French schooner Découverte (1800)
The French schooner Découverte was a French Navy vessel launched in 1800. The British captured her at Santo Domingo in 1803 and took her into service as HMS Decouverte. She was decommissioned in January 1806 and sold in 1808.
| History | |
|---|---|
 France | |
| Name | Découverte |
| Builder | Brest Dockyard[1] |
| Laid down | 1799 |
| Launched | 22 August 1800[1] |
| Captured | c. 23 November 1803 |
 United Kingdom | |
| Name | HMS Decouverte |
| Acquired | 1803 by capture |
| Decommissioned | 1806 |
| Fate | Sold 1808 |
| General characteristics [1] | |
| Class and type | Découverte-class schooner |
| Displacement | 110 tons (French) |
| Tons burthen | 165 (bm)[2] |
| Length |
|
| Beam | 6.4 m (21 ft) |
| Sail plan | Schooner |
| Complement |
|
| Armament |
|
French career
Between March and November 1800, Découverte was under the command of lieutenant de vaisseau Passart, carrying despatches between Brest and Ferrol. Still under Passart's command, she was at Ferrol between end-January and end-February 1802.
Capture
Découverte was present at Saint Domingue (Haiti) in November 1803 during the revolt of slaves against the French, while the British blockade of Saint-Domingue trapped the French army and naval forces at Cap-François. The British observed a schooner in the Caracol Passage and Commodore John Loring, having received information that General Rochambeau, his staff and entourage might try to escape via her, decided to cut the schooner out. The boats of HMS Bellerophon and HMS Elephant went in during the night of 22 November and captured the schooner, which turned out to be the Decouvert, of six 6-pounder guns, six brass swivel guns, and a crew of 52 men under the command of ensign de vaisseau Froyant. The launches met with some resistance, but the British suffered no casualties; Découverte had two men wounded.[3] Rochambeau surrendered on 30 November.
British service
The Royal Navy commissioned HMS Decouverte in May 1804 at Jamaica under the command of Lieutenant E. Whyte.[4] She spent the rest of her career on the Jamaica station.
Fate
Decouverte was decommissioned in January 1806 and sold in 1808.[2]
Citations
- Winfield & Roberts (2015), p. 243.
- Colledge & Warlow (2006), p. 105.
- "No. 15672". The London Gazette. 4 February 1804. pp. 164–165.
- "NMM, vessel ID 383281" (PDF). Warship Histories, vol v. National Maritime Museum. Retrieved 30 July 2011.
References
- Colledge, J. J.; Warlow, Ben (2006) [1969]. Ships of the Royal Navy: The Complete Record of all Fighting Ships of the Royal Navy (Rev. ed.). London: Chatham Publishing. ISBN 978-1-86176-281-8.
- Winfield, Rif (2008). British Warships in the Age of Sail 1793–1817: Design, Construction, Careers and Fates. Seaforth Publishing. ISBN 978-1-86176-246-7.
- Winfield, Rif; Roberts, Stephen S. (2015). French Warships in the Age of Sail 1786–1861: Design Construction, Careers and Fates. Seaforth Publishing. ISBN 978-1-84832-204-2.
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