French frigate Gracieuse (1787)
| History | |
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.svg){kind=small}  France
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| Name: | Gracieuse |
| Namesake: | Gracious |
| Builder: | Rochefort (constructeur: Joseph Niou) |
| Laid down: | November 1785 |
| Launched: | 18 May 1787 |
| Commissioned: | May 1788 |
| Renamed: | Unitë on 28 September 1793 |
| Captured: | 11 April 1796 |
 United Kingdom
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| Name: | Unite |
| Acquired: | 11 April 1796 |
| Fate: | Sold in 1802 |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type: | Charmante-class frigate |
| Tons burthen: | 873 71⁄94 (bm) |
| Length: |
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| Beam: | 37 ft 8 in (11.5 m) |
| Draught: | 5.4 m (18 ft) |
| Depth of hold: | 11 ft 0 in (3.4 m) |
| Propulsion: | Sails |
| Sail plan: | Full rigged ship |
| Complement: |
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| Armament: |
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Gracieuse was a 32-gun Charmante-class frigate of the French Navy. Renamed to Unité in 1793, she took part in the French Revolutionary Wars. The Royal Navy captured her in 1796 off Île d'Yeu and brought her into British service as HMS Unite. She was sold in 1802
Gracieuse was re-commissioned in Rochefort in April 1793 under captaine de vaisseau Chevillard. She transported troops between the Basque Roads and Sables-d'Olonne, and then returned to Rochefort. She transferred to the naval division on the coasts of the Vendée. There she escorted convoys between Brest and Bordeaux.Gracieuse took part in the War in the Vendée, capturing the British privateer Ellis on 11 July.
In September 1793 Gracieuse was renamed Unité. She was to be named Variante in April 1796, but the Royal Navy captured her before the name change took effect.
On 14 May 1794, Unité captured the ship-sloop HMS Alert after a short fight that left Alert with three men killed and nine wounded before Alert struck. The French Navy took Alert into service as Alerte.
Unité then undertook a crossing from Port Louis to Rochefort under commander Durand. On 13 April 1796 Indefatigable, under the command of Captain Sir Edward Pellew was in pursuit of a French frigate. Pellew signaled to his squadron mate HMS Révolutionnaire to sail to cut the frigate off from the shore. Revolutionnaire then captured Unite after having fired two broadsides into her. Unite had nine men killed and 11 wounded; Revolutionnaire had no casualties. The Royal Navy took the frigate into service as HMS Unite.
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Wikipedia