Virginie class frigate
Encyclopedia
The Virginie class was a class of ten 44-gun frigates of the French Navy
, designed in 1793 by Jacques-Noël Sané
. An eleventh vessel (Zephyr) begun in 1794 was never completed.
French Navy
The French Navy, officially the Marine nationale and often called La Royale is the maritime arm of the French military. It includes a full range of fighting vessels, from patrol boats to a nuclear powered aircraft carrier and 10 nuclear-powered submarines, four of which are capable of launching...
, designed in 1793 by Jacques-Noël Sané
Jacques-Noël Sané
Jacques-Noël Sané was a French naval engineer, one of the most successful shipbuilders of the Age of Sail.Sané studied under Duhamel du Monceau...
. An eleventh vessel (Zephyr) begun in 1794 was never completed.
- Virginie
- Builder: Brest
- Begun: November 1793
- Launched: 26 July 1794
- Completed: December 1794
- Fate: Captured by the British Navy on 22 April 1796, becoming HMS Virginie.
- CourageuseFrench frigate Justice (1794)The Justice was a Virginie class frigate of the French Navy, originally built and completed as Courageuse in 1794, but renamed Justice in April 1795....
- Builder: Brest
- Begun: December 1793
- Launched: early August 1794
- Completed: December 1794
- Fate: Renamed Justice April 1795. Captured by the British Navy in September 1801, but not added to Royal Navy; instead, handed over to the Turkish Navy.
- HarmonieFrench frigate Harmonie (1796)The Harmonie was a 44-gun Virginie class frigate of the French Navy.She was beached and scuttled by fire at Saint Domingue on 16 April 1797 to avoid captured by HMS Thunderer and HMS Valiant-References :...
- Builder: Bordeaux
- Begun: May 1794
- Launched: early 1796
- Completed: May 1796
- Fate: Beached and burnt to avoid capture by the British Navy in April 1797.
- VolontaireFrench frigate Volontaire (1796)The Volontaire was a 44-gun Virginie class frigate of the French Navy.She took part in the Atlantic campaign of 1806, and was captured by HMS Diadem in March 1806. She was brought into Royal Navy service as HMS Volontaire....
- Builder: Bordeaux
- Begun: September 1794
- Launched: 7 June 1796
- Completed: 1796
- Fate: Captured by the British Navy on 4 March 1806, becoming HMS Volontaire.
- CornélieFrench frigate Cornélie (1797)The Cornélie was a 44-gun Virginie class frigate of the French Navy.In April 1799, along with Vengeance and Sémillante, she fought against HMS St Fiorenzo and Amelia....
- Builder: Brest
- Begun: March 1794
- Launched: 19 September 1796
- Completed: April 1798
- Fate: Captured by the Spanish Navy in June 1808, becoming Spanish Cornelia.
- Zéphyr
- Builder: Brest
- Begun: March 1794
- Fate: Construction abandoned in April 1804 (never launched).
- Didon
- Builder: Saint Malo
- Begun: September 1796
- Launched: 1 August 1799
- Completed: September 1800
- Fate: Captured by the British Navy on 10 August 1805, becoming HMS Didon.
- AtalanteFrench frigate Atalante (1802)The Atalante was a 44-gun Virginie class frigate of the French Navy.Launched in 1802, she cruised in the Indian Ocean under capitaine de frégate Gaudin, in the squadron under the command of Rear Admiral Charles-Alexandre Léon Durand Linois...
- Builder: Saint Malo
- Begun: September 1799
- Launched: 29 June 1802
- Completed: July 1802
- Fate: Wrecked in November 1805.
- RhinFrench frigate Rhin (1802)Rhin was a 44-gun Virginie-class frigate of the French Navy launched in 1802. She was present at two major battles while in French service. Then the Royal Navy captured her in 1806. Thereafter Rhin served until 1815 capturing numerous vessels. After the end of the Napoleonic Wars she was laid up...
- Builder: Toulon
- Begun: June 1801
- Launched: 15 April 1802
- Completed: October 1802
- Fate: Captured by the British Navy on 27 July 1806, becoming HMS Rhin.
- Belle Poule
- Builder: Basse-Indre
- Begun: June 1801
- Launched: 17 April 1802
- Completed: September 1802
- Fate: Captured by the British Navy on 13 March 1806, becoming HMS Belle Poule.
- SurveillanteFrench frigate Surveillante (1802)The Surveillante entered service as a 40-gun Virginie class frigate of the French Navy. She was surrendered to the British in 1803, after which she served in the Royal Navy, classed under the British system as a 38 gun vessel, until 1814 when she was decommissioned...
- Builder: Basse-Indre
- Begun: July 1801
- Launched: 29 May 1802
- Completed: December 1802
- Fate: Captured by the British Navy on 30 November 1803, becoming HMS Surveillante.