French ship Solitaire (1774)

History
France
Name: Solitaire
Launched: 1774
Captured: 6 December 1782, by Royal Navy
Great Britain
Name: Solitaire
Acquired: 6 December 1782
Fate: Sold, 1790
General characteristics [1]
Class and type: Solitaire class ship of the line
Tons burthen: 1521 tons (1545.4 tonnes)
Length: 51 metres [2]
Beam: 13.2 metres [2]
Draught: 6.4 metres [2]
Propulsion: Sails
Sail plan: Full rigged ship
Armament:

Solitaire was a 64-gun ship of the line of the French Navy, launched in 1774, lead ship of her class. She was captured by the Royal Navy on 6 December 1782, and commissioned as the third rate HMS Solitaire. She was sold out of the navy in 1790.

Solitaire was part of a squadron that comprised Triton, Résolue, Nymphe, and the brig '"Speedy. The French squadron sailed on 24 November from Saint-Pierre, Martinique.[3]

After a dark night, Solitaire, Captain de Borda, found herself in the morning close to a squadron of eight British ships under the command of Rear-Admiral Sir Richard Hughes, which was on its way from Gibraltar. The English gave chase and Solitaire sailed to delay them and give the rest of the French squadron a chance to escape.[3]

At 12:30 and engagement developed between Solitaire and HMS Ruby. As another British vessel approached Solitaire had to strike. Speedy was captured in the same action,[4] after a vigorous defence. In the action, her captain, Ribiers, was killed, together with a large part of her crew.[3]

Notes, citations, and references

Notes

    Citations

    1. ↑ Lavery, Ships of the Line vol.1. p182.
    2. 1 2 3 4 Roche, vol.1, p.86
    3. 1 2 3 Guérin (1857), Vol. 5, p.124.
    4. ↑ Troude (1865), Vol. 2, p.212.

    References

    • Guérin, Léon (1857). Histoire maritime de France (in French). 5. Dufour et Mulat.
    • Lavery, Brian (2003) The Ship of the Line - Volume 1: The development of the battlefleet 1650-1850. Conway Maritime Press. ISBN 0-85177-252-8.
    • Roche, Jean-Michel (2005). Dictionnaire des bâtiments de la flotte de guerre française de Colbert à nos jours 1 1671 - 1870. p. 48. ISBN 978-2-9525917-0-6. OCLC 165892922.
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