HMS Bonne Citoyenne (1796)

HMS "Bonne Citoyenne" was a 20-gun sixth rate sloop of the Royal Navy. She was initially built for service with the French Navy, but was soon captured, and spent most of her career sailing with the British, were she participated in the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, and the War of 1812.

French career

"Bonne Citoyenne" was built in 1794 and served in the English Channel and the Bay of Biscay.cite book |last=Lyon & Winfield |title=Sail and Steam |pages=Chap. 1; p. 72] On 10 March 1796 she was sighted off Cape Finisterre by the fifth rate frigate HMS|Phaeton|1782|6, under the command of Robert Stopford. Stopford engaged and captured her, and took her back to England as his prize. She was then commissioned into the Royal Navy as HMS "Bonne Citoyenne".cite book |last=Colledge |title=Ships of the Royal Navy |pages=44]

British career

Mediterranean

"Bonne Citoyenne"′s first commander was Captain Lindsay, who took command in January 1797, but by May that month he had been replaced by Captain Retalick. Captain Hesbitt took over in 1799, and in January "Bonne Citoyenne" took the Turkish Ambassador to Constantinople. After completing this task, she was sent to Malta to join the fleet blockading the French garrison there.cite web |url=http://www.ageofnelson.org/MichaelPhillips/info.php?ref=0362 |title= BONNE CITOYENNE (20)|accessdate=2008-10-05] A period of strong gales at the beginning of March made the commanders concerned that the French naval forces might attempt a sortie, and "Bonne Citoyenne" took up position west of Gozo. She was still on this station in 1800, when Commander Malling took over, afterwards being succeeded by Commander Robert Jackson. On 31 December 1800 Jackson and the "Bonne Citoyenne" captured the Spanish privateer "Vives", which had been spotted sailing off Cape Mola. The "Vives", ten days out on a cruise from Palma, was armed with ten 9-pounders and 80 men, and had previously captured a merchant vessel carrying wine for Citadella. Jackson went on to recapture this ship as well.

"Bonne Citoyenne" then returned to Gibraltar, before sailing for Egypt with Lord Keith's fleet. The force attacked the French at Alexandria, after which the sloops "Bonne Citoyenne", HMS|Port Mahon|1798|2 and HMS|Cynthia|1796|2 were able to enter the harbour on 21 August. Jackson was promoted to Post Captain in April 1802, and was replaced in command by Philip Carteret. She was paid off in 1803, and by 1805 was moored at Chatham. She was recommissioned under John Thompson in 1808, and served off the coast of Spain. Thompson was replaced by William Mounsey on 18 April 1809, who was sent with despatches for Earl St Vincent.

Fight of the "Furieuse"

She returned to England after completing this, and on 18 June sailed from Spithead in company with HMS|Inflexible|1780|6. The two were acting as escorts for a convoy bound for Quebec. Whilst travelling with the convoy on 2 July, a suspicious sail was sighted astern, and Mounsey dropped back to investigate. In doing so he lost sight of the convoy and in sailing to rejoin them, came across a French frigate on 5 July, which was in the process of capturing an English merchant. Despite the much larger size of the frigate, Mounsey immediately gave chase, at which the French ship fled northwards. After a chase lasting 18 hours the "Bonne Citoyenne" caught up with the French ship on the morning of 6 July and brought her to battle. The subsequent engagement lasted seven hours, with "Bonne Citoyenne" at an disadvantage early on, when three of her guns were dismounted. She nevertheless fired 129 broadsides to the enemy's 70. By the end of the battle "Bonne Citoyenne" had lost her top masts, her lower masts were badly damaged, and her rigging, sails and boats had been shot to pieces. Running out of powder Mounsey decided to force the issue and ordered his men to be prepared to board the French ship. Before he could do so, the French surrendered and Mounsey took possession.

The enemy ship was discovered to be the "Furieuse", which had sailed from the Îles des Saintes on 1 April, carrying sugar and coffee to France. She was capable of carrying 48 guns, but was only carrying 20 at the time. Despite this she had a much larger crew, with 200 sailors, 40 soldiers, and a detachment of troops from the 60th regiment of the line. She had suffered heavy damage, with her masts shot away, five feet of water in the hold and 35 killed and 37 wounded. In contrast, "Bonne Citoyenne" had just one man killed and five wounded. The frigate was patched up and towed into Halifax, where both were repaired. The captured frigate was later commissioned into the Royal Navy as HMS|Furieuse|1809|6, whilst the "Bonne Citoyenne" returned to England in September. A round of promotions followed the victory, the first lieutenant was promoted to commander and Mounsey was promoted to post captain. He was offered command of the "Furieuse", once she had been repaired, which he accepted, taking command on her commissioning in November 1811.

Greene and the Americans

Mounsey left "Bonne Citoyenne" in 1810, and was replaced by Richard James O'Connor, and he by Pitt Burnaby Greene in 1811, whilst the "Bonne Citoyenne" was at Spithead. Greene was promoted to post captain on 7 March 1811, after which "Bonne Citoyenne" was re-classed as a post ship. Greene was sent to the South American Station, sailing out of the River Plate, and spending time as the senior officer of the station during the absences of Captain Peter Heywood. With the outbreak of the War of 1812 Greene took on a cargo of specie, worth some half a million pounds and sailed from Rio de Janeiro, but "Bonne Citoyenne" was damaged after a grounding, and he was forced to put into Salvador for repairs. Whilst in port, two American warships, the USS|Constitution and USS|Hornet|1805 brig|6 arrived. James Lawrence of the "Hornet" sent a challenge to Greene, offering a single ship combat. Greene anticipated victory, but was wary of the much larger "Constitution", and felt responsible for protecting his valuable cargo, and so declined to come out. "Constitution" subsequently left, and the arrival of HMS|Montagu|1779|6 on 24 January 1813 forced "Hornet" to make a hasty escape. Greene sailed for Portsmouth, arriving there in April.

In 1814 "Bonne Citoyenne" was tied up at Sheerness, and later moved to Portsmouth. She was sold on 3 February 1819.

Notes

References

*Colledge
* Lyon, David and Winfield, Rif, The Sail and Steam Navy List, All the Ships of the Royal Navy 1815-1889, pub Chatham, 2004, ISBN 1-86176-032-9
* [http://www.ageofnelson.org/MichaelPhillips/info.php?ref=0362 Career of HMS Bonne Citoyen at ageofnelson.org]