French cutter Renard (1812)
The Renard was a cutter launched in 1812 and armed and owned by Robert Surcouf. It was Surcouf’s eighth and last privateer ship.
.jpg.webp) Photo of a model of the French privateer cutter Renard on display at the SNCF train station at Saint Malo. The modeller was a M. Chazarain, and the model is built to a 1/25 scale. | |
| History | |
|---|---|
 France | |
| Launched | 1812 |
| General characteristics | |
| Type | Cutter |
| Displacement | 70 tons |
| Complement | 60{from Saint-Malo illustrated by its sailors: preceded by a historical notice on this city, Charles Cunat 1857} |
| Armament | 10 × 8-pounder carronades + 4 × 4-pounder guns |
Renard cruised under Captain Aimable Sauveur until 23 August 1813, when he required a replacement.[1] Command then went to Emmanuel Leroux-Desrochettes.[1]
On 9 September 1813, beginning at 5 p.m. and lasting through the night, Renard successfully engaged the British 10-gun schooner HMS Alphea, crewed by 35 sailors. Combat was intense and bloody until at 3:30 a.m. the following morning, when the Alphea took two direct hits from Renard to (presumably) the powder magazine and exploded.[2] There were no reported survivors.[2]
Renard lost five men killed and 31 wounded, including her captain,[3] who had an arm shot away and later died of his injuries.[4] Renard returned to France with only 13 able-bodied men. Alphea had carried a crew of 41 men.[3]
Replica
.jpg.webp)
The Association du Cotre Corsaire Le Renard (loi de 1901) built a sailing replica of Renard in May 1991. One may rent the modern Renard for a day, for cruises, or for meetings.[5]
Citations
References
- Cunat, Charles (1857). Saint-Malo illustré par ses marins (in French). Imprimerie de F. Péalat.
- 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.
