Vierge-de-Grâce (1798 ship)

Vierge-de-Grâce (or Dame de Grace), was a merchant vessel that the French Navy requisitioned in 1798 for use as a transport.[1] The Royal Navy captured her in March 1799 and took her into service as HMS Dame-de-Grace. The French corvette Salamine captured her on 8 May 1799 and scuttled her.

History
France
NameVierge-de-Grâce or Dame de Grace
AcquiredApril 1798[1]
Captured19 March 1799
Great Britain
NameHMS Dame de Grace
Acquired19 March 1799 by capture
Captured8 May 1799 and scuttled
General characteristics [2]
Tons burthen
  • RN:87 (bm)
  • France:90 (French; "of load")
Sail planBrig
Armament4 guns

Vierge-de-Grâce was one of a flotilla of seven vessels that Commodore Sir Sidney Smith in HMS Tigre took at Acre on 18 March 1799, all of which the British took into service. At capture Vierge-de-Grâce carried four guns and had a crew of 35 men.[3] ( See also List of gun-vessels Commodore Sir Sidney Smith captured at Acre in March 1799.)

The flotilla of gun-vessels had left Damietta with siege artillery and other siege supplies to reinforce Napoleon's troops besieging Acre. Smith immediately put the guns and supplies to use to help the city's defenders resist the French, and the gun-vessels to harass them.

On 8 May 1799 the xebec HMS Fortune, under the command of Lieutenant Lewis Davis, and Dame de Grace encountered Salamine.[4][lower-alpha 1] Salamine and Fortune exchanged fire for two hours until Fortune struck, after she had expended all her ammunition, had three guns dismounted, and had had two men killed and four wounded.[6] Then Salamine also recaptured Dame de Grace. Salamine took out Dame de Grace's crew and scuttled her.[6][2]

Notes
  1. Fortune was originally the British privateer Fortunatus, which Justice captured in December 1797. The French commissioned Fortunatus as an 18-gun xebec; before Salamine recaptured her, she had been captured by HMS Swiftsure,[5] and taken back into British service as a polacre of 10 guns.[2]

Citations
  1. Winfield & Roberts (2015), p. 409.
  2. Winfield (2008), p. 337.
  3. "No. 15149". The London Gazette. 18 June 1799. pp. 609–610.
  4. Roche (2005), p. 402.
  5. Roche (2005), pp. 208–209.
  6. Hepper (1994), p. 91.

References
  • Hepper, David J. (1994). British Warship Losses in the Age of Sail, 1650–1859. Rotherfield: Jean Boudriot. ISBN 0-948864-30-3.
  • 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. 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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