French corvette Départment des Landes (1804)

*Départment des Landes*
	Action off Porto Rico on 19 July 1805: Topaze, Départment des Landes, Torche and Faune destroy HMS Blanche.
History
France
Name	Départment des Landes
Ordered	21 February 1803
Builder	Bayonne (Constructeur: Jean Baudrey)
Laid down	May 1803
Launched	19 July 1804
Commissioned	10 December 1804
Decommissioned	30 November 1814
Stricken	1820
Fate	Broken up 1829-30.
General characteristics
Displacement	760 tons (French)
Length	39.25 m (128.8 ft) (overall)
Beam	9.79 m (32.1 ft)
Depth of hold	5.00 m (16.40 ft)
Complement	157-189
Armament	Originally: 20 × 8-pounder long guns; 1805:; Upper deck: 16 × 24-pounder carronades + 4 × 12-pounder guns; Galliards: 2 × 8-pounder guns + 4 × 6-pounder guns; 1814:12-pounder carronades replaced the 12-pounder guns;

Départment des Landes was a corvette of the French Navy, launched in 1804. She was damaged in 1814 and subsequently decommissioned. She was finally broken up around 1829-30.

Origins

Départment des Landes was built to a design by Pierre Rolland (cadet). The Ministry of Marine originally ordered her on 21 February 1803 under the name Égérie. However, on 13 August the Département des Landes offered to give the government a corvette. The Ministry ordered a corvette that day at Bayonne, but on 20 January 1804 cancelled the order. Instead, the Department took responsibility for the payment to complete Égérie, and the corvette was named for the Department.

Career

On 19 July 1805 Départment des Landes was part of a squadron of four vessels under François-André Baudin that captured HMS Blanche off Puerto Rico, three days after they had left Martinique. The other three were the 40-gun French frigate Topaze, the 18-gun corvette Torche, and the 16-gun Faune.^[2]^[3]^[4]

On 14 August, the 74-gun, third rate Goliath was in the Channel Fleet when she saw a sail to eastward and three sail to westward. The lone sail was Faune, which trailed behind her squadron and had lost contact with it.^[5] Goliath sailed east, meeting up with HMS Camilla and assisting her in chasing and capturing Faune,^[6]^[7] which struck when the much more powerful Goliath came in range.^[5]

The three remaining ships proceeded, but on the 16th, Torche was lagging behind and in danger of behind caught by Goliath, which had been joined by HMS Raisonnable. Deeming that waiting for Torche entailed accepting battle against the overwhelming British forces, Baudin ordered his squadron to take whatever actions were necessary for their security.^[8] Goliath caught up with Torche, which struck after a few shots from Goliath.^[5] Topaze and Départment-des-Landes escaped.

On 29 September Départment des Landes, under the command of Captain Joseph-François Raoul,^[9] was sailing off Guadeloupe when she encountered HMS Maria, a gun-brig of 16 guns.^[a]^[b]

Unable to maneuver, Maria took two broadsides. The French called on Lieutenant James Bennett, Maria's captain, to surrender. He refused and three grapeshot from the next broadside killed him.^[11] The master, Joseph Dyason, then continued the combat but eventually had to strike. Maria had suffered six men killed, including Bennett, and nine wounded. The French had suffered at most a couple of men wounded.^[9] After the French had gotten all their prisoners off Maria, the prize crew had to run her aground to prevent her from sinking due to the damage she had sustained.^[9] The French provided a cartel to Dominica to permit Dyason to report the loss to Rear-Admiral Alexander Cochrane.^[10] The French later refloated Maria and she was taken into the French Navy under her existing name.

Fate

Départment des Landes was entering Brest on 13 September 1814 when she struck a rock. She was refloated but did not sail again. The French Navy decommissioned her on 30 November. She was condemned at Brest in 1820 and removed from the list of active warships. The Ministry of Marine ordered her broken up on 29 October 1829. She was subsequently broken up between December 1829 and February 1830.

Notes

^ The report in the London Gazette states that Départment des Landes carried 22 guns (sixteen 24-pounder carronades, four 12-pounder guns, and two 9-pounder guns on the quarterdeck), plus a large swivel on the forecastle.^[10] James says sixteen 24-pounder carronades and four long 8-pounders on the main deck, two brass 6-pounders on the quarterdeck, plus a large swivel on the forecastle.^[9]
^ Joseph Dyason, Maria's master, gave the French vessel's name as Sards, which perhaps was a nickname.^[10]

Citations

^ ^a ^b ^c Winfield & Roberts (2015), p. 178.
^ Walters (1949), p. 35-6.
^ Cobbett's Weekly Political Register, Vol. 8, p.512.
^ "No. 15836". The London Gazette. 20 August 1805. pp. 1063–1064.
^ ^a ^b ^c Troude (1867), pp. 427.
^ "No. 15911". The London Gazette. 19 April 1806. p. 497.
^ "No. 15836". The London Gazette. 29 August 1805. p. 1064.
^ "No. 15917". The London Gazette. 10 May 1806. p. 590.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d James (1837), Vol.5, pp. 79–80.
^ ^a ^b ^c "No. 16215". The London Gazette. 3 January 1809. p. 16.
^ Hepper (1994), p. 125.

References

Fonds Marine. Campagnes (opérations; divisions et stations navales; missions diverses). Inventaire de la sous-série Marine BB4. Tome premier: BB210 à 482 (1805-18826) [1]
Hepper, David J. (1994). British Warship Losses in the Age of Sail, 1650–1859. Rotherfield: Jean Boudriot. ISBN 0-948864-30-3.
James, William (1837). The Naval History of Great Britain, from the Declaration of War by France in 1793, to the Accession of George IV. R. Bentley.
Troude, Onésime-Joachim (1867). Batailles navales de la France. Vol. 3. Challamel ainé. p. 427.
Walters, Samuel (1949). Memoirs of an Officer in Nelson's Navy. Liverpool University Press.
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.