Solitaire was a 64-gun ship of the line of the French Navy, built by Antoine Groignard[3] and launched in 1774, lead ship of her class. She was captured by the Royal Navy on 6 December 1782, and commissioned as the third rate HMS Solitaire. She was sold out of the Navy in 1790.
| History | |
|---|---|
.svg){kind=small} France | |
| Name | Solitaire |
| Launched | 22 October 1774 |
| Captured | 6 December 1782, by Royal Navy |
.svg){kind=small} Great Britain | |
| Name | Solitaire |
| Acquired | 6 December 1782 |
| Fate | Sold, 1790 |
| General characteristics [1] | |
| Class and type | Solitaire class ship of the line |
| Tons burthen | 1521 tons |
| Length | 51 metres [2] |
| Beam | 13.2 metres [2] |
| Draught | 6.4 metres [2] |
| Propulsion | Sails |
| Sail plan | Full-rigged ship |
| Armament | |
Career
editIn 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 HMS Ruby. As another British vessel approached Solitaire had to 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
edit- ^ Lavery, Ships of the Line vol.1. p182.
- ^ a b c d Roche, vol.1, p.86
- ^ 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.
- ^ Lacour-Gayet (1905), p. 80-81.
- ^ a b Roche (2005), p. 419.
- ^ Roche (2005), p. 433.
- ^ Lacour-Gayet (1905), p. 618.
- ^ Académie de Marine (2011), p. 2.
- ^ a b Contenson (1934), p. 228.
- ^ Troude (1867), p. 32.
- ^ Troude (1867), p. 102.
- ^ a b c Guérin (1857), Vol. 5, p.124.
- ^ Troude (1865), Vol. 2, p.212.
- ^ Benson, Adolph B. (1926). Sweden and the American Revolution. New Haven: Tuttle, Morehouse & Taylor. p. 117. OCLC 1414856625.
References
edit- Contenson, Ludovic (1934). La Société des Cincinnati de France et la guerre d'Amérique (1778-1783). Paris: éditions Auguste Picard. OCLC 7842336.
- Guérin, Léon (1857). Histoire maritime de France (in French). Vol. 5. Dufour et Mulat.
- Lacour-Gayet, Georges (1905). La marine militaire de la France sous le règne de Louis XVI. Paris: Honoré Champion. pp. 431–434.
- Lavery, Brian (2003). The Ship of the Line - Volume 1: The development of the battlefleet 1650–1850. Conway Maritime Press. ISBN 0-85177-252-8.
- Roche, Jean-Michel (2005). Dictionnaire des bâtiments de la flotte de guerre française de Colbert à nos jours 1 1671 - 1870. p. 48. ISBN 978-2-9525917-0-6. OCLC 165892922.
- Troude, Onésime-Joachim (1867). Batailles navales de la France (in French). Vol. 2. Challamel ainé.
External links
edit- Académie de Marine (2011). "BRIQUEVILLE" (PDF). Académie de Marine. Retrieved 16 May 2020.
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