French ship Solitaire (1774)

Edit links
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

History
French Royal Navy EnsignFrance
NameSolitaire
Launched22 October 1774
Captured6 December 1782, by Royal Navy
Royal Navy EnsignGreat Britain
NameSolitaire
Acquired6 December 1782
FateSold, 1790
General characteristics [2]
Class and typeSolitaire class ship of the line
Tons burthen1521 tons
Length51 metres [1]
Beam13.2 metres [1]
Draught6.4 metres [1]
PropulsionSails
Sail planFull-rigged ship
Armament

Solitaire was a

third rate
HMS Solitaire. She was sold out of the Navy in 1790.

Career

In 1776, Solitaire was under

Chef d'Escadre Chartres as flagship of one of the three division of the Escadre d'évolution that year.[4] In June, she collided with Terpsichore and both ships had to repair in Cadiz.[5][6]

In 1778, Solitaire was part of the Third Division of the Blue squadron in the fleet of Orvilliers,[7] and took part in the Battle of Ushant on 27 July 1778 under Captain Briqueville.[8][5]

In 1779, she was part of a division under Louis Augustin de Monteclerc, also comprising the frigates Inconstante and Surveillante, and led an expedition to hunt down privateers. The division returned to Brest on 4 May 1779 with 400 prisoners.[9] Later that year, Solitaire was attached to a squadron under Orvilliers.[9][10]

She took part in the Battle of Fort Royal on 29 April 1781 under Cicé-Champion.[11]

Solitaire was part of a squadron that comprised Triton, Résolue, Nymphe, and the brig Speedy. The French squadron sailed on 24 November 1782 from Saint-Pierre, Martinique.[12]

After a dark night, Solitaire, Captain de Borda, found herself in the morning close to a squadron of eight British ships under the command of Rear-Admiral Sir Richard Hughes, which was on its way from Gibraltar. The English gave chase and Solitaire sailed to delay them and give the rest of the French squadron a chance to escape.[12]

At 12:30 and engagement developed between Solitaire and

strike. Speedy was captured in the same action,[13] after a vigorous defence. In the action, her captain, Ribiers, was killed, together with a large part of her crew.[12] Among the crew members taken prisoners was the young Swedish naval officer Johan Herman Schützercrantz, who would later become a rear admiral in Swedish service.[14]

Citations

  1. ^ a b c d Roche, vol.1, p.86
  2. ^ Lavery, Ships of the Line vol.1. p182.
  3. ^ Binet (1911). "La construction du vaisseau de 100 canons "La Bretagne"". Annales de Bretagne et des pays de l'Ouest. 27–2: 218. Retrieved 12 April 2020.
  4. ^ Lacour-Gayet (1905), p. 80-81.
  5. ^ a b Roche (2005), p. 419.
  6. ^ Roche (2005), p. 433.
  7. ^ Lacour-Gayet (1905), p. 618.
  8. ^ Académie de Marine (2011), p. 2.
  9. ^ a b Contenson (1934), p. 228.
  10. ^ Troude (1867), p. 32.
  11. ^ Troude (1867), p. 102.
  12. ^ a b c Guérin (1857), Vol. 5, p.124.
  13. ^ Troude (1865), Vol. 2, p.212.
  14. OCLC 1414856625
    .

References

External links

  • Académie de Marine (2011). "BRIQUEVILLE" (PDF). Académie de Marine. Retrieved 16 May 2020.


Stub icon

This article about a ship of the line of the United Kingdom is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=French_ship_Solitaire_(1774)&oldid=1212638303"