HMS Bellona (1806)
 | |
| History | |
|---|---|
 France | |
| Name: | Bellone |
| Builder: | Bordeaux |
| Launched: | 1799 |
| Captured: | On 9 July 1806 by the Royal Navy |
 UK | |
| Name: | HMS Bellona |
| Acquired: | Captured on 9 July 1806 |
| Renamed: | HMS Blanche in February 1808 |
| Fate: | Broken up in 1814 |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type: | 28-gun sixth rate frigate |
| Tons burthen: | 642 85⁄94 bm |
| Length: | |
| Beam: | 33 ft 7 in (10.24 m) |
| Depth of hold: | 11 ft 4 in (3.45 m) |
| Sail plan: | Full rigged ship |
| Complement: | 200 |
| Armament: | 28 guns |
Bellone was a French privateer frigate that cruised under Jacques François Perroud and achieved fame with the capture of large East Indiaman Lord Nelson on 14 August 1803. She was captured by HMS Powerful during the Action of 9 July 1806, and incorporated in the Royal Navy as HMS Bellona, later HMS Blanche. She was broken up in 1814.
Career
French privateer
Bellone was designed as a powerful privateer, armed with thirty-two 8-pounder long guns and a crew of 200 men. She operated from Ile de France from 1801. On 14 August 1803, she met the large East Indiaman Lord Nelson and managed to capture her by boarding.
In the Action of 9 July 1806, the 74-gun ship of the line HMS Powerful attacked Bellone. She attempted to flee for almost two hours, trading shots with the much more potent opponent, before striking her colours. Perroud was commended for his spirited defence against overwhelming odds; William James, notably, described Perroud's actions as "extraordinary".[1]
Royal Navy ship
After her capture, Bellone was incorporated in the Royal Navy as HMS Bellona, armed as a sixth-rate frigate of 28 guns.[2] She was renamed HMS Blanche in 1809.[2]
On 26 July or August 1810, Blanche captured the French privateer Confiance.[2]
Fate
Blanche was disposed of and broken up in 1814.[2]
Sources and references
- James, William (2002) [1827]. The Naval History of Great Britain, Volume 4, 1805–1807. Conway Maritime Press. ISBN 0-85177-908-5.