HMS Athenienne (1800)
A model of an 18th century third-rate of the Order of Saint John, similar to the San Giovanni
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| History | |
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.svg){kind=small} Malta
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| Name: | San Giovanni |
| Namesake: | Saint John |
| Builder: | La Valette |
| Laid down: | 1796 |
| Captured: | 11 June 1798 by the French Navy |
 France
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| Name: | Athénien |
| Namesake: | Athens |
| Launched: | October 1798 |
| In service: | December 1799 |
| Captured: | 4 September 1800, by Royal Navy |
 United Kingdom
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| Class and type: | Third-rate |
| Name: | Athenienne |
| Acquired: | 4 September 1800 |
| Fate: | Wrecked 20 October 1806 |
| General characteristics | |
| Tons burthen: | 1411 89⁄94 (bm) |
| Length: | 163 ft 3 in (49.8 m) (overall); 132 ft 0 in (40.2 m) (keel) |
| Beam: | 44 ft 9 in (13.6 m) |
| Depth of hold: | 19 ft 8 in (6.0 m) |
| Sail plan: | Full-rigged ship |
| Complement: | 491 |
| Armament: |
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HMS Athenienne was a 64-gun third-rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy. She was the former Maltese ship San Giovanni, which the French captured on the stocks in 1798 and launched and commissioned as Athénien. The Royal Navy captured her at or prior to the surrender of Valletta, on 4 September 1800, and took her into service as Athenienne. She was wrecked near Sicily, with great loss of life, in 1806.
The Knights of Malta were constructing San Giovanni for their navy at her building site in Valletta when the French occupied Malta. She was launched four months later, and the French took her into service as Athénien. They appointed her to the medical services of the fleet, and in that capacity carried out research on the diseases affecting the French fleet in the Mediterranean.
The British acquired Athénien in connection with the capture of Malta. Although the capitulation only took place in September, Athenian was among the British vessels at Malta that shared in the prize money for the capture of Courageux on 29 March 1800.
The Royal Navy brought Athénien into British service as HMS Athenienne.
In December 1800, Sir Thomas Livingstone assumed command of Athenienne. He then accompanied Rear Admiral Sir John Borlase Warren to the coast of Egypt in search of a French squadron under Admiral Ganteaume, which was east of Sardinia. The French squadron escaped.
Athenienne then joined the squadron under Lord Keith off Alexandria until she sprang a leak and returned to Malta for repairs. In 1850 the Admiralty awarded the Naval General Service Medal with clasp "Egypt" to claimants from the crews of the vessels that had served in the navy's Egyptian campaign between 8 March 1801 and 2 September, including Athenian.
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Wikipedia