French Frigate Alcmène (1811)

The French frigate ''Alcmène'' was an of a nominal 44 guns, launched in 1811. The British captured her on 1814. The Royal Navy named her HMS ''Dunira'', and then renamed her HMS ''Immortalite'' but never commissioned her nor fitted her for sea. In March 1822 she became a receiving ship at Portsmouth. She was sold in January 1837.

In 1813, along with , she served at Cherbourg, in the squadron of contre-amiral Amable Troude, to protect the harbour.

Capture

On 16 January 1814, the 74-gun third-rate ship of the line , her prize, the ex-French letter of marque brig ''Jason'', and were in company when they spotted two 44-gun French frigates, ''Alcmène'' and . ''Venerable'' joined her and after a chase that left ''Cyane'' far behind, captured ''Alcmène'', though not without a fight. ''Venerable'' lost two men dead and four wounded, while the French lost 32 dead and 50 wounded. ''Alcmène'' had a complement of 319 men under the command of Commander Ducrest de Villeneuve, who was wounded when he brought her alongside ''Venerable'' and attempted a boarding.’’Naval Chronicle’’, Vol. 31, pp.244-5.

''Jason'' and ''Cyane'' tracked ''Iphigénie'' and initially fired on her but broke off the engagement because they were outgunned. ''Cyane'' continued the chase for over three days until ''Venerable'' was able to rejoin the fight after having sailed 153 miles in the direction she believed that ''Iphigénie'' had taken. On 20 January 1814, ''Venerable'' captured ''Iphigénie'', having again left ''Cyane'' behind. ''Iphigénie'' apparently did not resist after ''Venerable'' came up. Before meeting up with the British ships, the two French vessels had taken some eight prizes. The action resulted in the award in 1847, to any surviving claimants, of the Naval General Service Medal with clasps "Venerable 16 Jany 1814" and "Cyane 16 Jany. 1814".

''Venerable'' was able to locate ''Iphigénie'' because Commander Ducrest de Villeneuve of ''Alcmène'' was so angry at Captain Émeric, who was the senior French commander, for not having come alongside ''Venerable'' on the other side also to board, that he essentially revealed the rendezvous instructions to Admiral Durham. (''Venerable'' was Durham's flagship). When some prisoners from ''Iphigénie''s crew were brought on ''Venerable'', crew from ''Alcmène'' too were enraged. Durham had to station Royal Marines between them, with fixed bayonets, to prevent fighting from breaking out.

Fate

The Royal Navy never commissioned ''Alcmène''. The Admiralty initially named her ''Dunira''. On 8 July, Lieutenant Edward Boys, formerly of ''Venerable'', was confirmed in command of ''Dunira'', but was put on half-pay in September. Then on 8 November the Admiralty renamed her ''Immortalite''.

''Immortalite'' became a receiving ship at Portsmouth in March 1822. She may have served for a while in the Quarantine Service at Standgate Creek.
She was sold in January 1837 to a Mr. W. Goldsworthy for £1,610.

Notes

Citations

References

*James, William & Frederick Chamier (1837) ''The naval history of Great Britain : from the declaration of war by France in 1793 to the accession of George IV''. (London: R. Bentley).
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* O'Byrne, William Richard (1849), ''Naval Biographical Dictionary''
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Alcmene (1811)
Frigates of the Royal Navy
1811 ships
Ships built in France
Captured ships