''Protée'' was an 64-gun

ship of the line A ship of the line was a type of naval warship constructed during the Age of Sail from the 17th century to the mid-19th century. The ship of the line was designed for the naval tactic known as the line of battle, which depended on the two colu ...

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 th ...

, launched in 1772.

Career

On 16 February 1780, ''Protée'' departed

Lorient Lorient (; ) is a town ('' commune'') and seaport in the Morbihan department of Brittany in western France. History Prehistory and classical antiquity Beginning around 3000 BC, settlements in the area of Lorient are attested by the presen ...

escorting a

convoy A convoy is a group of vehicles, typically motor vehicles or ships, traveling together for mutual support and protection. Often, a convoy is organized with armed defensive support and can help maintain cohesion within a unit. It may also be use ...

bound for India, with troops and ammunition. ''Protée'', under Captain

Charles Louis du Chilleau de La Roche Charles Louis du Chilleau de La Roche ( Fontenay, 26 May 1738 — Paris, 21 August 1825) was a French Navy officer. Biography On 6 April 1778, with the rank of Lieutenant, Du Chilleau de La Roche had command of the frigate 32-gun frigate ''Dil ...

was the

flagship A flagship is a vessel used by the commanding officer of a group of naval ships, characteristically a flag officer entitled by custom to fly a distinguishing flag. Used more loosely, it is the lead ship in a fleet of vessels, typically the f ...

of the convoy. On 23 February, off Spain, the convoy met Rodney's fleet. Hopelessly outnumbered and outgunned, ''Protée'' struck while ''Charmante'' returned to Lorient, arriving there on 3 March. Three merchantmen were also captured. Court-martialled for the loss of his ship, Duchilleau was honourably acquitted. ''Protée'' was commissioned in the Royal Navy as the

third rate In the rating system of the Royal Navy, a third rate was a ship of the line which from the 1720s mounted between 64 and 80 guns, typically built with two gun decks (thus the related term two-decker). Years of experience proved that the thir ...

HMS ''Prothee''. She saw action on 12 April 1782 against a huge French fleet at the

Battle of the Saintes The Battle of the Saintes (known to the French as the Bataille de la Dominique), also known as the Battle of Dominica, was an important naval battle in the Caribbean between the British and the French that took place 9–12 April 1782. The Brit ...

under the command of Captain Buckner. She was converted to serve as a

prison ship A prison ship, often more accurately described as a prison hulk, is a current or former seagoing vessel that has been modified to become a place of substantive detention for convicts, prisoners of war or civilian internees. While many nati ...

in 1799, and

broken up Ship-breaking (also known as ship recycling, ship demolition, ship dismantling, or ship cracking) is a type of ship disposal involving the breaking up of ships for either a source of parts, which can be sold for re-use, or for the extraction ...

in 1815. Eight of her small cannons were purchased by

John Manners, 5th Duke of Rutland John Henry Manners, 5th Duke of Rutland Order of the Garter, KG (4 January 177820 January 1857), styled Lord Roos from 1778 until 1779 and Marquess of Granby from 1779 until 1787, was a British landowner as well as an owner and breeder of Thorou ...

and are currently at

Belvoir Castle Belvoir Castle ( ) is a faux historic castle and stately home in Leicestershire, England, situated west of the town of Grantham and northeast of Melton Mowbray. The Castle was first built immediately after the Norman Conquest of 1066 and ...

, Leicestershire. The cannon are still fired on special occasions, such as weddings and the Duke's birthday.

Notes

References

* . * . * (1671-1870) * Protee (1772) Ships of the line of the Royal Navy 1772 ships Artésien-class ships of the line Prison ships {{UK-line-ship-stub