Destruction of the Volontaire, 23rd August 1794

Three Decks' Forum

Come and ask, answer or inform.

Recent updates

Recent Comments

Destruction of the Volontaire

23rd August 1794
Part of : The French Revolutionary Wars (1793 - 1802)
Previous action : Capture of the Sibylle 17.6.1794
Next action : Capture of the Révolutionnaire 21.10.1794
 

Great Britain

 
Ship NameCommanderNotes
Flora (36) 1780-1808
British 36 Gun
5th Rate Frigate
John Borlase Warren (1st Baronet of Little Marlow)British
Naval Sailor
Service 1774-1804
Fleet Flagship
Diamond (38) 1794-1812
British 38 Gun
5th Rate Frigate
William Sidney SmithBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1779-1814
Diana (38) 1794-1815
British 38 Gun
5th Rate Frigate
Jonathon FaulknorBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1770-1808
Arethusa (38) 1781-1814
British 38 Gun
5th Rate Frigate
Sir Edward PellewBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1776-1814
Artois (38) 1794-1797
British 38 Gun
5th Rate Frigate
The Hon. Charles FitzgeraldBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1778-1808
,
Edmund NagleBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1777-1814
Santa Margarita (36) 1779-1836
British 36 Gun
5th Rate Frigate
Eliab HarveyBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1779-1795
 

République Française

 
Ship NameCommanderNotes
Le Volontaire (36) 1794-1794
French 36 Gun
5th Rate Frigate
 
L'Espion (18) 1794-1795
French 18 Gun
Unrated Corvette
 
Le Alerte (16) 1794-1794
French 16 Gun
Unrated Corvette
 
 

Notes on Action


DescriptionTRN4
On August 23rd, early in the morning, the British frigates Flora, Captain Sir John Warren; Arethusa, 38, Captain Sir Edward Pellew; Diamond, 38, Captain Sir William Sidney Smith; Artois, 38, Captain Edmund Nagle; Diana, 38, Captain Jonathan Faulknor; and Santa Margarita, 36, Captain Eliab Harvey, discovered the French frigate Volontaire, 36, Captain Papin, off Brest, and compelled her to anchor off the Penmarcks. There she was vigorously attacked by four of the British ships, and, cutting her cables to take up a better position, was driven ashore. Her pumps could not keep the water down, and therefore Captain Papin abandoned her. At the same time the French corvettes Alerte, 12, and Espion, 18, were driven ashore in Audierne Bay, and boarded by British boats. Fifty-two French prisoners were brought off, but the vessels, as they had many wounded on board, could not be destroyed. The Espion was got off by the French in the night. The Alerte was lost.
Previous comments on this pageno comments to display
Make a comment about this page





Recent comments to other pages

Date postedByPage
Friday 7th of May 2021 08:49Joop Sluis
British Merchant east indiaman 'Welcome' (1686) 1686-1688
British Merchant East Indiaman
Friday 7th of May 2021 08:41Patricia Morgan
Samuel BurgessBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1790-1830
Tuesday 4th of May 2021 14:59C. Boveland
Thomas BaddisonBritish
Privateer
Service 1756
Tuesday 4th of May 2021 14:48C. Boveland
James DewarBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1747
Monday 3rd of May 2021 12:00B. J. Pryor
British Merchant packet 'General Wall' (1759) 1759-1761
British Merchant Packet
Copyright © Cy Harrison 2010-2021, all rights reserved
GDPR Statement