''Hermione'' was a 40-gun 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 ...

launched in 1804 and wrecked in 1808. Ordered by the

Italian Republic Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical re ...

as a gift to

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan area ...

under the name ''République Italienne'', she was renamed ''Hermione'' on 26 December 1803. She was launched in December 1804. Under Captain

Jean-Michel Mahé Jean-Michel Mahé (12 October 1776, in Carhaix – 20 February 1833, in Nantes) was a French Navy officer and captain. Career Mahé started his career in the merchant Navy in 1789, and became an Midshipman in the Navy on 16 April 1794. He serve ...

, she took part in the capture of the

Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by English and Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were fought in the Hundred Years' War against ...

18-gun sloop-of-war in May 1805, the Battle of Cape Finisterre on 22 July 1805, the

Battle of Trafalgar The Battle of Trafalgar (21 October 1805) was a naval engagement between the British Royal Navy and the combined fleets of the French and Spanish Navies during the War of the Third Coalition (August–December 1805) of the Napoleonic Wars (180 ...

on 21 October 1805, and

Lamellerie's expedition Lamellerie's expedition was a French naval operation launched in February 1806. Four French Navy frigates and a brig, all survivors of the Battle of Trafalgar in October 1805, attempted to break past the British blockade of Cadiz on 23 February 1 ...

of February–July 1806. In late 1807, she was part of a division under

Rear-Admiral Rear admiral is a senior naval flag officer rank, equivalent to a major general and air vice marshal and above that of a commodore and captain, but below that of a vice admiral. It is regarded as a two star "admiral" rank. It is often regarde ...

François-André Baudin, ferrying troops to

Martinique Martinique ( , ; gcf, label=Martinican Creole, Matinik or ; Kalinago: or ) is an island and an overseas department/region and single territorial collectivity of France. An integral part of the French Republic, Martinique is located in ...

. ''Hermione'' was wrecked in Iroise on 18 August 1808.Fond Marine, p.367 Her wreck was discovered in 1972.

References

Citations

Sources

* * Fonds Marine. Campagnes (opérations ; divisions et stations navales ; missions diverses). Inventaire de la sous-série Marine BB4. Tome deuxième : BB4 1 à 482 (1790–1826

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hermione (1804) Age of Sail frigates of France Hortense-class frigates 1804 ships Maritime incidents in 1808 Shipwrecks in the Bay of Biscay