French corvette Republicaine (1795)

The French corvette Républicaine (AKA Republican and Republique) was a merchant ship launched in 1793 that the French Navy requisitioned in 1795 at Grenada. On 14 October 1795 Mermaid captured her in the Leeward Islands. The Royal Navy took Republicaine into service as HMS Republican (or Republicaine), a lugger of 18 guns. It is not clear that Republican was ever commissioned. The Navy sold her at Grenada in 1803.

For other ships with the same name, see French ship Républicaine and French ship Républicain.

Républicaine

History
France
Name:	Républicaine
Builder:	Le Havre[1]
Launched:	1793[1]
Acquired:	1795 by requisition
Captured:	October 1795
UK
Name:	Republican
Acquired:	by capture October 1795
Fate:	Sold 1803
General characteristics [2][3]
Tons burthen:	200 (bm)
Complement:	French service:10 officers and 240 men[4] British service:100
Armament:	French service: 18 x 4 or 6-pounder[4] guns British service: 18 guns

French service

On 5 September 1794, Esther, Devonish, master, encountered Républicaine, which Devonish described as being armed with twenty 6-pounder guns and 18 swivel guns, and having a crew of 100-150 men.[Note 1] At 5p.m. a four-hour engagement commenced, that resumed the next morning, when after two-and-a-half hours Républicaine withdrew. Esther had one man fatally wounded, her mate, out of a crew of 18 men and three boys.[5]

Capture

On 10 October 1795 Mermaid captured the 10-gun French brig Brutus off Grenada.[6] Brutus had been in the company of a ship, which temporarily escaped. However, on 14 October Mermaid was able to find and capture the ship after a fight of half an hour that cost Mermaid one man killed and three men wounded. The French ship was the French corvette Républicaine, and she was armed with eighteen guns. She had some 250-260 men aboard at the start of the action, one of whom was a French general, with his staff, on his way to take command of Grenada. In the action, the French lost 20 men killed and some wounded.[6] Zebra shared by agreement.[7] The Royal Navy took Républicaine into service as HMS Republican.[2]

Notes, citations and references

Notes

1. Although this engagement occurred before the French Navy acquired Républicaine, Powell identifies Républicaine as the vessel the Royal Navy later captured.[5] She may have been a privateer at the time.

Citations

1. Roche (2005), p.378.
2. Winfield and Roberts (2015), p. 178.
3. Winfield (2008), p.356.
4. Demerliac (2004), n°507, p. 86.
5. Powell (1930), pp.333-4.
6. "No. 13849". The London Gazette. 2 January 1796. p. 9.
7. "No. 15205". The London Gazette. 19 November 1799. p. 1201.

References

• Demerliac, Alain (2004). La Marine de la Révolution: Nomenclature des Navires Français de 1792 A 1799 (in French). Éditions Ancre. ISBN 2-906381-24-1.
• Powell, John Williams Darmer (1930) Bristol privateers and ships of war. (Bristol: J.W. Arrowsmith).
• Roche, Jean-Michel (2005) Dictionnaire des Bâtiments de la Flotte de Guerre Française de Colbert à nos Jours. (Group Retozel-Maury Millau).
• Winfield, Rif (2008). British Warships in the Age of Sail 1793–1817: Design, Construction, Careers and Fates. Seaforth. ISBN 1-86176-246-1.
• Winfield, Rif & Stephen S Roberts (2015) French Warships in the Age of Sail 1786 - 1861: Design Construction, Careers and Fates. (Seaforth Publishing). ISBN 9781848322042