Christmas, Salamine and the frigate Caroline captured the French brig Good Friends, which was carrying a particularly militarily useful cargo of 28 brass long guns, five brass mortars, and shot and shell from Leghorn to Marseilles.[23]

A little more than three weeks later, on 21 January 1801, Caroline and Salamine captured another French privateer, or judging from her crew size, more properly, a letter of marque. This was a xebec of four 6-pounder guns and 24 men. She was sailing from Leghorn to Egypt carrying arms and ammunition.[23]

Salamine served off Egypt between 8 March and 2 September. She is listed amongst the vessels whose crews qualified for the NGSM with clasp "Egypt".[24] Commander Alexander Campbell replaced Briggs in July, though Briggs is the captain named in the medal list. (Briggs had been promoted to post captain on 24 July and into command of the Fourth rate,[25] HMS Madras, her captain having died that month.)

Salamine was paid off in July 1802. She was sold off later that year at Malta for £1,280.[3]

• Hepper, David J. (1994). British Warship Losses in the Age of Sail, 1650-1859. Rotherfield: Jean Boudriot. ISBN 0-948864-30-3.
• James, William (2002) [1827]. The Naval History of Great Britain, Volume 3, 1800–1805. Conway Maritime Press. ISBN 0-85177-907-7.
• Lecomte, Jules (1836). Chroniques de la marine française: de 1789 à 1830, d'après les documents officiels (in French). Vol. 2. H. Souverain.
• Long, William H. (1895) Medals of the British navy and how they were won: with a list of those officers, who for their gallant conduct were granted honorary swords and plate by the Committee of the Patriotic Fund. (London: Norie & Wilson).
• Marshall, John (1824). "Briggs, Thomas" . Royal Naval Biography. Vol. 2, part 1. London: Longman and company. p. 417.
• 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.
• Troude, Onésime-Joachim (1867). Batailles navales de la France (in French). Vol. 3. Challamel ainé.
• Fonds Marine. Campagnes (opérations ; divisions et stations navales ; missions diverses). Inventaire de la sous-série Marine BB4. Tome premier : BB4 1 à 482 (1790-1826)
• Winfield, Rif (2008). British Warships in the Age of Sail 1793–1817: Design, Construction, Careers and Fates. Seaforth. ISBN 978-1861762467.
• Winfield, Rif & Stephen S Roberts (2015) French Warships in the Age of Sail 1786 - 1861: Design Construction, Careers and Fates. (Seaforth Publishing). ISBN 9781848322042

• Salamine, 1799 , Naval Database