''Pandour'' was a French a 14-gun
gun-brig
A gun-brig was a small brig-rigged warship that enjoyed popularity in the Royal Navy during the Napoleonic Wars, during which large numbers were purchased or built. In general these were vessels of under 200 tons burthen, and thus smaller than ...
launched in 1780 as a cutter. 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 ...
captured her in December 1795 and took her into service as ''Pandora'' (or ''Pandour''), but she foundered in June 1797.
French service and capture
Jacques and Daniel Denys built ''Pandour'' as a cutter at Dunkirk in 1780 and launched her on 16 June. She took part in the
Battle of Fort Royal on 29 April and 30 April 1781.
In 1782 she was re-rigged as a brig at
Brest
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**Brest Region
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. In 1786, she was attached to a division comprising
''Experiment'',
''Boulonnaise'' and
''Rossignol'', cruising off the coasts of Africa.
From 1787 to 1790, she was in the Far-East.
In 1792 she was under the command of Lieutenant Bertrand de Keranguen. His successor in 1793 as commander was
enseigne de vaisseau non-entretenu Hardouin, later promoted to ''lieutenant de vaisseau''. ''Pandour'' was based out of Dunkirk and cruised in the North Sea, going as far as Bergen.
captured ''Pandour'' on 1 December 1795. ''Caroline'' was part of Admiral Lord
Duncan's squadron in the North Sea and when two strange vessels were spotted, Duncan signaled to ''Caroline'' to pursue. After about four and half hours and some ''pro forma'' exchange of fire, ''Caroline'' captured ''Pandour'' of fourteen 6-pounder guns and 108 men. She was three days out of Dunkirk. The other French vessel escaped while ''Caroline'' was securing her prisoners. The second vessel was the ''Septnie'', of twelve 4-pounder guns. When prize money was awarded, ''Caroline'' shared it with the other ships of the squadron.
British service and loss
The Royal Navy had ''Pandora'' fitted and coppered at Deptford between January 1796 and 6 May. Lieutenant Samuel Mason commissioned ''Pandora'' in September. She disappeared in the North Sea in June 1797, and was presumed to have foundered with the loss of all hands.
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Pandour (1780)
1780 ships
Brigs of the Royal Navy
Captured ships
Maritime incidents in 1797
Ships built in France
Brigs of the French Navy
Missing ships
Warships lost with all hands
Shipwrecks in the North Sea
Cutters of the French Navy
Mutin-class cutters