HMS Guerriere (1806)
Depiction of HMS Guerriere’s last battle, against the USS Constitution, by Michel Felice Corne (1752–1845).
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| History | |
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 France
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| Name: | Guerrière |
| Namesake: | "Warrior" |
| Laid down: | 22 September 1796 |
| Launched: | 15 September 1799 |
| Commissioned: | May 1800 |
| Captured: | 19 July 1806 |
 United Kingdom
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| Name: | HMS Guerriere |
| Acquired: | Captured from the French on 19 July 1806 |
| Fate: | Captured and burnt by the USS Constitution on 19 August 1812 |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type: | fifth-rate frigate |
| Tons burthen: | 1,092 tons |
| Length: | 47.1 metres |
| Beam: | 12 metres |
| Draught: | 5.8 metres |
| Propulsion: | Sails |
| Complement: | 350 |
| Armament: |
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Guerrière was a 38-gun frigate of the French Navy, designed by Forfait. She was later captured by the British and recommissioned as HMS Guerriere, and became famous for her fight against USS Constitution.
Her career with the French included a sortie with Duguay-Trouin in 1803, in which the two vessels were forced to make an escape from a British ship. They were harried by British forces of varying strengths during their journey back to port and only just reached the safety of Corunna, with Guerrière being engaged by the 74-gun HMS Culloden until she reached the entrance to the port. She sailed in 1806 with several other French ships to attack British and Russian whalers, but was chased and brought to action by HMS Blanche. After a hard-fought battle, Blanche forced Guerrière to surrender, and brought her back to Britain.
Now commissioned as HMS Guerriere, she went out to the West Indies and served off the American coast for a number of years. She captured a number of privateers, and was still in American waters after the outbreak of the War of 1812. On 19 August 1812 Guerriere, under Captain James Richard Dacres, sighted the American frigate Constitution, under Isaac Hull. The two ships closed and after a fierce engagement the American managed to shoot away Guerriere's fore and main-masts, leaving her un-manoeuvrable. Dacres struck his colours to avoid further bloodshed; the Americans then transferred her crew to Constitution and set fire to the badly damaged Guerriere.
Guerrière served with the French Navy during the Napoleonic Wars under Commander Louis Alexis Baudoin, initially trapped in harbour by the Blockade of Saint-Domingue. She was with the 74-gun Duguay-Trouin on 24 July 1803, when the latter ship was spotted by a British ship off Cape Picolet. The 74-gun HMS Elephant, under Captain George Dundas gave chase, and the two ships exchanged several broadsides. The 18-gun sloop HMS Snake appeared on the north-west quarter, but the Elephant, either because of the appearance of Guerrière to windward, or for another unexplained reason, failed to maintain her position alongside Duguay-Trouin. Consequently, both French ships were able to escape. However, Duquesne, a 74-gun armed en flûte (removing some or all of her armament), was captured.
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