''Actionnaire'' was a 64-gun ship of the line of the

French Navy The French Navy (french: Marine nationale, lit=National Navy), informally , is the maritime arm of the French Armed Forces and one of the five military service branches of France. It is among the largest and most powerful naval forces in t ...

. Originally built for the

French East India Company The French East India Company (french: Compagnie française pour le commerce des Indes orientales) was a colonial commercial enterprise, founded on 1 September 1664 to compete with the English (later British) and Dutch trading companies in th ...

, she was purchased by the Navy and saw service during the

War of American Independence The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was a major war of the American Revolution. Widely considered as the war that secured the independence of t ...

Career

''Actionnaire'' was built for the

at Lorient, and entered service for her first commercial journey in 1767. She did a commercial journey to

Puducherry Puducherry or Pondicherry may refer to: * Puducherry (union territory), a union territory of India ** Pondicherry, capital of the union territory of Puducherry ** Puducherry district, a district of the union territory of Puducherry ** Puducherry t ...

, departing Lorient on 12 March 1768 and returning on 30 October 1769. After the collapse of the Company, the French Navy purchased in April 1770. She did another commercial journey in 1771, and was later recommissioned as a 68-gun ship of the line. In 1778, ''Actionnaire'' was part of the squadron under Orvilliers, being the lead ship in the Third Division of the White Squadron (centre). Her commanding officer was Captain Proisy. From 1779, she was under Captain Gilart de Larchantel. In 1780, she was part of Guichen's squadron, and she took part in the Battle of Martinique on 17 April 1780, as well as in the actions of 15 May and 19 May 1780. Larchantel died at Saint-Domingue on 21 January 1781. On 17 July 1781, command of ''Actionnaire'' was given to Marigny. On 20 April 1782, ''Actionnaire'' was armed

en flûte ''En flûte'' (French: "as a fluyt") is a French naval expression of the Age of Sail to designate the use of a warship as a transport with reduced armament.Willaumez, p. 294 Some warships, ships of the line or frigates, were occasionally used wit ...

, under Captain Kerangal, and was part of a convoy commanded by Soulanges, with his flag on the 74-gun ''Protecteur'', along with the ship and the frigates and . A 12-ship and 4-frigate British squadron intercepted, and in the subsequent

Third Battle of Ushant Third or 3rd may refer to: Numbers * 3rd, the ordinal form of the cardinal number 3 * , a fraction of one third * 1⁄60 of a ''second'', or 1⁄3600 of a ''minute'' Places * 3rd Street (disambiguation) * Third Avenue (disambiguation) * Hig ...

, and captured ''Pégase'' and four transports. ''Actionnaire'' retreated, but the 80-gun ''Foudroyant'' gave chase and caught up with her in the evening. ''Actionnaire'' fired a token broadside and struck her colours.

Sources and references

Notes References Bibliography * * * * * External links * {{DEFAULTSORT:Actionnaire (1770) Ships of the line of the French Navy 1770 ships