HMS Magicienne (1781)
HMS Magicienne and HMS Acasta at the Battle of San Domingo.
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| History | |
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 France
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| Name: | Magicienne |
| Namesake: | "Sorceress" |
| Ordered: | 7 February 1777 |
| Builder: | Toulon |
| Laid down: | 6 August 1777 |
| Launched: | 1 August 1778 |
| Commissioned: | October 1778 |
| Captured: | 2 September 1781 |
 United Kingdom
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| Name: | Magicienne |
| Acquired: | 2 September 1781 by capture |
| Honours and awards: |
Naval General Service Medal with clasp "St. Domingo" |
| Fate: | Scuttled on 24 August 1810 |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type: | Magicienne class frigate |
| Displacement: | 600 tonnes & 1260 tonnes fully loaded |
| Length: | 44.2 m (145 ft) |
| Beam: | 11.2 m (37 ft) |
| Draught: | 5.2 m (17 ft) (22 French feet) |
| Armament: | |
| Armour: | Timber |
Magicienne was a frigate of the French Navy, lead ship of her class. The British captured her in 1781 and she served with the Royal Navy until her crew burned her in 1810 to prevent her capture after she grounded at Isle de France (now Mauritius). During her service with the Royal Navy she captured several privateers and participated in the Battle of San Domingo.
Magicienne was built to a design by Joseph-Marie-Blaise Coulomb at Toulon. She was the first of 12 vessels built to her design.
She served in Orvilliers' fleet under captain Brun de Boades. HMS Chatham captured her on 2 September 1781 off Cape Ann. In the action the French lost 60 men killed and 40 wounded; the British lost one man killed and one man wounded. She was described as being of 800 tons, 36 guns and 280 men.
A prize crew took her to Halifax where she was recommissioned in the Royal Navy as HMS Magicienne under Thomas Graves, on the North America station. He then sailed her to Jamaica in December.
On 15 July 1782, Magicienne and Prudent captured three French merchant vessels carrying sugar from Martinique to Europe. These were the ship Tea Bloom, the snow Balmboom, and the brig Juno. Juno was also carrying rum.
On 2 January 1783, Magicienne, met the Sibylle. The ships fought inconclusively, reducing each other to wrecks before parting. In September 1783 Magicienne was paid off and fitted for ordinary at Chatham on 30 October.
On 29 April Magicienne was in company with Aquilon, Diamond, Minerva, Syren, Camilla, and Childers, when Acquilon captured the Mary.
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Wikipedia