French frigate Alcmène (1811)

	HMS Venerable fighting the French frigate Alcmène on 16 January 1814
History
France
Name	Alcmène
Laid down	July 1810
Launched	3 October 1811
Captured	16 January 1814
United Kingdom
Name	Dunira
Acquired	16 January 1814 (by capture)
Renamed	HMS Immortalite
Fate	Sold 1837
General characteristics
Class and type	Armide-class frigate
Tons burthen	107978⁄94 (bm)
Length	Overall: 152 ft 8 in (46.53 m); Keel: 127 ft 11+3⁄8 in (39.0 m);
Beam	39 ft 10 in (12.14 m)
Depth of hold	12 ft 7+1⁄2 in (3.848 m)
Propulsion	Sails
Complement	French service:320; British service:315;
Armament	French service: 28 × 18-pounder and 8 × 12-pounder guns + 4 × 36-pounder obusiers; British service, though it is not clear she was ever rearmed; UD:28 × 18-pounder guns; QD:14 × 32-pounder carronades; Fc:2 × 9-pounder guns + 2 × 32-pounder carronades;

The French frigate Alcmène was an Armide-class frigate of a nominal 44 guns, launched in 1811. The British captured her on 1814. The Royal Navy named her HMS Dunira, and then renamed her HMS Immortalite but never commissioned her nor fitted her for sea. In March 1822 she became a receiving ship at Portsmouth. She was sold in January 1837.

In 1813, along with Iphigénie, she served at Cherbourg, in the squadron of contre-amiral Amable Troude, to protect the harbour.

Capture

Plan of the Immortalite

On 16 January 1814, the 74-gun third-rate ship of the line Venerable, her prize, the ex-French letter of marque brig Jason, and Cyane were in company when they spotted two 44-gun French frigates, Alcmène and Iphigénie. Venerable joined her and after a chase that left Cyane far behind, captured Alcmène, though not without a fight. Venerable lost two men dead and four wounded, while the French lost 32 dead and 50 wounded. Alcmène had a complement of 319 men under the command of Commander Ducrest de Villeneuve, who was wounded when he brought her alongside Venerable and attempted a boarding.[1]

Jason and Cyane tracked Iphigénie and initially fired on her but broke off the engagement because they were outgunned. Cyane continued the chase for over three days until Venerable was able to rejoin the fight after having sailed 153 miles in the direction she believed that Iphigénie had taken. On 20 January 1814, Venerable captured Iphigénie, having again left Cyane behind. Iphigénie apparently did not resist after Venerable came up.[lower-alpha 1] Before meeting up with the British ships, the two French vessels had taken some eight prizes.[3] The action resulted in the award in 1847, to any surviving claimants, of the Naval General Service Medal with clasps "Venerable 16 Jany 1814" and "Cyane 16 Jany. 1814".[4]

Venerable was able to locate Iphigénie because Commander Ducrest de Villeneuve of Alcmène was so angry at Captain Émeric, who was the senior French commander, for not having come alongside Venerable on the other side also to board, that he essentially revealed the rendezvous instructions to Admiral Durham. (Venerable was Durham's flagship). When some prisoners from Iphigénie's crew were brought on Venerable, crew from Alcmène too were enraged. Durham had to station Royal Marines between them, with fixed bayonets, to prevent fighting from breaking out.[5]

Fate

The Royal Navy never commissioned Alcmène. The Admiralty initially named her Dunira.[6] On 8 July, Lieutenant Edward Boys, formerly of Venerable, was confirmed in command of Dunira, but was put on half-pay in September.[7] Then on 8 November the Admiralty renamed her Immortalite.[8]

Immortalite became a receiving ship at Portsmouth in March 1822. She may have served for a while in the Quarantine Service at Standgate Creek.[9] She was sold in January 1837 to a Mr. W. Goldsworthy for £1,610.[8]

Notes

A first-class share of the prize money for both vessels, including head money for Alcmène, was £819 16s 4½d; a sixth-class share, that of an ordinary seaman, for Alcmène, was worth £3 9s 4d.[2]

Citations

’’Naval Chronicle’’, Vol. 31, pp.244-5.
"No. 17048". The London Gazette. 5 August 1815. p. 1599.
James & Chamier (1837), Vol. 6, pp.259-61.
"No. 20939". The London Gazette. 26 January 1849. p. 244.
Long (1895), p. 199.
"NMM, vessel ID 365890" (PDF). Warship Histories, vol i. National Maritime Museum. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2 August 2011. Retrieved 30 July 2011.
O'Byrne (1849), pp. 112–3.
Winfield (2008), p. 178.
"NMM, vessel ID 368870" (PDF). Warship Histories, vol i. National Maritime Museum. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2 August 2011. Retrieved 30 July 2011.

References

James, William & Frederick Chamier (1837) The naval history of Great Britain : from the declaration of war by France in 1793 to the accession of George IV. (London: R. Bentley).
Long, W.H. (1895). Medals of the British Navy and how They Were Won: With a List of Those Officers, who for Their Gallant Conduct Were Granted Honorary Swords and Plate by the Committee of the Patriotic Fund. Norie & Wilson.
O'Byrne, William Richard (1849), Naval Biographical Dictionary
O'Byrne, W.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. 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. Vol. 1. J. Murray.
Winfield, Rif (2008). British Warships in the Age of Sail 1793–1817: Design, Construction, Careers and Fates (2nd ed.). Seaforth Publishing. ISBN 978-1-86176-246-7.

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[3] A first-class share of the prize money for both vessels, including head money for Alcmène, was £819 16s 4½d; a sixth-class share, that of an ordinary seaman, for Alcmène, was worth £3 9s 4d.[2]

[NC31-1] ’’Naval Chronicle’’, Vol. 31, pp.244-5.

[2] "No. 17048". The London Gazette. 5 August 1815. p. 1599.

[4] James & Chamier (1837), Vol. 6, pp.259-61.

[5] "No. 20939". The London Gazette. 26 January 1849. p. 244.

[FOOTNOTELong1895199-6] Long (1895), p. 199.

[NMM-WH-365890-7] "NMM, vessel ID 365890" (PDF). Warship Histories, vol i. National Maritime Museum. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2 August 2011. Retrieved 30 July 2011.

[FOOTNOTEO'Byrne1849112–3-8] O'Byrne (1849), pp. 112–3.

[FOOTNOTEWinfield2008178-9] Winfield (2008), p. 178.

[NMM-WH-368870-10] "NMM, vessel ID 368870" (PDF). Warship Histories, vol i. National Maritime Museum. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2 August 2011. Retrieved 30 July 2011.