''Libre'' was a of the
French Navy. She was
commissioned in 1800 and remained in active service until the
Royal Navy captured her in 1805.
Career
''Libre'' was built at
Le Havre, launched in 1796, and
commissioned there on 24 December 1800 under Commander
Bourdet.
[Quintin, p.81] She sailed from Le Havre in March 1801 in the company of towards
Cherbourg
Cherbourg (; , , ), nrf, Chèrbourg, ) is a former commune and subprefecture located at the northern end of the Cotentin peninsula in the northwestern French department of Manche. It was merged into the commune of Cherbourg-Octeville on 28 Feb ...
, then
Cadiz and
A Coruña,
before cruising to Saint-Domingue and into the North Sea.
From September to December 1803 she was stationed at the mouth of the River
Meuse.
On 24 December 1805,
HMS ''Egyptienne'' and
HMS ''Loire'' captured her north-west of
Rochefort
Rochefort () may refer to:
Places France
* Rochefort, Charente-Maritime, in the Charente-Maritime department
** Arsenal de Rochefort, a former naval base and dockyard
* Rochefort, Savoie in the Savoie department
* Rochefort-du-Gard, in the Ga ...
, near the "Phare de Baleines" (Lighthouse of the Whales) on the
Île de Ré. ''Libre'' suffered two killed and 18 wounded, including her captain, Commander Deschorches. ''Loire'' had no casualties but ''Egyptienne'' had eight men wounded, one mortally.
By British report, ''Libre'' was armed with twenty-four 18-pounders (which had replaced her originally-planned 24-pounders), six 36-pounder
obusiers and ten 9-pounder guns.
[ ''Libre'' was badly damaged and lost her masts soon after she struck.][''Lloyd's List'', no.428]
accessed 17 February 2014. ''Loire'' then took her in tow and reached Plymouth with her on 4 January 1806. The British did not take ''Libre'' into Royal Navy service.
Notes, citations, and references
Notes
Citations
References
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Libre (1796)
Age of Sail frigates of France
Romaine-class frigates
1796 ships
Ships built in France