French frigate Président
| History | |
|---|---|
 France
|
|
| Name: | Minerve |
| Ordered: | 25 January 1801 |
| Builder: | Nantes (Crucy company), plans by Forfait |
| Laid down: | September 1802 |
| Launched: | 4 June 1804 |
| Commissioned: | 20 July 1804 |
| Out of service: | 28 September 1806 |
| Renamed: | Président |
 UK
|
|
| Name: | President |
| Acquired: | by capture September 1806 |
| Renamed: | Piemontaise |
| Honours and awards: |
Naval General Service Medal with clasp "Java" |
| Fate: | Broken up 1815 |
| General characteristics | |
| Type: | Frigate |
| Tons burthen: | 1148 bm |
| Length: | 46 metres (151 ft) |
| Beam: | 12 metres (39 ft) |
| Draught: | 7 metres (23 ft) |
| Complement: | 330 men |
| Armament: |
|
| Armour: | Timber |
The Président was a 40-gun frigate of the Gloire Class in the French Navy, built to an 1802 design by Pierre-Alexandre Forfait. She served with the French Navy from her completion in 1804 until late 1806 when the Royal Navy captured her. Thereafter, she served as the HMS President. In 1815 the Navy renamed her Piemontaise, but then broke her up in December.
Originally ordered under the name Minerve, she was renamed as Président on 24 December 1803.
She took part in L'Hermite's expedition, which led to her capture. Before she was captured, on 6 January 1806 she helped capture the 16-gun sloop HMS Favourite.
In June 1806, Captain Thomas George Shortland took command of HMS Canopus. She was the flagship for a squadron under Rear Admiral Sir Thomas Louis. On 27 September, they fell in with the Président, Capt. Gallier Labrosse, south of the Isles of Scilly, near Belle Île. Président had been sailing with the ship of the line Régulus, frigate Cybèle and corvette Surveillant, but had separated from them on 20 August.
Louis's squadron had sailed to the Bay of Biscay to await the return of Admiral Willaumez from the Caribbean. On spotting Président, the squadron gave chase but the ships of the line were not fast enough to catch her. However, an 18-gun Cruizer class brig-sloop attached to the squadron, Dispatch, Captain Edward Hawkins, was able to get within firing range. Dispatch proceeded to harry Président with her forward guns, forcing Président to turn towards the nearest British frigate, HMS Blanche, under Captain Sir Thomas Lavie. Seeing Président turn, Louis ordered Canopus to fire, even though the range was extreme. Realizing that the rest of the British squadron would arrive shortly, Labrosse struck his colours to Dispatch. Président had suffered only minor damage and there were no casualties on either side in the action.
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Wikipedia