French Frigate Sirène (1795)

The ''Sirène'' was a 40-gun ''Coquille'' class frigate of the French Navy. She took part in a number of campaigns and actions before she was badly damaged in a battle on 22 March 1808. Refloated after being beached to avoid capture, she was hulked. ''Sirène'' was broken up in 1825.

French Revolutionary Wars

Begun as ''Fidèle'', she was commissioned as ''Sirène'' in May 1795 under Lieutenant Charles Berrenger. She took part in the Expédition d'Irlande.

On 17 December ''Sirène'' and the were sailing to France from Cayenne when they were able to capture the East Indiaman ''Calcutta'' off Madeira. Later that morning the three encountered and , which were escorting the West India convoy from Cork. ''Glenmore'' recaptured ''Calcutta'' while ''Aimable'' engaged ''Sirène'' and ''Bergère''. A 35-minute action ensued before the two French vessels departed. ''Sirène'' had as prisoners Captain Haggy, ''Calcutta''s master, her first and second mates, and 50 of her lascars and seamen. ''Calcutta'' arrived in Plymouth on 12 January 1800.

Napoleonic wars

On 8 June 1805 ''Sirène'' was part of a Franco-Spanish fleet under Admiral Villeneuve, which intercepted a homeward-bound convoy of 15 merchant vessels under the escort of the frigate and the schooner or sloop . The two British warships managed to escape, but Villeneuve's fleet captured the entire convoy, valued at some five million pounds. Villeneuve sent the convoy to Guadeloupe under ''Sirène''s escort. However, as she was escorting the prizes, she encountered several British frigates. She escaped after burning the merchantmen.

''Sirène'' took part in the Battle of Cape Finisterre on 22 July 1805. In March of the following year, she took part in an expedition to destroy English whaling ships.

On 2 August 1806 ''Sirène'', ''capitaine de frégate'' Le Duc, and , ''capitaine de frégate'' Lambert, captured the Greenland whalers , Swan, master, and ''Blenheim'', Welburn, master, both of and for Hull. The French burnt their captures. ''Sirène'' also captured two other whalers, ''Lion'', of Liverpool, and ''Molly'', of Hull.

In March 1808, ''Sirène'', under Guy-Victor Duperré, and the 44-gun , under Captain Hugues Méquet, ferried troops to Martinique.

In early 1808 ''Sirène'' and were returning to France from Martinique when they encountered, captured, and destroyed three British merchantmen, , ''Sarah King'', and ''Windham''. The French put the crews on ''Sofia'', Delaney, master, of and for New York, which brought the crews into Plymouth on 26 March. ''Sofia'' had been coming from Belfast.

On 22 March ''Sirène'' and ''Italienne'' encountered a British squadron comprising the 74-gun HMS ''Impetueux'' (Captain John Lawford) and HMS ''Saturn'', as well as the frigates HMS ''Aigle'' (Captain George Wolfe) and HMS ''Narcissus'', which chased them. It seemed at first that the French squadron would easily beat the British to Lorient, but as they closed to shore, the wind became too weak and the frigates had to be taken in tow by their boats. By the time wind had returned, ''Impetueux'' and ''Aigle'' had closed so much that Duperré deemed it impossible to reach Lorient before being caught, and he decided to seek the support of the batteries at Groix. At 20:30, ''Sirène'' was taken in a cross-fire of ''Aigle'', which sailed between her and shore, and ''Impetueux'' on the other side. The gunnery exchange lasted one hour and a quarter, after which the British withdrew. Fearing that the British would attack again before he could moor ''Sirène'' in a strong defensive position, Duperré beached her at Pointe des Chats, under the Lacroix battery. ''Sirène'' was refloated on 26 March, and rejoined ''Italienne'' in Lorient harbour. This action was immortalised by a painting by Pierre-Julien Gilbert. In British literature, ''Sirène'' is sometimes mistaken for ''Seine''.''Naval history of Great Britain'', vol. V
p.26

Fate

Too badly damaged to be repaired, ''Sirène'' was used as a hulk in Lorient. She was broken up in 1825.

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Sirene
Coquille-class frigates
1795 ships
Ships built in France