HMS Imperieuse (1793)

The "Impérieuse" was a 40-gun "Minerve" class frigate of the French Navy. She later served in the Royal Navy as HMS "Imperieuse" and HMS "Unite".

In 1788, she cruised in the Middle East, and the Aegean sea the two following years. She performed another cruise off Middle East before returning to Toulon. On 11 October 1793, "Impérieuse" was captured off La Spezia by HMS "Captain".

She was subsequently recommissioned in the Royal Navy as the fifth rate frigate HMS "Imperieuse".

"Imperieuse" entered service in 1795, and operated in the West Indies off Martinique and Surinam for most of the French Revolutionary Wars, under the command of Captain John Poo Beresford. Returing to Britain at the Peace of Amiens, "Imperieuse" was renamed "Unite" and when the Napoleonic Wars began returned to service in the Mediterranean. Under Captain Patrick Campbell "Unite" was the first frigate to enter the Adriatic in the war and during the spring of 1808 captured a string of French and Italian gunboats and coastal merchant vessels, notably the "Jeulie".

By 1811 "Unite" was still operating in the Mediterranean, under Captain Chamberlayne. On 31 March, along with HMS "Ajax", "Unite" helped capture the French supply ship "Dromadaire" off Corsica, and on 1 May, she blew up the French gunboats "Girafe" and "Nourrise" sheltering near the island at Sagone, with the help of HMS "Pomone" and HMS "Scout".

Through the summer "Unite" operated off the mouth of the Tiber and in the autumn she was once again sent to the Adriatic, participating in the Action of 29 November 1811 at which she captured the armed storeship "Persanne".

By 1815, "Unite" was back in Britain in reserve at Deptford and she remained there until converted for harbour service in 1832. Between 1841 and 1858, she was used as a prison hulk. The ship was eventually broken up in January 1858 at Chatham Dockyard.

References

*Colledge
* [http://www.ageofnelson.org/MichaelPhillips/info.php?ref=2314 Ships of the Old Navy]