French frigate Etoile (1813)
Capture of Étoile by HMS Hebrus
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| History | |
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 France
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| Name: | Étoile |
| Namesake: | "Star" |
| Ordered: | 21 October 1809 |
| Builder: | Nantes shipyard |
| Laid down: | 3 April 1810 |
| Launched: | 28 July 1813 |
| Commissioned: | 1 September 1813 |
| Captured: | 27 March 1814 |
 United Kingdom
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| Name: | Topaze |
| Acquired: | 27 March 1814 by capture |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type: | Pallas-class fifth rate |
| Displacement: | 1080 tons |
| Tons burthen: | 1060 23⁄94 (bm) |
| Length: |
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| Beam: | 39 ft 8 in (12.09 m) |
| Draught: | 5.9 m (19 ft) |
| Depth of hold: | 12 ft 5 1⁄4 in (3.791 m) |
| Propulsion: | 1,950 m2 (21,000 sq ft) of sails |
| Complement: |
French service: 326 British service: 315 |
| Armament: |
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French service: 326
Étoile was a 44-gun frigate of the French Navy, launched in 1813. The British captured her in 1814 and the Royal Navy took her into service as HMS Topaze. She did not go to sea again until 1818, and was paid off in 1822. She served as a receiving ship until 1850 and was broken up in 1851.
Initially, Étoile was in the Nantes Division, first under capitaine de vaisseau Le Bozec (27 July to 20 September), and then under capitaine de frégate Henri Pierre Philibert (7 October to 24 November).
She sailed for the Azores with Sultane to engage in commerce raiding. On 18 January 1814 HMS Severn was escorting a convoy from England to Bermuda when she encountered Sultane and Étoile. Severn drew them away from the convoy, saving it. After a long chase, the French frigates gave up and sailed away.
On 24 January, Sultane and Étoile engaged the frigates HMS Astraea and HMS Creole. The two British frigates had sailed for the Cape Verde Islands; they reached Maio early on 23 January 1814.
Off the Cape Verde Islands they encountered two frigates and two merchant ships, one a brigantine and the other a schooner, all at anchor. The French frigates did not respond to the Portuguese and Spanish flags that the British set and instead set sail as the British frigates approached; the British frigates then pursued them. Astraea had problems with her sails so Creole pulled ahead. She exchanged some shots and eventually four broadsides with the rearmost French frigate, which would turn out to be Sultane. Astraea then sailed between Creole and her opponent, coming alongside the French frigate. Two broadsides from Astraea then temporarily silenced the French frigate as fires aboard Creole took her out of the action for a while. She re-engaged Sultane, but then disengaged and sailed towards Santiago.
Astraea went ahead in pursuit of the first French frigate, which turned out to be Étoile. Astraea exchanged a broadside and then crossed Étoile's bow and raked her. At this moment a shot took away Astraea's wheel and killed both quartermasters, causing Astraea to lose direction and momentum. Now the situation reversed, with French guns nearly touching Astraea's taffrail. She received broadsides that tore away her lower rigging, scarred her deck and destroyed one of her carronades. However, she suffered no damage forward. Astrea was able to get starboard to starboard with her opponent. The two vessels exchanged broadsides at close range for two hours until Étoile sailed off. During the engagement a pistol shot hit Eveleigh below the heart, mortally wounding him. Sultane came up and also exchanged a broadside with Astraea. Astraea, much damaged, broke off the engagement as the two French frigates too sailed away. Creole had suffered ten men dead and 26 wounded; Astraea lost nine men dead and 37 wounded. That evening the two British ships anchored in Porto Praya on Santiago to effect repairs.
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Wikipedia