French frigate Cornélie (1797)

The Cornélie was a 40-gun Virginie-class frigate of the French Navy.

History
French Navy Ensign French Navy EnsignFrance
NameCornélie
Launched19 September 1797
Captured14 June 1808 by Spain
Spain
NameCornélie
Acquired1808 by capture
RenamedCornelia
FateSold 21 October 1815 and broken up
General characteristics
Class and typeVirginie-class frigate
Displacement1400 tonnes
Length47.4 m (155 ft 6 in)
Beam11.9 m (39 ft 1 in)
Draught5.5 m (18 ft 1 in)
Armament
  • 40 guns (though pierced for 44 guns)
  • 28 × 18-pounder cannon and 12 × 12-pounder cannon
ArmourTimber

In April 1799, along with Vengeance and Sémillante, she fought against HMS St Fiorenzo and HMS Amelia.[1]

On 4 August 1803 Cornélie sortied from Toulon as part of a squadron of four frigates and some corvettes. Cornélie captured the schooner HMS Redbreast and the water transport that Redbreast was escorting from Malta to Admiral Nelson's fleet.[citation needed]

She took part in the Battle of Cape Finisterre and in the Battle of Trafalgar.[1]

On 14 June 1808, The Spanish captured a French squadron at Cádiz that included Cornélie. The Spaniards then brought her into Spanish service as Cornelia. She was sold at Havana on 21 October 1815 and broken up.[2]

Citations

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  1. ^ a b Roche, p.129
  2. ^ Winfield & Roberts, p.140

References

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  • Roche, Jean-Michel (2005). Dictionnaire des bâtiments de la flotte de guerre française de Colbert à nos jours 1 1671–1870. p. 129. ISBN 978-2-9525917-0-6. OCLC 165892922.
  • Winfield, Rif; Roberts, Stephen S. (2015). French warships in the age of sail, 1786-1861. Barnsley: Seaforth Publishing. ISBN 978-184832-204-2.