French frigate Preneuse (1795)

Destruction of Preneuse, by Auguste Mayer
History
France
Name:	Preneuse
Namesake:	"taker"
Ordered:	24 April 1794
Builder:	Rochefort
Laid down:	April 1794
Launched:	16 February 1794
In service:	July 1795
Fate:	Destroyed on 11 December 1799
General characteristics
Class and type:	Preneuse class frigate
Displacement:	721 tonnes
Length:	47.8 m (157 ft)
Beam:	11.9 m (39 ft)
Draught:	5.8 m (19 ft)
Complement:	300 men
Armament:	28 × 18-pounder long guns + 12 × 8-pounder long guns
Armour:	Timber

The Preneuse was a 44-gun frigate of the French Navy, lead ship of her class. She served as a commerce raider at Île de France.

In 1795, Preneuse was stationned at Rochefort under Captain Larcher. She was then transferred to the Indian Ocean station, commanded by Rear-Admiral Sercey.

In 1796, she was a Mauritius under Captain Ravenel, at Port-Nord-Ouest.

In March 1798, under Lhermitte, she ferried ambassadors from Mysore sent by Tippu Sultan to île de France to request help against the British. Near Tellicherry, Preneuse encountered two East Indiamen, the Raymond and the Woodcot, anchored under the protection of coastal batteries; she attacked and captured the ships on 20 April, after a one-hour battle. She left the diplomatic mission at Mangalore, and sailed to Batavia.

She was soon joined by the 22-gun corvette Brûle-Gueule, which ferried Rear-Admiral Sercey. The squadron sailed to Surabaya, where a settlement was established. A small mutiny broke out when Preneuse crew refused to let go of the British flags captured at Tellicherry; Lhermitte had personally to confront the mutineers with his sabre to re-establish discipline. He then had a firing squad execute five of the mutineers.

After a short stay at Surabaya, Preneuse and Brûle-Gueule sailed for a three-month cruise, capturing 40 British merchantmen and participating in the Macau Incident. After returning to Subaraya, Sercey set his flag on Preneuse and the squadron sailed for île de France.

They arrived in May 1799, encountering the British blockade composed of three ships of the line, one frigate and one brig. The French ships reached Rivière Noire District, where they were joined by a number of coastal ships offering assistance. Preneuse and Brûle-Gueule anchored in the bay. They sent seven 18-pounders ashore and the French built an improvised fort to guard the entrance of the bay; it sustained a 3-week siege before the British retreated.