French corvette Sylphe (1804)

Sylphe was an Abeille-class 16-gun brig-corvette of the French Navy. The class was built to a design by François Pestel. The British captured her in 1807 and took her into the Royal Navy as HMS Seagull, but apparently never used her in any capacity. She was sold in 1814.

For other ships with the same name, see French ship Sylphe and HMS Seagull.

Sylphe
1/36 scale model of Cygne, sister-ship of Sylphe, on display at the Musée national de la Marine in Paris
History
France
Name: Sylphe
Namesake: Sylph
Ordered: 7 March 1803
Builder: Pierre-Joseph Pénétraut, Dunkirk[1]
Laid down: 10 June 1803
Launched: 9 July 1804
Captured: 18 August 1808
UK
Name: Seagull
Acquired: August 1808 by capture
Fate: Sold July 1814
General characteristics [1][2]
Class and type: Abeille-class Brig[3]
Displacement: 374
Tons burthen: 342 ​68⁄94 (bm)
Length:
  • 98 ft 5 in (30.0 m) (overall);
  • 79 ft 11 5⁄8 in (24.4 m) (keel)
Beam: 28 ft 4 5⁄8 in (8.7 m)
Depth of hold: 12 ft 10 in (3.9 m)
Complement: 98 (French service)
Armament:
  • Initially:16 × 6-pounder guns
  • February 1806: 10 × 6-pounder guns + 6 × 16-pounder carronades
  • From 1807: 16 × 24-pounder carronades + 2 × 9-pounder guns
Armour: Timber

French service

From December 1804 to May 1805, under Lieutenant de vaisseau Jean-Jacques-Jude Langlois, she patrolled between Dunkirk and Hellevoetsluis, and then cruised the coasts of England, Scotland and Ireland. Then she sailed from Pasajes to Rochefort.[4] She then took part in Allemand's expedition of 1805, capturing the merchantman Brothers.

Sylphe captured on 13 May 1805 at 49°49′N 15°25′W a number of vessels in a convey that had left Cork on the 9th for Newfoundland. The British managed to recapture several. Sylphe also captured: Margaret, Chappell, master; Hunter, of Arboath, Stevens, master; and Bowman, of Workington, Priestman, master.[5]

Sylphe also took part in the Action of 25 September 1806.

Between 15 April 1806 and 13 January 1807, Sylphe was in the roads of the Île-d'Aix, still under the command of Langlois for part of the time.[Note 1] On 17 January 1807 Sylphe was in the roads of Lorient under the command of lieutenant de vaisseau Le Maresquier.[7]

On 12 December 1806, the French frigate Thétis and Sylphe captured HMS Netley. The French sold Netley and she became the privateer Duquesne. Less than nine months later, on 23 September 1807, HMS Blonde captured Dusquesne.

Capture

On 9 August 1808 Sylphe, under the command of capitaine de frégate M. Louis Marie Clément,[8] (a Member of the Legion of Honour), sailed with Diligente and Espiègle, to carry supplies from Lorient to Guadeloupe. On 11 August they encountered the 18-gun HMS Comet, under the command of Commander Cuthbert Featherstone Daly. The French, under orders to avoid combat, attempted to escape. Diligente out-sailed her two consorts. Comet caught up with the two laggards, with Espiègle ahead. Comet then engaged Sylphe,[9] capturing her near the Île d'Yeu.[8]

In the 20-minute engagement, the French suffered seven men killed and five wounded, most severely; the British had no casualties.[10] This action earned Daly his promotion to Post-captain, dated 18 August.[11] In 1847 the Admiralty awarded the Naval General Service Medal with clasp "Comet 11 Augt. 1808" to the three surviving claimants from the action.[12] The British took Sylphe into Royal Navy service as HMS Seagull.

Fate

When Sylphe arrived at Plymouth the Admiralty laid her up. She was never commissioned and never fitted for sea duty.[2] The Commissioners and Principle Officers of His Majesty's Navy offered her for sale on 21 July 1814.[13] She was sold on that day for £520.[2]

Notes, citations, and references

Notes

  1. Langlois was promoted to the rank of capitaine de frégate, and put in command of the frigate Armide.[6] During the Action of 25 September 1806, HMS Centaur, under the command of Commodore Sir Samuel Hood, captured Armide and Langlois.

Citations

  1. Winfield and Roberts (2015), p. 216.
  2. Winfield (2008), p.319.
  3. Roche, p. 428
  4. Fonds, Vol. 1, p.342.
  5. Lloyd's List, no. 4220, Accessed 27 July 2016.
  6. Fonds, Vol. 1, p.346.
  7. Fonds, Vol. 1, p.363.
  8. Fonds, Vol. 1, p.368.
  9. James (1837), Vol. 5, p.77.
  10. "No. 16171". The London Gazette. 13 August 1808. pp. 1108–1109.
  11. O'Byrne (1849), Vol. 1, p.259.
  12. "No. 20939". The London Gazette. 26 January 1849. p. 241.
  13. "No. 16915". The London Gazette. 9 July 1814. p. 1395.

References

  • Fonds Marine. Campagnes (opérations ; divisions et stations navales ; missions diverses). Inventaire de la sous-série Marine BB4. Tome premier : BB4 210 à 482 (1805-1826)
  • James, William (1837). The Naval History of Great Britain, from the Declaration of War by France in 1793, to the Accession of George IV. R. Bentley.
  • O’Byrne, William R. (1849) A naval biographical dictionary: comprising the life and services of every living officer in Her Majesty's navy, from the rank of admiral of the fleet to that of lieutenant, inclusive. (London: J. Murray), vol. 1.
  • 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
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