Officeuse (1776 ship)
History | |
---|---|
France | |
Name | Officieuse |
Builder | Le Havre by Jean-Joseph Ginoux |
Laid down | December 1775 |
Launched | August 1776 |
Completed | March 1778 |
Fate | wrecked November 1781 |
General characteristics [1] | |
Displacement | ~700 tonnes |
Tons burthen | 350-400 (bm) |
Length | 113 ft 2 in (34.5 m) |
Beam | 25 ft 0 in (7.6 m) |
Draught | 12 ft 6 in (3.8 m) |
Sail plan | Full-rigged ship |
Complement | 50-190 |
Armament | Pierced for 20 or 24, carrying 16-20 x 6-pounder guns (w/40 shot per gun) |
Officieuse was a storeship launched on 3 August 1776. The French Royal Navy lent her to the Compagnie de Guyane in September. She completed four voyages for the Compagnie, before wrecking on the fifth.[2]
- January to July 1777: Le Havre, Tenerife, Gorée, Juda, Île du Prince (possibly Prince Edward Island, Cap-Français, Le Havre
- July 1778 to 1779: Rochefort, Lorient, Gorée, Groix, Guyanne, Rochefort
- August 1779 to end-1779: Rochefort to Senegal and return
- March 1780 to November: Rochefort to Guyane and return
During this last voyage she captured the British merchant vessel Arlequin (probably Harlequin), off Cayenne. However, in 1781 the British recaptured her.[3] The captor was possibly HMS Belisarius, which captured the brig Harlequin on 7 December 1781.[4]
In June 1781, Officeuse left Bordeaux for Senegal. In November she wrecked while crossing the bar at Casamance to escape HMS Leander, under Captain . Shirley reported that Officeuse was supposed to be worth £30,000.[5]
Citations[]
- ^ Demerliac (1996), p.107, #746.
- ^ Demerliac (1996), p.206, #2074.
- ^ Demerliac (1996), p.207, #2091.
- ^ "No. 12540". The London Gazette. 4 May 1784. p. 4.
- ^ "No. 12312". The London Gazette. 9 July 1782. p. 4.
References[]
- Demerliac, Alain (1996) La Marine De Louis XVI: Nomenclature Des Navires Français De 1774 À 1792. (Nice: Éditions OMEGA). ISBN 2-906381-23-3
Categories:
- 1776 ships
- Maritime incidents in 1781
- Age of Sail ships of France
- Ships built in France