French frigate Favorite (1810)

For other ships with the same name, see French ship Favorite.

Favorite was a 44-gun Pallas-class frigate Favorita of the navy of the Kingdom of Italy. The Italians exchanged her to the French Navy for the three brigs Cyclope, Écureuil and Mercure.

Favorite (second from left) on fire at the Battle of Lissa, 1811

Favorite (centre-left) at the Battle of Lissa in 1811
History
Kingdom of Italy
Name	Favorita
Builder	Venice
Launched	1810
Out of service	14 June 1810
Fate	Transferred to France
France
Name	Favorite
Namesake	Favourite
Acquired	14 June 1810
Fate	Destroyed 13 March 1811
General characteristics
Class & type	Pallas-class frigate
Displacement	1,080 tonnes
Length	46.93 m (154 ft 0 in)
Beam	11.91 m (39 ft 1 in)
Draught	5.9 m (19 ft 4 in)
Propulsion	1,950 m2 (21,000 sq ft) of sail
Complement	326
Armament	Nominally 40 guns In practice carried either 44 or 46 guns: Battery: 28 18-pounders Quarterdeck & forecastle: 8 × 8-pounder long guns 8 × 36-pounder carronades or 12 × 18-pounder carronades

Career

On 12 March 1811, Favorite, under Bernard Dubourdieu,^[1] led a frigate squadron to raid the British commerce raider base of the island of Lissa. The squadron encountered William Hoste's frigate squadron, leading to the Battle of Lissa.

In the ensuing fight, Favorite attempted to board the British flagship HMS Amphion, distancing herself from the rest of her squadron. As the two ships neared, Amphion discharged a howitzer full of bullets which rendered a large number of the French casualties. Dubourdieu himself was killed at 9:10. Favorite's first officer and second officers were killed as they attempted again to board Amphion. As she sailed around Amphion in an attempt to rake her and take her in a crossfire with the other French frigates, Favorite was outmanoeuvred and ran aground.

Her crew set her on fire, and she exploded as the battle was still ongoing. Led by colonel Gifflinga, the crew of Favorite captured a coastal boat at Port St George which they used to flee to Lessina.^[2]