Piemontaise
was a 40-gun
Consolante
-class frigate
of the
French Navy
. She served as a
commerce raider
in the Indian Ocean until her capture in March 1808. She then served with the British
Royal Navy
in the East Indies until she was broken up in Britain in 1813.
French service
[
edit
]
Piemontaise
was built by Enterprise Etheart at
Saint Malo
to a design by Francois Pastel.
View of the Hon, ble Company's Ship
Warren Hastings
, a few minutes before her action with La
Pie'montaise
, by
Robert Dodd
On 18 December 1805 she sailed from
Brest
for
Ile de France
. There she served as a commerce raider under captain Jacques Epron. On 21 June 1806, she captured the
East Indiaman
Warren Hastings
. On 6 September, she captured the 14-gun
East India Company
brig
HCS
Grappler
, the three-masted country ship
Atomany
, and the
East Indiaman
Fame
.
Between September and October 1807,
Piemontaise
captured
Caroline
, Eggleton or Eggleson, master,
Sarah
, Henderson, master,
Maria
, James, master,
Udny
, Walteas or Wallis, master,
Danneberg
or
Danesburgh
or
Castel Dansborg
, Winter, master,
Highland Chief
, Mahapice or Makepiece, master,
Eliza
, Sparkes, master, and
Calcutta
.
[5]
[6]
Calcutta
was a "native ship". Captain James, of
Maria
, died aboard
Piemontaise
on 29 September.
[6]
Piemontaise
captured
Resource
on 9 October 1807. She was carrying
toile
and 7,500 sacks of rice. The value of the prize was 215,930.24 francs.
In early March 1808,
Piemontaise
captured three more merchantmen off Southern India.
Capture
[
edit
]
HMS
St Fiorenzo
taking the
Piemontaise
On 6 March 1808,
Piemontaise
encountered
St Fiorenzo
.
[8]
The two ships battled for three days until
Piemontaise
, out of ammunition and having suffered heavy casualties, had to
strike
her colours on 8 March. The evening before she struck, Lieutenant de vaisseau Charles Moreau, who had been severely wounded, threw himself into the sea. Captain Hardinge, of
St Fiorenzo
, was killed in the fighting on the last day. Over the three days the British suffered 13 dead and 25 wounded. The French suffered some 48 dead and 112 wounded.
[9]
[10]
Lieutenant William Dawson took command and brought both vessels back to
Colombo
, even though
Piemontaise's
three masts fell over her side early in the morning of 9 March.
Piemontaise
had on board British Army officers and captains and officers from prizes that she had taken. These men helped organize the
lascars
to jury-rig masts and bring
Piemontaise
into port.
St Fiorenzo
had too few men, too many casualties, and too many prisoners to guard to provide much assistance. In 1847 the Admiralty awarded the Naval General Service Medal with clasp "San Fiorenzo 8 March 1808" to any surviving claimants from the action.
British service
[
edit
]
View of
Banda Neira
, depicting three of the four ships used to capture the island from the Dutch in 1810, from a sketch by
Capt. Cole
of
HMS
Caroline
The British brought
Piemontaise
into service as
HMS
Piedmontaise
, commissioning her under Captain Charles Foote. From May to August 1810, she took part in the
successful expedition
to the
Banda Islands
, along with
Caroline
and
Barracouta
.
[11]
The expedition also included
Mandarin
.
Foote died in September and Commander Henry D. Dawson replaced him, only to die shortly thereafter.
[a]
Piedmontaise
'
s next captain was T. Epworth, who was replaced in turn by Captain Henry Edgell.
Fate
[
edit
]
Piemontaise
was taken out of commission at Woolwich on 12 August 1812. She was broken up in January 1813.
Notes
[
edit
]
- ^
A newspaper report states that it was Captain William Dawson who was
Piedmontaise
'
s captain. He died on 28 September 1811 at Madras, aged 29.
[12]
Citations
[
edit
]
References
[
edit
]
- Roche, Jean-Michel (2005).
Dictionnaire des batiments de la flotte de guerre francaise de Colbert a nos jours
. Vol. 1. Group Retozel-Maury Millau. pp. 352?353.
ISBN
978-2-9525917-0-6
.
OCLC
165892922
.
- Roman, Alain (2007).
Robert Surcouf et ses freres
[
Robert Surcouf and his brothers
] (in French). Preface by Olivier Roellinger. Editions Cristel.
ISBN
978-2-84421-050-0
.
OCLC
159954380
.
- Winfield, Rif (2008),
British Warships in the Age of Sail 1793–1817: Design, Construction, Careers and Fates
, Seaforth,
ISBN
978-1-86176-246-7
- Winfield, Rif; Roberts, Stephen S. (2015).
French Warships in the Age of Sail 1786?1861: Design Construction, Careers and Fates
. Seaforth Publishing.
ISBN
978-1-84832-204-2
.