French corvette Sardine (1771)
| History | |
|---|---|
.svg){kind=small}   France
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| Name: | Sardine |
| Namesake: | Sardine |
| Ordered: | 7 February 1770 |
| Builder: | Toulon Dockyard (Constructeur:Broquier) |
| Laid down: | June 1770 |
| Launched: | 14 July 1771 |
| In service: | 1772 |
| Captured: | 9 March 1796 |
 United Kingdom
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| Name: | Sardine |
| Fate: | Sold in 1806 |
| General characteristics | |
| Displacement: | 280 tons (French) |
| Tons burthen: | 300 (bm) |
| Length: | 34.43 m (113.0 ft) |
| Beam: | 8.77 m (28.8 ft) |
| Draught: | 3.68 m (12.1 ft) (unloaded) |
| Depth of hold: | 4.30 m (14.1 ft) |
| Sail plan: | Full-rigged ship |
| Complement: | 86-100 |
| Armament: | 16 x 6-pounder guns |
Sardine was a corvette of the French Navy, launched in 1771. The Royal Navy captured her at the Siege of Toulon but the French retook her when the Anglo-Spanish force retreated. The Royal Navy captured her again in 1796. She then served as HMS Sardine until the Royal Navy sold her in 1806.
Sardine was built to a design by Joseph-Marie-Blaise Coulomb. She was pierced for 18 guns but carried 16.
She served in the Mediterranean during the Ancien Régime. In 1792 she was under the command of Lieutenant de vaiseau the chevalier de Bellon de Sainte-Marguerite and served as an escort in the Levant. She was at Smyrna in March, and then cruised the Aegean Sea. Next, she escorted a convoy from Smyrna to Cape Matapan, and then protected French trade between Tripoli (Syria) and Alexandria. Lastly, she escorted a convoy from Cyprus to Marseilles in October.
In August 1793 an Anglo-Spanish force captured Toulon and Royalist forces turned over to them the French naval vessels in the port. When the Anglo-Spanish force had to leave in December, they took with them the best vessels and tried to burn the remainder. Although some reports have the Anglo-Spanish forces capturing her and then leaving her behind, she does not appear on an English list of vessels captured, burnt, or otherwise disposed off.
On 9 December 1795, Sardine was part of Gantaume's squadron. She, the frigate Sensible, and the corvette Rossignol captured the 28-gun HMS Nemesis, which had grounded and after refloating had anchored out of range of the fort in the neutral port of Smyrna. The French warships entered the harbour in disregard of its neutrality and called on Nemesis to surrender, which she did when the French refused to honour the port's neutrality and fired on Nemesis. Three men from Nemesis, a sailor and two Royal Marines, defected to the French and joined Sardine.
On 9 March 1796, Nemesis was anchored in the neutral harbour of Tunis, together with Sardine, under the command of Enseigne de vaisseu Icard (acting), and Postillon. The British sent a squadron under the command of Vice-Admiral to recapture Nemesis. Boats from Egmont, Barfleur and Bombay Castle attacked the French ships and captured all three. The squadron also included Zealous, Tartar, and the cutter Fox. The British took the three men who had defected from Nemesis to Sardine and hanged them.
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