French Corvette Berceau (1794)

''Berceau'' was a 22-gun corvette of the French Navy, built to a design by Jacques-Noël Sané, and launched in 1794. The Americans captured her in 1800 but restored her to France the next year. She then served in the Indian Ocean before returning to Spain, where she was broken up in 1804.

Career

On 17 October 1794 ''Berceau'' was in the Île-d'Aix roads. Her commander was ''lieutenant de vaisseau'' Bonamy.Fonds Marine BB4, 1790-1804.

''Berceau'' participated in the Croisière du Grand Hiver, an unsuccessful sortie by the French fleet at Brest on 24 December 1794.

On 18 September 1797 ''Berceau'' was at Saint-Nazaire and under the command of ''capitaine de frégate'' Bourrand. Between 21 May and 8 June 1799 she carried dispatches from Toulon to Malaga, and then returned to Palamós.

In 1799, ''Berceau'' took part in the Cruise of Bruix. On 11 May, Admiral Bruix set his flag on ''Berceau'' to direct a battle against the British off Cadiz; after the Spanish broke contact, Bruix cancelled the attack.

''Berceau'' captured on 21 January 1800. On 3 February the Antiguan privateer ''Peggy'' recaptured ''Sarah Ann''. ''Peggy'' sent ''Sarah Ann'' into Antigua, where she was condemned in prize and sold.

On 9 October 1799, Commander (''capitaine de frégate'') Louis-André Senez took command of ''Berceau''.Quintin, p. 341 On 13 July 1800, ''Berceau'' engaged two Portuguese corvettes and five letters of marque, sinking one corvette and capturing four of the letters of marque. From September, she patrolled the Caribbean.

Capture by USS ''Boston''

On 12 October 1800 ''Berceau'' met the 28-gun American frigate ''Boston''; at the time neither vessel knew that the treaty that ended the Quasi-War had already been signed. In the ensuing engagement, ''Berceau'' was badly damaged and lost 34 men killed and 28 wounded before she eventually struck her colours. The Americans had four men killed, three men mortally wounded, and eight men wounded.

''Berceau'' had been dismasted, so ''Boston'' towed her as a prize to Boston. During the voyage prize-master Lieutenant Robert Haswell rigged a jury mast and then sailed her on in an impressive feat of seamanship. The battle having been fought two weeks after a formal peace agreement, ''Berceau'' was repaired at American expense for $32,839.54. On 22 June 1801, she was restituted to France and recommissioned under Lieutenant Michelon. Canney, 2001 p.55 He then sailed her from Boston to Port-Louis, arriving around 19 October 1801.

Resumption of French career

She sailed from Saint-Pierre, Martinique, to Lorient. Between 29 March and 14 April ''Berceau'' was under the temporary command of ''lieutenant de vaisseau'' Emmanuel Halgan. ''Capitaine de frégate'' Brouard succeeded Halgan.

On 25 September 1803, under René Lemarant de Kerdaniel, ''Berceau'' joined up with Linois' squadron off Île de France, bringing the news that the War of the Third Coalition had broken out.

On 21 November the and ''Berceau'' captured the large country ship as she was sailing from Bengal to China with a cargo of cotton and rice. In December, ''Sémillante'' and ''Berceau'' sent their boats in to attack British vessels anchored at Pulo Bay, and burn the East India Company factory and naval arsenal there. Accounts differ, but the French succeeded in burning between six and twelve vessels.

In February 1804, ''Berceau'' took part in the Battle of Pulo Aura under ''capitaine de frégate'' Halgan. Afterwards, the captains of the French vessels and the one Dutch vessel involved, including Halgan, wrote reports on the incident.

Fate

''Berceau'' returned to Europe, reaching Vigo in August or September 1804, in bad condition. On 28 September Emperor Napoleon ordered her sold; she was decommissioned on 4 November and sold, for 21,000 piastres.Leiner (2014), Chap. 6: The ''Boston'' and the perils of taking prizes.

See also

*List of ships captured in the 19th century
*USS Boston vs Berceau

Notes, citations, and references

Notes

Citations

References
*

Url
*Fonds Marine - Campagnes (opérations ; divisions et stations navales ; missions diverses); Inventaire de la sous-série Marine BB 4. Tome premier (1790-1804).
*Kelly, Patrick (1811) ''The Universal Cambist, and Commercial Instructor: Being a General Treatise on Exchange, Including the Monies, Coins, Weights and Measures of All Trading Nations and Their Colonies : with an Account of Their Banks and Paper Currencies''. Vol. 2.
*Leiner, Frederick (2014) ''Millions for Defense: The Subscription Warships of 1798''. (Naval Institute Press).
*

{{DEFAULTSORT:Berceau (1794)
Age of Sail corvettes of France
Ships built in France
1794 ships
Captured ships