''Var'' was a corvette of the French Navy, launched in 1806 as the name-ship of her class of flutes. She served as a storeship until the British captured her in 1809. She became the transport HMS ''Chichester'', and was wrecked in 1811.

Career

''Var'' was built to a design of Pierre-Alexandre Forfait, though Jacques-Noël Sanė modified it. On the morning of 14 February 1809, , under the command of Captain

James Brisbane Captain Sir James Brisbane, CB (1774 – 19 December 1826) was a British Royal Navy officer of the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars. Although never engaged in any major actions, Brisbane served under both Lord Howe and Horatio Nels ...

, was about 12 leagues north of

Corfu Corfu (, ) or Kerkyra ( el, Κέρκυρα, Kérkyra, , ; ; la, Corcyra.) is a Greek island in the Ionian Sea, of the Ionian Islands, and, including its small satellite islands, forms the margin of the northwestern frontier of Greece. The isl ...

when she sighted a suspicious sail. ''Belle Poule'' gave chase and caught up with ''Var'' the next morning, finding her anchored under the guns of the fortresses guarding Valona. The fortresses did not come to ''Var''s assistance, so after a few broadsides from ''Belle Poule'', ''Var''

struck Struck is a surname. Notable people with the surname include: *Adolf Struck (1877–1911), German author *Hermann Struck (1876–1944), German artist *Karin Struck (1947–2006), German author *Paul Struck (1776-1820), German composer *Peter Struc ...

. ''Var'' was under the command of ''capitaine de frégate'' Paulin, who was sailing her from Corfu to Brindisi. The British suffered no casualties; Brisbane could not assess French casualties as most of ''Var''s officers and men escaped ashore after she struck. (A French court martial on 16 April 1814 acquitted Paulin for the loss of his ship.) ''Var'' was sent to Woolwich for fitting as a storeship, which took from 21 January to 23 March 1810. She was brought into British service as HMS ''Chichester''. The Capture of the Var by HMS Belle Poule off Corfu 1809 (451990)

The Capture of the Var by HMS Belle Poule off Corfu 1809 (451990)

Loss

On 2 May 1811, as she sailed under Master William Kirby, she was wrecked on the

Madras Chennai (, ), formerly known as Madras ( the official name until 1996), is the capital city of Tamil Nadu, the southernmost Indian state. The largest city of the state in area and population, Chennai is located on the Coromandel Coast of th ...

roadstead A roadstead (or ''roads'' – the earlier form) is a body of water sheltered from rip currents, spring tides, or ocean swell where ships can lie reasonably safely at anchor without dragging or snatching.United States Army technical manual, TM 5- ...

with the loss of two crew. The violent gale also claimed the frigate ''Dover'', several merchant vessels, and some 70 small craft.''Lloyd's List'', №4611.
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Citations

References

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Var (1806) Age of Sail corvettes of France Shipwrecks in the Bay of Bengal Shipwrecks of India 1806 ships Maritime incidents in 1811 Ships built in France Captured ships Ships of the Royal Navy