French frigate Virginie (1794)

Virginie was a 40-gun frigate of the French Navy, lead ship of its class.

Virginie fighting HMS Indefatigable
History
France
Name	Virginie
Ordered	17 October 1793
Builder	Brest
Laid down	March 1794
Launched	26 July 1794
In service	December 1794
Captured	22 April 1796
Great Britain
Name	Virginie
Acquired	22 April 1796
Out of service	1827
General characteristics
Class & type	Virginie-class frigate
Displacement	1400 tonnes
Length	47.4 m (156 ft)
Beam	11.9 m (39 ft)
Draught	5.5 m (18 ft)
Armament	40 guns {though pierced for 44 guns} 28 × 18-pounders up to 16 × 8-pounders (only 12 carried on most occasions)

Career

French service

She took part in the First Battle of Groix and in the Battle of Groix.

On 22 April 1796, Virginie was cruising off Ireland under captain Jacques Bergeret when she encountered a British squadron under Commodore Edward Pellew, comprising the Razee 44 gun HMS Indefatigable and the frigates Argo, Concord, Révolutionnaire, Amazon and their prize Unité, captured on 13 April.^[1]

Virginie retreated and the British squadron gave chase, joining with the French frigate around 23:00. Indefatigable closed in and exchanged broadsides, without succeeding in her attempts at raking Virginie. The gunnery exchange lasted for 4 hours, until the British frigates caught up. Bergeret then struck his colours in the face of an overwhelming opponent.^{[1][Note 1]}

She was subsequently recommissioned in the Royal Navy as HMS Virginie.

British service

In January 1799, Virginie was with British squadron at the defence of Macau during the Macau Incident.

On 20 May 1808, she captured the Dutch frigate Guelderland.

In Royal Navy service the armament consisted of 46 guns:

• 8 carronades (32-pounders) on the quarterdeck and forecastle
• 28 long ordnances (18-pounders) on the main deck
• 10 long ordnances (9-pounders) on the quarterdeck and forecastle^[3]

Notes

1. Britain returned Bergeret in exchange for Sir Sidney Smith, whom the French had captured. However, the Convention rejected the exchange, refusing to release Smith. Bergeret honoured his parole and returned to Plymouth on the cartel Displai, which was returning the officers from Arab.^[2]