HMS Belle Poule (1806)
| 300px Capture of the 'Gypsy', 30 April 1812: left to right: HMS Belle Poule, Gypsy, and HMS Hermes, by Thomas Buttersworth | |
| Career |  |
|---|---|
| Name: | Belle Poule |
| Laid down: | June 1801 |
| Launched: | 17 April 1802 |
| Fate: | Captured by Royal Navy, 13 March 1806 |
| Career (United Kingdom) |  |
| Name: | HMS Belle Poule |
| Acquired: | Captured on 13 March 1806 |
| Reclassified: |
Troopship in 1814 Prison ship in 1815 |
| Fate: | Sold on 11 June 1816 |
| General characteristics as built | |
| Class and type: | 36-gun fifth rate frigate |
| Tons burthen: | 1,076 long tons (1,093.3 t) |
| Length: | 127 ft 8 in (38.9 m) (gundeck) |
| Beam: | 39 ft 11 in (12.2 m) |
| Draught: | 13 ft 4 in (4.1 m) |
| Propulsion: | Sails |
| Sail plan: | Full rigged ship |
| Complement: | 284 (later 315) |
| Armament: |
40 guns (re-rated at 38 guns after capture):
|
HMS Belle Poule was a 40-gun Royal Navy fifth rate frigate, formerly Belle Poule, a Virginie-class frigate of the French Navy, which was built by the Crucy family's shipyard at Basse-Indre to a design by Jacques-Noël Sané. She was launched on 17 April 1802, and saw active service in the East, but in 1806 a British squadron under Sir John Borlase Warren captured Belle Poule. The Admiralty commissioned her into the Royal Navy, keeping her name.
In March 1803, she joined the fleet of Rear-Admiral Charles-Alexandre Léon Durand Linois, whose mission was to re-take the colonies of the Indian Ocean, given to English at the peace of Amiens. The fleet included the 74-gun ship of the line Marengo, the frigates Atalante, Belle Poule and Sémillante, troop ships and cargoes with food and ammunition.
On 15 June 1803 Belle Poule landed troops at Pondichéry in India. The French fleet however, left the next day and the troops surrendered in September.[1]
At the beginning of November, the division set sail for Batavia to protect the Dutch colonies. En route, Linois destroyed the English counters in Bencoolen, capturing five ships, and sailed for the South China Sea, where the China Fleet of the British East India Company was expected. The fleets met in the Battle of Pulo Aura, but the greater numbers and aggressive action of the British East Indiamen, some of whom flew Royal Navy flags, drove the French away. Linois returned to Batavia. He dispatched Atalante and Belle Poule to the Gulf of Bengal, where Belle Poule captured a few ships before returning to Ile de France).
In 1805 and 1806, Belle Poule and some other ships of the division cruised the African coast between the Red Sea and the Cape of Good Hope, capturing some ships. At the Action of 13 March 1806, Linois met with the division of Vice-Admiral Sir John Warren, with seven ships of the line (including the 108-gun London, the 82-gun Ramilles and Repulse, and the 80-gun Foudroyant), two frigates (including the 48-gun Amazon) and one corvette. After a fierce duel with London, Marengo struck her colours; Belle Poule battled against Amazon and later against Ramillies, and had to surrender as well.
She entered service under the same name in 1808 under captain James Brisbane, joining the forces operating in the Adriatic campaign of 1807-1814 off Corfu, successfully blockading the island. In February 1809 Brisbane captured the storeship Var in a raid on the harbour at Valona; the British then used her as a storeship too.
In September of the same year Belle Poule was involved in the invasions of Cephalonia, Zante and Santa Maura. On 11 December 1810, Belle Poule captured the Italian brig Carlotta, pierced for 14 guns but with only 10 mounted. At around the same time she also assisted at the capture of a French schooner on the Dalmatian Coast.[2]
On 4-5 May 1811, Belle Poule participated with Alceste in a raid at Parenza (Istria) that destroyed a French man-of-war brig. She then returned to Britain to join the Channel Fleet. During 1812 Brisbane patrolled the Western Approaches, capturing numerous American privateers, including the General Gates. On 30 January she detained and sent in the Spy from New York. On 30 April 1812, Belle Poule and HMS Hermes captured the American schooner Gipsy or Gipsey out of New York, in the middle of the Atlantic.
In September 1812 George Harris replaced Brisbane and over the next year captured several American vessels, including four privateers. On 6 February 1813 she recaptured and sent in the Alexander and the De Norte, which had been sailing from Falmouth to Portugal. On 20 Mar 1813 she detained and sent in the American ship John and Francis.
On 3 April 1813 Belle Poule took the Grand Napoleon, of and from New York to Bordeaux. Belle Poule and Pyramus took the 10-gun privateer Zebra and her crew of 38 men on 20 April 1813. Zebra was the former HM schooner Laura. Zebra was sailing from Bordeaux to New York.[3] On 11 May she took the Revenge, which was a new vessel, on her way from Charleston to Boulogne. She had a crew of 32 men and was pierced for 16 guns but carried only four long 9-pounders.[4] Lastly, on 14 December Belle Poule took the 2-gun Squirrel and her crew of 17 men.
In 1814 she was under Captain Edward Williams and in April, participated in operations in the Gironde in Southern France where she destroyed batteries at Pointe Coubre, Pointe Nègre, Royan, Soulac, and Mèche.
Following a request from the Duke of Wellington, she was commissioned as a troopship in June under Captain Francis Baker. She was fitted for that role in August and September. On 15 August she was in Plymouth, having come from Portsmouth with the 93d regiment.On 17 September she embarked troops before sailing for Bermuda the next day.
She was part of the flotilla at the Battle of New Orleans. In the run-up to that battle her boats participated in the Battle of Lake Borgne on 12-14 December 1814. Many years later her crew received a distribution of head-money arising from the capture of American gun-boats and sundry bales of cotton at the battle.[5]
Fate
Belle Poule returned to Portsmouth on 17 May 1815, and a week later sailed for Cork. She was converted to a prison hulk in 1815. She was sold on 11 June 1816 for ₤2,700.
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. ISBN 9781861762818. OCLC 67375475.
- Lyon, David and Winfield, Rif, The Sail and Steam Navy List, All the Ships of the Royal Navy 1815-1889, pub Chatham, 2004, ISBN 1-86176-032-9
- Ships of the Old Navy
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