HMS Renard (1797)

HMS ''Renard'' was the French privateer ''Renard'', launched in 1797, that captured in the Channel that same year. The Royal Navy took her into service under her existing name and she participated in some notable engagements on the Jamaica station before the Navy sold her in 1809.

Capture

''Cerberus'' was on the Irish station when on 12 and 14 November 1797 she captured two French privateers, the ''Epervier'' and the ''Renard''. Both vessels were pierced for 20 guns, were copper-bottomed, quite new, and fast sailers. ''Renard'' carried eighteen 6-pounders and had a crew of 189 men. ''Lloyd's List'' reported ''Cerberus''s capture of two privateers, one of 30 guns and one of 18, and the arrival of both at Cork. The Royal Navy took both into service, though it never actually commissioned , which was frequently listed as ''Epervoir''.

Career

''Renard'' arrived in Plymouth on 12 January 1799. She sat there for six months, finally undergoing fitting between July 1799 and January 1800. While undergoing fitting she may have received additional cannons and extensive upperworks to hold them. There is some question though whether she in fact received the additional armament and upperworks (see below). Commander Peter Spicer commissioned ''Renard'' in August 1799 for the Channel.

''Renard'' shared in the recapture of the brig ''Defiance'' on 13 December 1800 with ''Suffisante'', , and the hired armed cutter ''Swift'' (2). Twelve days later, ''Renard'' and ''Spitfire'' captured the Danish galliot ''Palmboom'' (or ''Palm Baum''). Then on 29 December ''Renard'' captured ''Neptunus''.

In April 1801 Commander James A. Worth replaced Spicer. ''Renard'', , and ''Suffisante'' were in company for the recapture of the brig ''William'' on 3 April 1801. On 1 April a French privateer ''Renard'' had captured ''William'', Wedland, master, which had been sailing from Bristol to Newfoundland. ''Dasher'' sent ''William'' into Plymouth. Also on 3 April, ''Renard'', ''Suffisante'', and shared in the recapture of the brig ''Swan''.

''Renard'' and ''Spitfire'' shared in the capture on 24 April of ''Prince Hendrich''. The next day they captured ''Prince Frederick Van Prussia''.

In May 1802 Commander Charles M. Gregory assumed command, and that same month sailed ''Renard'' for the Leeward Islands. Commander Robert Pearson replaced Gregory, only to be himself replaced in October by Commander William Cathcart. Reports in ''Lloyd's List'' of ship arrivals and departures make it clear that between 1803 and 1804 ''Renard'' convoyed vessels between Britain and the Leeward Islands.

Cathcart received promotion to post captain in June 1804 and with it command of ''Clorinde'', however he died of yellow fever before fully taking command. His replacement on ''Renard'' was Commander Jeremiah Coghlan.

On 20 March 1805 ''Renard'' was at when she sighted a ship to the north-west. ''Renard'' gave chase and as she approached, her quarry shortened sail and made ready to engage. At 2:20 p.m., ''Renard'' opened fire. After 35 minutes, the French vessel appeared to be on fire, and ten minutes later she exploded. ''Renard'' lowered a boat and was able to rescue 55 men, all the rest of the 160 men aboard having perished. She had been under the command of Paul Gerard Pointe, and was seven days out of Basseterre. She had intended to intercept the homeward-bound Jamaica fleet. The survivors reported that their vessel was the ''Général Ernouf''. ''Général Ernouf'' was the former HMS ''Lily''. Prior to the explosion, ''Général Ernouf'' had 20-30 men killed and wounded; ''Renard'' had only nine wounded.

Earlier, ''Renard'' captured ''Eugene'', which had been sailing from Bordeaux to New Orleans, and sent her into Jamaica.

On 11 October, ''Renard'', after a long chase and some firing, captured the French privateer schooner ''Bellona'' (or ''Bellone'') on the north side of San Domingo. ''Bellona'' was armed with four guns and had a crew of 50 men. She was seven days out of Barracona and had taken an American brig. Coghlan reported that ''Bellona'' was only four months old and was considered the fastest sailer out of Cuba. It is possible that this ''Bellona'' was the vessel that captured the American schooner ''Hiram'', of New York, Fusson, master, that recaptured.

A French privateer captured, on 21 February 1806, the sloop ''James'' and the schooner ''Betsey'', both of which were sailing from Calabash Bay to Kingston. The privateer also captured ''Hard Times'', Banee, master, which was sailing from Black River to Kingston. ''Renard'' recaptured all three.

On 28 May 1806 ''Renard'' captured the French navy brig ''Diligent'' (or ''Diligente''), after a 64-hour-long chase. French records report that the capture took place in the Puerto Rico channel. She had sailed from Concarneau to Cayenne, and was cruising in the Antilles prior to her capture by the English sloop "Fox". ''Diligent'', under the command of ''lieutenant de vaisseau'' Vincent Thévenard, was armed with fourteen 6-pounders and two 32-pounder brass carronades, and carried a crew of 125 men. She was seven days out of Pointe a Petre, Guadeloupe, with dispatches for France that she succeeded in throwing overboard while ''Renard'' was chasing her. She was coppered and copper fastened, and Coghlan believed only three years old. ''Diligente'' arrived at Jamaica on 3 June. Vice-Admiral Dacres had her purchased and commissioned as .

Thévenard had surrendered his ship without a shot being fired by either side. When taken on board ''Renard'', her smallness surprised him and he requested to return to his ship to continue the fight. Coghlan naturally laughed at this request. Thévenard then asked that Coghlan award him a certificate stating that he had not acted in a cowardly manner. Coghlan replied "No, I cannot do that; but I will give you one that shall specify you have acted 'prudently'!"

In July or August 1807 Coghlan transferred to . It is not clear who replaced him as commander of ''Renard''.

On 1 October 1807 ''Renard'' captured the Danish vessel ''Peder and Anna''. Within five days the sloop-of-war ''Renard'' had arrived at Deal, together with three other vessels, all four coming from Honduras.

Fate

In December 1808 the Commissioners of the Navy offered "His Majesty's sloops ...''Renard''..." for sale at Sheerness. The Commissioners continued advertising her availability into May 1809, suggesting that she sold soon after that.

Citations

References

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Renard (1797)
Sloops of the Royal Navy
1797 ships
Captured ships
Privateer ships of France