French Corvette Perdrix (1784)

''Perdrix'' was a corvette of the French Royal Navy, launched in 1784. The British captured her off Antigua in 1795 and she served briefly in the Royal Navy in the West Indies, where she captured a French privateer, before being broken up in 1798.

French service and capture

In April 1786 ''Perdrix'' was holed by a rock when she arrived at Tobago. She was refloated and repaired there between April and July.

Between 14 February and 2 May 1791, ''Perdrix'' was under the command of ''Lieutenant de vaisseaux'' Duval-Paris. He sailed her from Brest to Cadiz, and then on to Martinique and Cap-Français, carrying payroll. In December 1792 she sailed to the assistance of the frigate ''Didon'', which had foundered before Pointe-à-Pitre. From there ''Perdrix'' returned to Fort-Royal. She then sailed back to France, sailing from Rochefort to Brest, via La Corogne. On 4 December 1792 ''sous-lieutenant de vaisseaux'' Krohm took command, with Duval-Paris being promoted to ''capitaine de vaisseau'' the next day.

''Perdrix'' cruised to the south of Belle Île, then was at Rochefort, before cruising along the coasts of la Vendée. Next she sailed from Rochefort to Mindin (Opposite to Saint-Nazaire). Lastly, she sailed on a mission to
Saint-Pierre-et-Miquelon. During this period she had several commanders. From 26 February to 24 April 1793 her commander was ''capitaine de vaisseau'' Renaudin. His successor was ''enseigne de vaisseau non entretenu'' Garreau (temporarily until 20 May 1793), and nominally between 26 February and 22 July, ''lieutenant de vaisseau'' Barré, though Barré may not have assumed command until 14 May.

Barré, who continued in command until 28 November 1794, sailed ''Perdrix'' from Paimbœuf to Nova Scotia and then to New York. He was on the United States station, where he convoyed vessels from Sandy Hook to Cape Henlopen and into the Atlantic. In June 1794, ''Perdrix'' was perhaps temporarily under the command of ''Lieutenant de vaiseaux'' Le Bouteiller.

Rear-Admiral Thompson, in , returned to Martinique on 13 June 1795, after seeing a convoy in safety to 24 Deg. 8 Min North. On his way back, on 5 June he captured ''Perdrix'', a "French Ship of War of 24 Guns." She was under the command of ''Lieutenant de vaisseau'' Le Bouteiller.

British service

The British commissioned ''Perdrix'' on 2 February 1796 under the command of Captain William Charles Fahie. At some point between 18 March 1797 and 30 May, ''Perdrix'' recaptured the sloop ''General'', H. Bloombury, Master, from Barbados. She had been sailing to Martinique with a cargo of dry goods and provisions. ''Perdrix'' recaptured her off Guadaloupe and sent her to Fort Royal, Martinique.

On 13 January 1798, while Fahie was on leave to take temporary command of the fleet, then anchored before St. Kitts, Lieutenant Charles Peterson was in command of ''Perdrix''. She and , which was under the command of Thomas Pitt, Lieutenant Lord Camelford, were both in English Harbour, Antigua undergoing refit. A dispute arose between the two lieutenants over who was senior and so in charge of the port and both vessels. In the dispute, Camelford shot and killed Peterson for mutiny. What triggered the dispute was the departure from the harbour on the previous day of , whose captain, Jemmet Mainwaring, had previously been the senior officer in the port. Peterson had been first lieutenant under Camelford for three months when Camelford had taken over ''Favourite'', even though Peterson was senior on the lieutenants list and represented Captain Fahie. The two ships' companies almost fired on each other when Camelford shot Petersen. Captain Henry Mitford of arrived that evening and put Camelford under arrest. Mitford put Lieutenant Parsons of ''Favourite'' in command of ''Perdrix'' and sent her out to sea. The subsequent court martial acquitted Camelford.

''Perdrix'' engaged in one major action when on 12 December 1798 she took ''L'Armée d' Italie'', a privateer of fourteen 9-pounder and four 12-pounder guns. A few days earlier ''Perdrix'' had encountered an American vessel leeward of St Thomas, which had reported being boarded by a French privateer seven leagues east of Virgin Gorda. The wind and weather were such that it took four days before Fahie could get ''Perdrix'' to the area and find his quarry.

After a chase of 16 hours and an action of 42 minutes, the privateer was an unmanageable wreck. Of her crew of 117 men under the command of Citizen Colachyshe had lost six dead and five wounded; ''Perdrix'' had only one man wounded, and some damage to her sails and rigging. ''L'Armee d' Italie'' was 11 days out of Guadeloupe and had captured the brig ''Bittern'' and the schooner ''Concorde'', out of Martinique. (Some members of their crews were aboard ''L'Armee d' Italie'' when ''Perdrix'' captured her. ''Perdrix'' then took her into Tortola, where she was condemned a week later.

At some point ''Perdrix'' captured ''Remt Folkerus''.

Fate

''Perdrix'' arrived at Deptford on 22 July 1799. She was broken up on 10 September, less than two months after arriving.

Notes

Citations

References

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* Fonds Marine. Campagnes (opérations ; divisions et stations navales ; missions diverses). Inventaire de la sous-série Marine BB4. Tome premier : BB4 1 à 209 (1790-1804

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Perdrix (1784)
1784 ships
Ships built in France
Captured ships
Post ships of the Royal Navy